Special Board Meeting (January 8, 2026)
TL;DR
What happened
Barely meeting the required notification window, the Board held a special meeting on Jan 8 and approved both the SY 2026–27 calendar and the bell schedule unanimously.
No underlying data, packet materials, or “fact base” was shared on screen during the meeting (at least from what was visible to attendees).
Multiple Board members emphasized that “parents don’t know the whole story,” and referenced the idea that there are other narratives beyond the family perspective.
Several comments leaned heavily on the idea that families “don’t know what it’s like to be a teacher,” and that deferring to teachers/administrators is part of the “FASD culture.”
What I asked for in public comment
That the Board packet / supporting materials be released so the community can understand the full narrative and tradeoffs.
What comes next
The school indicated the calendar would be posted / shared shortly (e.g., website / Dojo).
Parent Recap
The Board meeting was called as a special session focused primarily on two items: the SY 2026–27 calendar and the bell schedule. This meeting popped up on the Dojo calendar barely within the statute-required 24-hour notice window.
On the calendar: there was discussion about alignment with other schools, professional development days, spring break timing, and logistics like conference days and comp days. At least from a community-view perspective, the meeting did not include a clear “walkthrough” of the proposed calendar displayed on screen, which made it harder to follow specifics in real time.
On the bell schedule: Board member comments repeatedly referenced the complexity of balancing student needs, teacher needs, and family needs. Multiple members referenced that the Board had access to “packets,” and that families may not have the full context. Several statements framed the decision as one where families should defer to educators because we do not live the day-to-day reality of teaching. One Board member went further and characterized deferring to teachers/administrators as part of “FASD culture.”
The Board then voted, and both items passed unanimously.
I delivered public comment after the votes, emphasizing a simple point: if the Board believes families don’t know the full story, then the community should be able to review the same non-confidential fact base the Board used to reach its decision.
The “Since You’re Here…” Section
Unofficial reflections — offered in good faith (and with a grain of salt)
I’m disappointed, but not surprised -- fait accompli.
This isn’t primarily about whether a shorter day is “right” or “wrong.” It’s about governance, transparency, and trust.
What I found most disturbing was the repeated framing that “families don’t know the whole story” paired with the idea that deferring to teachers/administrators is part of the school’s culture. Supporting teachers and respecting their expertise is essential. But a Board’s job is not to defer — it’s to listen, ask hard questions, evaluate evidence, weigh tradeoffs, and make decisions that are defensible to the community.
A culture of deference can unintentionally become a culture where:
Hard questions aren’t asked publicly.
Tradeoffs aren’t articulated clearly.
Families are expected to trust conclusions without being able to review the supporting logic.
That’s not healthy — and honestly, it’s not fair to teachers either. If staff are carrying the full burden of “the narrative,” it puts them in an impossible position. A strong Board should help by ensuring decisions are transparent, evidence-based, and communicated clearly.
Our Board needs support.
These are volunteer roles and they’re difficult. But this meeting reinforced why Board members should regularly revisit the basics: fiduciary responsibilities (Duty of Care, Loyalty, Obedience), governance norms, and what healthy transparency looks like in a charter school setting. If the Board hasn’t reviewed it recently, the Charter School Board Governance Playbook is a good place to start.
My simple request remains the same: now that the vote has happened, please publish the non-confidential Board packet/materials so families can understand the full fact base and meaningfully weigh in on the tradeoffs.
Below is the text of my public comment statement:
Good evening. My name is Greg and I’m a parent of a FASD first grader.
Tonight, I’m asking you to hear a process concern and then act on it.
Regardless of where anyone lands on the calendar or bell schedule, the process around this decision has been flawed and unnecessarily trust-eroding. When families feel unheard or surprised by major changes, engagement drops and trust is harder to rebuild. It’s not only teacher retention we should be concerned about—it’s family retention as well.
A special meeting was called this evening barely within the minimum notice window and with confusion around the meeting time and agenda. But most importantly: the supporting materials and data behind these recommendations were not shared with the community ahead of a scheduled vote.
As a result, from the Community’s perspective, this decision appears to be based more on high-level assurances—“research says,” “other schools do,” “we gathered extensive data”—than on transparent, reviewable facts. That may not be true internally, but that is exactly what the process communicates externally.
I encourage Board members to reflect on this episode, especially through the lens of your fiduciary responsibilities: Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, and Duty of Obedience. If you haven’t reviewed it recently, I’d also encourage you to revisit the Colorado League of Charter Schools Board Governance Playbook and the expectations it sets for transparency and sound decision-making.
My request is straightforward:
The Board commit to (1) publishing the non-confidential Board packet for the entire community to review, and (2) placing a formal “reconsideration” item on a future Board agenda after the community has had time to review the full fact base and share feedback on the tradeoffs.
Thank you.
