Comments on Eagle County School Board Meeting of 9/24/25

TO: Mr. Philip Qualman, Superintendent, Eagle County Public Schools

I attended the school board meeting on Wednesday, September 24.  While I do not have school-age children in the District, I do have 4-month-old twin grandchildren who will, most likely, be attending Eagle County schools. I am also a resident and voter in Eagle County.

I think the attendees appreciated your opening  comments addressing the reason that all, or most, of them were there. However, it was obvious  that your words were scripted from the CO law and teacher’s contract provisions. They did nothing to explain what was being done to reprimand this teacher. Actions and words have consequences. What are her consequences? Parents and students have a right to know.

The teacher, Laura Dowling, offered an ‘apology’ that was totally flat and insincere. It was an apology for having to give an apology for words she said in the classroom that she is not sorry for saying. Her attitude was arrogant and self-serving – like a recalcitrant child – sorry and let’s just move on – no big deal. Call me old-fashioned, but she could not even dress appropriately (her eyes were covered by her cap) to address the school board and attendees. Clothes do make the man/woman and her dress exhibited her lack of respect for the audience and the reason that brought her there.

As one parent said, her words were not a mistake. A mistake is turning in a lesson plan late.  She said what was in her heart and soul and felt entitled to share  with young, vulnerable children. What must they think?   My teacher is glad that someone is dead? Was murdered in cold blood for simply exercising his constitutional rights? And that she would be even happier if  the President of the United States was also dead ? 

Her statements were not made to the students within minutes of the assassination of Charlie Kirk but (I assume) hours or days afterwards. She had time to think about what she would or would not say to her students. Her words were deliberate, what she feels in her heart and soul and showed her total lack of good sense and judgement.

Like the other speakers, free speech is of course one of our basic rights as Americans and we uphold it. However, speaking freely to a group of students in the classroom where the teacher is in a position of authority and power over children is NOT a right. She broke the trust of both the students and their parents.

A remedy mentioned  is that more taxpayer dollars will be spent to  ‘re-educate’ teachers on how to behave in the classroom. This is ludicrous. If teachers don’t know what acceptable behavior is, or want to promote their own ideology,  they should choose another profession. People are not going to give up or change their deep-seeded political, moral and cultural beliefs. This is in their DNA – who they are. Perhaps they can be taught what is appropriate, responsible behavior a classroom, but I doubt it. What about counseling for the students who must have been traumatized by what she said?

I realize that, unfortunately, it is unlikely that our society will return to the days when teachers kept their personal views to themselves. We don’t want to know their political beliefs or sexual orientation. Their job is to  facilitate student learning by delivering instruction, creating effective learning environments, and helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. NOT inserting their personal political, religious or moral beliefs into the classroom. The educator is ‘Switzerland’ – presenting the facts,  listening to all points of view  and letting the students draw their own conclusions, NOT indoctrinating them into any particular ideology.

  I am also concerned about what children in the district are being taught and exposed to. I can only rely on anecdotal evidence from friends and what I read in the local newspapers – all of which is very alarming. The things that the young man reported - the bias (left leaning, anti-Republican) that he has been exposed to in Biology and English classes was especially jarring.

So, as a voter in Eagle County, mother , grandmother and concerned citizen I feel compelled to speak.   I support all the attendees at the meeting who asked for this teacher’s removal from the classroom. She has lost the right to have any direct contact with students.  If she was a truly moral and responsible person, she would resign. As this is unlikely and as the state rules and teacher contract provisions may prevent her from being fired, she should be given an administrative job with no student interaction.

Think about the lesson and message to the students that words and actions have consequences if this teacher receives no punishment for what she did. Her arrogant, entitled, self-serving attitude will be adopted by many students, much to the detriment of themselves and society.

Regards,

Gayle Shaffer

Vail, Colorado