JEFFERSON COUNTY, Colo. — Teachers in Jefferson County say they're not happy with Jeffco Superintendent Tracy Dorland — so much so, they're issuing a unanimous vote of no confidence.
“JCEA is taking extraordinary but unfortunate necessary steps of issuing a vote of no confidence in superintendent Tracy Dorland,” teachers’ union members read to board members out loud at Thursday night’s board meeting.
Jefferson County Education Association President Brooke Williams was one of the educators at Thursday's meeting asking board members to hold Superintendent Tracy Dorland accountable for the way she's leading the district.
“We have been bringing up concerns all year, and even before this year, about our concerns about shared leadership, lack of transparency and accountability, and just some of the urgent issues that have been going on in our schools,” said Williams.
One example of those issues: How the district handled communication to educators, families, and community members after an incident with former Chief of Schools David Weiss.
Weiss was terminated amid an investigation into his alleged possession of child sexual abuse material in mid-December and was found dead in Maryland a few weeks later.
Another issue — the way the district is handling the potential closure of Jefferson Junior/Senior High School.
“Voices aren't being heard. We have concerns about our students and our schools and our community,” said Williams. “It disempowers stakeholders and their voices, and they just feel like it was a waste of time.”
“Superintendent Dorland has dismissed or delayed action while morale, retention, and student outcomes suffer,” reads one part of the letter.
We reached out to Superintendent Dorland asking for a one-on-one interview.
"I acknowledge the concerns raised by the JCEA Operational Board and Representative Council. I have read the letter and I am reflecting on the feedback. I acknowledge the need to build trust with the teacher’s association.
I also want to be clear that I stand by the significant progress we've made over the past four years—including increased educator compensation and the implementation of a bold strategic plan grounded in instructional excellence and extraordinary student experiences. We’ve delivered results for Jeffco students through improved academic outcomes and student experiences. We’ve implemented high-quality curriculum districtwide, increased student achievement, and reduced discipline incidents through a more consistent and equity-focused approach to behavior and support.
I know trust is built through authentic engagement and consistent action. I am listening—and I will continue listening—to all our educators, families, students, and community members. As superintendent, I represent the entire Jeffco community, and it is my duty to weigh multiple perspectives and make decisions in service to all students. That often means making hard choices, but I have and will always lead with students at the center.
I remain deeply committed to leading Jeffco in a way that provides stable leadership, supports students, values our workforce, and honors the voices of all our stakeholders. And while we need to listen and collaborate on important issues facing our district, we cannot allow our district to be paralyzed and stagnant. Our students need brave, courageous leaders, who are willing to work across our diverse community to actualize improvements to our students’ experiences; I am that leader.
I continue to believe in the promise of public education, in the dedication of our workforce, and in our shared responsibility to provide every student in Jeffco with extraordinary opportunities to learn, grow, thrive, and achieve their biggest dreams."
- Superintendent Dorland
She declined our request but said in a statement that she has read the letter and is reflecting on the feedback, acknowledging she needs to build trust with the teacher's union.
“I know trust is built through authentic engagement and consistent action. I am listening—and I will continue listening—to all our educators, families, students, and community members. As superintendent, I represent the entire Jeffco community, and it is my duty to weigh multiple perspectives and make decisions in service to all students. That often means making hard choices, but I have and will always lead with students at the center,” said Dorland.
Williams hopes there's more communication and transparency moving forward.
“We're really asking for accountability here, and [for] the board to take [seriously] the issues that we've brought up,” she said. “I hope that it didn't fall on deaf ears.”
You can read the letter in full here.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.