Colorado Public Radio reprints a Chalkbeat piece by Ann Schimke profiling the Colorado Leaders for Academic Success (CLAS), a young group recruiting school boards into its orbit. CLAS, led by superintendent Dan Snowberger, says it exists to boost student achievement and guard parental rights. Depending on which side of the political fence you sit, that’s either a noble mission or the latest Trojan horse in the never-ending school wars.
The article gives readers a mix of skepticism and cautious optimism: supporters see CLAS as a counterbalance to the Colorado Association of School Boards, while the usual chorus of liberal critics suspect it’s just another conservative rebrand trying to smuggle politics into the classroom.
The Bullet Point Brief
- CLAS launched in late 2023 to push student achievement and parental rights, now counting six member districts – small, rural, and often litigious.
- The group emerges just as “conservative-fueled policies” like book removals and transgender rules are, as the reporter sniffs, “in ascendance”.
- CLAS insists it’s nonpartisan, but apparently “parental rights” is now code for “conservative.” Because God forbid parents across the spectrum want a say in their kids’ lives.
- The Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) looms in the background with its 177 of 178 boards. Critics frame CLAS as CASB’s “conservative cousin,” but CLAS leaders shrug: guilty if caring about parents and learning is a crime.
- Lawsuits abound: Elizabeth is tied up in book bans, Montezuma-Cortez is in a transgender athlete fight. Snowberger admits these debates sucked time, but claims the group is moving on to real student achievement.
My Bottom Line
The author’s pearl-clutching line is delicious: “conservative-fueled policies… are in ascendance.” Outstanding. If protecting kids from pornographic library filler and making sure boys don’t crash the girls’ locker room counts as “conservative-fueled,” then pass me the high-octane.
What’s rich is the follow-up: “its focus on parental rights… echoes messaging common in conservative circles.” Really? Since when did “parents raising their own kids” become a partisan bumper sticker? Do progressive parents just hand the keys to the teachers’ union and say, “Go ahead, indoctrinate little Jimmy, just keep him busy till dinner”? If “parental rights” makes you sound conservative, then liberal parents need to check whether they still qualify as parents.
