The recall against Dolores RE4a School District Trustee Vangi McCoy, is misdirected and damaging to our school.

It is based upon false information regarding state testing scores and status.

Currently, Dolores School District is rated by the Colorado Department of Education as “Accredited,” which is the second highest rating, and all schools in the district have exceeded the 95 percent participation rate (see the Sept. 18 Journal article “Dolores Elementary Test Scores Rebound Dramatically” for more detail).

Vangi McCoy’s qualifications and achievements make her an outstanding leader to continue serving on the Dolores School Board.

As the director of Montelores Early Childhood Council, Vangi brings training and funding for early-childhood programs to our region. She holds a bachelor of arts in elementary education and a masters in educational leadership from the University of Denver, where she was a Buell Fellow. She has taught at all levels from preschool to college and is an advocate for programs that support social emotional development of children. Vangi has been recognized regionally and state-wide as an education leader.

As a trustee for Dolores School District, Vangi’s leadership was instrumental in establishing the Best Foot Forward program, which supports preschoolers’ transition into kindergarten. In addition, she wrote a grant for $10,000 to establish the infant-toddler program at Dolores Schools. Through these achievements, she was named Outstanding Community Leader for the state of Colorado through Serve Colorado Governor Board Award.

Vangi gives countless hours of unpaid time, to support children and educators in our community. Advocating for Early Childhood, serving on the school board, and teaching at the community college level, among other things, show her level of experience and care when it comes to education.

Through her involvement with Team UP, Vangi is working collaboratively with other community leaders to tackle complex issues and develop a systematic approach to improving the outcomes for all children in our communities, from cradle to career.

No school district or large system is going to have perfect outcomes all the time. We can’t just abandon our strong leaders when something difficult occurs. We need their experience and passion and they need our support to learn from the tough experiences.

Vote NO on the recall in order to retain Vangi McCoy, as a champion for children. We need her continued leadership and expertise to help our school and students continue to thrive and excel as 21st century learners.

Alex Prime

Dolores