Paula Noonan: Jeffco parent and former school board member wants more neutral balance

A dissenting climate and political focus in the school district prompted former school board member Paula Noonan to walk up to the plate and join the race for the Jefferson County School Board.

“I have a long history with Jeffco Schools,” Noonan said. “It’s become more vitriolic –; both sides –; and I don’t think the district can work well in that environment.”

In her view, the district hasn’t handled some of the major issues, such as teachers, taxing and facilities, in sustainable ways. She said the environment has become so hostile that decisions are being made politically.

“It’s a mutual stick in the eye and everybody needs to back off, and I think the only way that will happen is if the recall goes through and people are in place who are willing to consider everybody and are willing to consider the points of view of everybody, and who will make policy decisions not on what side they’re on but based on what’s best for the kids and maintaining a vibrant enterprise.”

Noonan is running for District 5, in competition with Ron Mitchell and incumbent Board President Ken Witt.

Noonan, a webmaster, first got involved in Jeffco Schools in the late 1980s when her son was in the Columbine articulation area schools. In that time she jumped on the campaigns to increase facilities needs in the Lakewood and South Jeffco areas. She helped pass the bond issue that built Dakota Ridge High School and Summit Ridge Middle School.

Since that time she’s been actively involved with the district accountability, and served as a board member from 2009 to 2013.

With prior experience on the board and in the district, Noonan said she’s noticed a few major issues and crucial decisions, such as the implementation of testing and the performance-based pay structure, that the district needs to tackle.

“I think the board has overstepped in its faith of the testing system we have … and in attaching compensation to that system,” she said.

“Rationalizing” Jeffco’s assessment system is her first priority. Noonan said the district has to look at increasing career readiness opportunities and choice opportunities at all schools, and ask for money to care for infrastructure.

Outside of running in this election, Noonan said she enjoys running her two websites, and time with grandchildren.

“I know how hard it is to get these things (facilities) done, and it may take a couple of shots, but you can’t solve the district’s facilities problems with operations dollars, there’s just too much building that needs to go on and not enough operations dollars to do it.”

“It would be interesting if schools, I think, all had some extra programming that parents could think about,” she said. “…There’s lots of stuff that could happen that would make Jeffco a very dynamic and vital district but it can’t happen in an environment of bickering and grenade throwing.”

“It’s going to be, I like hyperbole –; it’s going to be Mad Max in Jeffco. If the public votes for a slate either way, that’s what they’ll get.”

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