In a move so uncharacteristically efficient it might give some people whiplash, the Colorado State Board of Education has overhauled its public comment process to include remote participation. That’s right, no more schlepping to Denver or arranging your entire week around a three-minute mic drop. Whether you want to go full mom-rage or teacher-sass, now you can do it straight from your kitchen table. Public comments can now be made in-person or virtually using Microsoft Teams – no downloads, no fuss, and no excuses.
This isn’t just a footnote buried in bureaucracy. The Board is signaling a legit invitation to the public – especially those who might not have the time (or tolerance) to deal with government buildings, parking garages, or Denver’s homeless population. There are rules, of course, and yes, a limit on how many voices get heard. But this is a damn door cracked open, and if we don’t walk through it, we shouldn’t be surprised when the usual suspects fill the room and own the mic.
The Bullet Point Brief
- Finally, a mic without mileage: You can now testify at State Board meetings virtually via Microsoft Teams. No downloads. No dress pants required.
- Time is tight, talk is limited: The morning comment period caps out at 15 speakers, each with three glorious minutes. That’s 180 seconds to raise hell, kindly, of course.
- Register or get wrecked: Sign-up opens the Wednesday before and slams shut by Tuesday noon. Miss the window and it’s back to writing emails nobody reads.
- No tag-teaming allowed: You sign up, you show up. No substitutions, no stand-ins, no sending your cousin Vinny to rant on your behalf.
- Conduct yourself, citizen: No clapping, snapping, or dramatic fainting. This ain’t Broadway, and the chair holds the power to yank the mic if things get rowdy.
My Bottom Line
This is a good thing, full stop. This is the State Board actually trying to make civic participation more accessible. So here’s a call to action for my fellow “parental rights extremists” – you know, the people who believe their kids shouldn’t be ideological guinea pigs: SHOW UP.
The left does. Every. Damn. Time. They flood these public forums with emotional appeals and TED Talk auditions. Meanwhile, conservatives are sitting at home yelling at the news like that’s going to move policy. It won’t. What moves policy? Public comment. Testimony. Showing your face (or webcam) and using your voice.
The State Board has opened the door – you don’t even have to leave your house. This isn’t just an opportunity. It’s an obligation. Citizenship isn’t a spectator sport. If you believe in parental rights, in sanity in education, in common damn sense – use this system. Sign up, speak out, and start taking up our space in these meetings.
