1. 801 S. Perry Street, Suite 140 AFL/CIO #2265
Castle Rock, CO 80104 DCFT.net
303-688-3381 Fax: 303-688-1039
Dear Fellow Educator, June 21, 2012
For 40 years the Douglas County Federation has negotiated in good faith with the Douglas County School District.
In fact, we were proud to ask the District to join us in open negotiations for the first time ever. Unfortunately, the new
leadership of the District has made it clear they no longer have any intention of negotiating a collective bargaining
agreement (CBA) with the organization to which more than 70 percent of its teachers belong.
We are saddened and disappointed with the actions and decisions of the current Douglas County School Board and
District Administration; formally our district had always been a place of collaboration. Prior to the change in
leadership, the DCF and District gained national recognition for their collaboration. Working together with the District
we created a school system so renown that many families moved to our community because of our schools.
Through the years Douglas County Federation has worked with the District to:
‐ Create the nationʼs first Pay-for-Performance System
‐ Develop evaluations of teacher effectiveness
‐ Create local alternative licensure of teachers
We strongly believe our teachers must have a CBA. Therefore, we conceded issues we believe are important to
ensure that a settlement would be reached. These concessions included:
‐ Agreement that the District will no longer deduct dues for Federation members
‐ Agreement that Federation officers will no longer be considered employees or Teachers on
Special Assignment
‐ Agreement to work together to improve communication between the Federation and the
District
Each represents a significant compromise for our organization, and each was offered under the belief that the
District was negotiating in good faith to reach a CBA with its teachers. Unfortunately, each time we made progress
in Negotiations the Douglas County School Board moved the goal posts. We made a request for an outside
facilitator/mediator in February, a request which was denied. We made another request during the last Negotiations
sessions; again we were met with refusal even though Federal Mediation would not cost the District any money. It
is now clear from their public statements that the DCSD BoE has no desire to reach a CBA with teachers.
In order to seek a resolution on behalf of teachers in Douglas County, we have formally filed an “appeal for
intervention” with the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment.
We remain – as we have for the past four decades - absolutely committed to reaching an agreement that serves our
community and our teachers. We are disappointed that even after reaching agreement on the major issues they
outlined themselves, the School Board has put us in this position.
In Solidarity,
Brenda Smith
President, Douglas County Federation