Communication and Listening When Viewpoints Differ

vThe superintendent of a politically diverse school district shares her six principles for bringing community members together behind children

Like many communities throughout the country, ours has experienced conflict and division that really came to a head during the pandemic. Members of our community have expressed concerns over issues such as mask wearing in schools, books in our libraries, the school district’s equity policy, and how to keep our schools secure.

When I became the superintendent of the Douglas County School District in Colorado in 2022, one of my stated goals was to bring our community together so we all would rally around our common cause: creating bright futures for our 62,000 students. They attend 90 schools across 850 square miles in a range of settings from suburban cities to small towns to rural farming areas.

Over the last couple of years, we have accomplished just that. Our collective focus on the success of students has resulted in fantastic outcomes, giving everyone in our district a tremendous sense of pride in our schools. For the first time in a decade, Douglas County is the top-scoring school district in the Denver metropolitan area and one of the few districts nationwide to have met or exceeded its 2019 (pre-pandemic) student test scores in every subject and every grade. We’re one of the only school districts in Colorado to increase proficiency levels across all student subgroups. The district is rated No. 11 on Test Prep Insight’s list of the 250 “most envied” school districts in the country.

All of this serves as the important backdrop for what I think is a remarkable accomplishment. Eighteen months into my tenure as superintendent, Douglas County voters in November 2023 passed a $66 million tax initiative to give 9 percent raises to our teachers and staff. We achieved this election success because we all came together in a desire to retain great professionals in the local schools that help our students thrive. It marked a turning point.