Does PSD Have Anti-Capitalist Friends?

​“Show me your friends and I’ll show you your future.”​

Parents of teenagers will readily admit to the vital importance of their teens choosing their friends wisely. For centuries, parents have realized the importance of surrounding their children with good influences. Friends significantly impact our lives for better or for worse so the choices we make are crucial. Parents know that their children can be strongly influenced to believe what their friends believe and behave as their friends behave.

In last week’s edition of Hi Kid, we outlined the clear relationship—friendship if you will—between the Poudre Education Association and the Poudre School District. To recap the connection: the PEA has a goal of being a political force, the PEA uses its force to elect PSD Board of Education directors, the PEA then works for the BoE as the PEA President is a paid employee of the district, leaving the PEA with unique access to the BoE in setting public policy and spending public funds.

We think this photo from the PEA’s Facebook account sums the relationship up nicely:

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Given that the PEA and the PSD Board of Education are obviously tight friends, would it be wise for us to wonder what other groups and organizations the PEA may also hold as friends? Would it be reasonable to think that the groups influencing the PEA could also have a significant impact on the school board and important decisions made for tens of thousands of PSD students?

Well, let’s look into a couple of the PEA’s associations and see what we find.

What Sort of Friend Is the CEA?

From the PEA website, we know that they are an affiliate of the Colorado Education Association. Additionally, the President of the PEA John Robinson (a paid employee of PSD assigned to the Board of Education, remember) is also listed as a member of the CEA’s Board of Directors. So clearly the PEA and CEA are friends. So what is the CEA all about?

Earlier this year, the CEA made national waves when their state assembly delegates passed a resolution which essentially declared capitalism to be BAD.

The resolution states that...

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CEA members took to Twitter to celebrate that the CEA could now publicly advocate for anti-capitalist policies in Denver. (Side question—if the CEA is against capitalism, just what are they for instead?)

One teacher sharing in the anti-capitalist delight was CEA member and newly appointed Colorado State Representative Democrat Tim Hernandez. Hernandez is a controversial figure himself and has been highlighted in the news advocating for a forceful communist cultural revolution in the United States.

"Your [communist] theory will not save you. The revolution… will happen in the hood. It will not be led by who understands Lenin best, it will not be led by the deepest Marxists. The revolution will be led by the people….

​And I say all of this because I'm a teacher."

But the CEA seems to be proud of Hernandez and his advocacy:

Is PSD Friends with Socialists?

Another interesting friend of the PEA is the Fort Collins chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. The union and the DSA host events together and support each other's political work.

Just who is the DSA anyway? According to the DSA Fort Collins website, the group advocates to:

“…build a mass movement and transfer power from the ruling elite to the working class…With direct, grassroots action, we are working to make democratic socialism a reality in Fort Collins, the nation, and the world.”

The national Democratic Socialists of America group states,

“Capitalism is a system designed by the owning class to exploit the rest of us for their own profit. We must replace it with democratic socialism, a system where ordinary people have a real voice in our workplaces, neighborhoods, and society.”

Like the CEA, the DSA organizations also believe capitalism to be exploitative and that it must be replaced by some utopian socialist system.

Interestingly enough, both the PEA and the local DSA are strong supporters of PEA key player Melanie Potyondy's current bid for a Fort Collins City Council seat.

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What Questions Should We Ask?

Poudre School District’s influential friend the PEA clearly has a network of friends advocating for the overthrow of the economic system which has governed the United States from our inception. These groups and individuals advocate for replacing our current operational system founded upon individual dignity and private property rights in favor of socialism, which places power in the hands of a few political elites and consistently results in stifled innovation, economic ruin, and has led to the deaths of an estimated 150 million people. Socialism was a foundational element of Stalin’s Russia, Mao’s China and is currently in place today in countries such as Venezuela, North Korea, and Cuba.

• Given the friendly relationships between the PEA, the CEA, and the DSA, would it be wise for members of the PSD community to be curious about PSD’s support of this anti-capitalist—anti-Western Civilization—stance?

• Do most members of our community agree with these organizations and do most people actually want capitalism overthrown? Do most people understand what a truly socialist system would mean for their lives and the lives of their loved ones?

• Does PSD leadership agree with the CEA resolution? Does PSD believe capitalism, a foundation of Western Civilization, should be taught as an evil system?

• What do district leaders believe students should learn about capitalism?

• What do district leaders believe students should learn about socialism?

• Did any PSD district employees vote in favor of the CEA anti-capitalism resolution in their capacities as PEA representatives to the assembly? Was PEA member Potyondy a delegate? How did she vote on this resolution?

• How much influence does the CEA and the PEA have on PSD practices and policies?

While PSD is technically a separate organization from the PEA, the connections between PSD leaders and the union are clear. So if one’s friends are a strong indication of one’s future, what do these connections with organizations promoting an overthrow of the US system of government say about PSD and their beliefs about capitalism and Western Civilization more broadly?