Marathon Finish Line

I really am not sure how to feel, but last night we FINALLY took back our school district! It has been EIGHT YEARS of fighting, and taken hundreds of teachers leaving, increases in class sizes, decreases in test scores...before this started, not one school was on any kind of improvement plan (as dictated by the state). Now, ELEVEN are on plans. So, basically, it took for our schools to be in ruins (which is exactly what they wanted), but finally the community beat the special interest groups.

PHEW.

All of you know, this was the hill I was willing to die on. And 4 years ago, after all the hard work I put into it (and there's not a person who knew me then who can say I didn't do everything in my power to win 4 years ago), it pretty well broke me. I had to build a wall around myself and my family. I no longer felt that we had, nor wanted to be a part of, a community. I have completely built an island with my family. This 8 year fight has been a marathon (and it isn't over yet, but this was the most important and hardest part), and 4 years ago after doing all that I could, I handed the baton off to others who still had fight in them. And, thankfully, they took it and ran to victory!

I'm not quite sure how to feel- it's so bizarre. For so long I have hated this community for voting to hurt kids, but now they totally stepped up and won BIG. We won by 20%! It was a total landslide! I had completely braced myself for a loss, and fully expected to get a loss. The Koch Brothers donated over a million dollars, but it didn't work. (if you take out all special interest money- the Koch Brothers, the union- who donated about 300K-, etc., our candidates brought in more money from just the community at a 10:1 ratio. Without any special interest groups, it was obvious who the community wanted, so it is wonderful that the candidates who the community wanted to win actually did!)

It gives me so much hope! For years I have been so discouraged as it seemed like we no longer even had a say in our local elections as special interest groups hijacked them, but the theme across Colorado was, "Voters REJECT Special Interest Big Money."

The older I get the more I realize politics is just a pendulum- you win some, you lose some. Four years ago I was completely devastated that we lost, now I am thrilled that we won. But there is still so much to be done to undo the damage and to move forward.

Anyway, hopefully we can start rebuilding our community. I am so glad I get to like where I live now! It's all so new and wonderful! I really am not sure how to feel about this new way of thinking of my community!

The next question: Will I send my kids back to school? The short answer: No. We like this homeschooling world too much, but at least if they decide they want to go, I can now feel like it is a viable option.

Yay for beating a national agenda that hurts kids!!! Truly, this was a huge win for KIDS yesterday! YAHOO!!!!!!

Hopefully this means the Koch Brothers will now leave us alone- with 20% margins one would think they heard our message loud and clear and will be gone. The district next to us was taken over by the Koch's 4 years ago, but they had a recall election and got rid of them, and the Koch's didn't do anything to them this year. Here's hoping we are now in this boat!