Four of this year’s six School District 49 board candidates discussed a return to civility and the place of social-emotional learning in the classroom during Monday night’s first-ever Student Board of Representatives candidate forum. Though open to the community, the forum was run by and for district students, with high school students choosing the topics of discussion.

Three of five seats are up for election this November, divided into director districts based on the area in which each board member serves. No incumbents are set to appear on the ballot, although one candidate has prior school board experience under her belt.

The four hopefuls shared a united vision for the future of the board: one of civil discourse, with politics taking a backseat in a district plagued by recent discord and infighting.

In April, two student representatives spoke out against the hostile school board meeting atmosphere, saying they no longer felt safe. That was an especially difficult moment to witness for District 3 candidate Marie La Vere-Wright.

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“I’ve been incredibly disappointed to watch the amount of vitriol when I have attended board meetings. It has been disheartening to see student board members behave professionally when others on the board cannot,” said District 3 candidate Marie La Vere-Wright. “It’s been a distraction instead of what we need to do for our kids … and it needs to change.”

La Vere-Wright previously served on the school board for eight years during a time when the D-49 board received the Rocky Mountain Performance Excellence “Peak” Award and a nod from the Colorado Association of School Boards as a “board of distinction.” She seeks to return, in part, to “rebuild what was broken” and refocus on the district’s values.

Her District 3 challenger Mark Cravens agreed, emphasizing that he does not like political associations on the board. The current climate is a primary reason he, too, is running.

The two have the most challenging election ahead as they vie for a position with three potential candidates, including Ralene Revord, who did not attend the student board’s forum. District 2 has two candidates, and District 5 has just one official candidate running unopposed.

Another point of agreement among the candidates is the need to continue investing in social-emotional learning programs. Last December the district solidified its support for 18 existing SEL programs in a contentious 3-2 vote, with dissenting voter and former board member Ivy Liu accusing SEL of being an indoctrination tool. District 2 candidate Deb Schmidt, who did not attend the forum, backed those claims.

Social-emotional learning curricula approved by District 49 school board in Colorado Springs

The four forum candidates said there has not been evidence to support Liu’s assertions, unanimously agreeing to respect SEL’s place in the district.

La Vere-Wright, District 2 candidate Candace Lehmann and District 5 candidate Mike Heil were the most receptive of SEL, speaking highly of its impact on student communication and fostering a culture of respect. Before a student can effectively learn, they must feel safe and heard, they said.

“I think the key word there in social-emotional learning is ‘learning,’ and that’s what we’re here to do in school,” Heil said. “It’s absolutely vital for the teacher to be able to foster respect among the student body so that they can focus on what they’re there to do, and that is academics. As far as the controversies that are around it, we’ve asked again and again and again for evidence of ill intent, and nobody has ever come forward and produced any.”

Cravens, who is being endorsed by Liu alongside vocal SEL opponent Schmidt, offered a more tempered response to the issue. He said he recognizes the controversies and suggests the district remain vigilant and screen programs for potential concerns, describing himself as an “agnostic” to SEL until evidence suggests otherwise. In the meantime, he acknowledged that teachers say it allows them to better reach their students.

“We have to give them the credibility to trust if they say this works for them,” Cravens said.

Clashes over social-emotional learning around Colorado Springs persist as counselors work through cries of indoctrination

Every candidate also said they support the district’s upcoming mill levy override ballot measure  to help with funding and do not plan to support measures that would negatively impact LGBTQ+ students. Each candidate supports an environment in which every young person, no matter their identity, can achieve their best.

“I hope that we affect them positively because that’s the only way it can be,” Lehmann said. “These kids are just who they are, and they want to live their life like everybody else. They deserve all the support and equality that they should get.”

Candidates offered different solutions to improving student safety.

La Vere-Wright, who serves on a district committee evaluating school safety, said secondary schools have stronger support than elementary schools. She said it is important to build security measures at the elementary levels, but the district must so in partnership with families.

When D-49 first began adding security measures and suggested metal detectors, La Vere-Wright said it was the student board that spoke up, saying they “don’t want to feel like (they’re) in a jail,” which scares them and does not make them feel safer.

“We do not have enough staff to have somebody present at all of our elementary campuses, so assuming we could find the funding, that would be something I would be looking to do,” Heil agreed.

Lehmann and Cravens said schools need armed people to ensure student safety.

“The idea of an armed-free campus in America was very very well-intentioned and did not work,” Cravens said. “Security on-site that is armed, whether overt or covert, concealed or not, will serve as a deterrent. Someone who intends on violence will go somewhere else if they believe that a school represents a hard target.”

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