If you have never heard of Rangely, Colo., you are not alone. I lived about 45 minutes from Rangely for the better part of 22 years and never set foot in the town. The only reason I started visiting Rangely is because my wife lived there before we were married. It is the very definition of the middle-of-nowhere, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it country. Some sources put the population at 2,270. That number may balloon by approximately 600 to maybe 1,000 people, plus or minus, when students are at Colorado Northwestern Community College.
Rangely has its small-town charm. When my wife and I were courting, I would drive over there after work on a Friday. There was, and I suppose there may still be, a small Italian restaurant where we would go on Friday nights and hold hands over lasagna and some sort of unidentified red wine.
If memory serves, there were two liquor stores, one bar, a True Value, a grocery, and a video rental joint. There is some agriculture and ranching in and around Rangely, but for the most part, its economy has traditionally been driven by the oil and gas industry. It is small-town America and quirky in every sense of the word. But because I fell in love there, it still has a special meaning for me. Rangely also served as the jumping-off place for my wife and me to explore places like Glenwood Springs, Rifle Falls, and Steamboat Springs.
Colorado is a blue state; of that, there can be no doubt. But the Western Slope, in which Rangely is technically located, still has pockets of resistance: people who have no quarrel with the outside world and would, as much as possible, adhere to the philosophy of “live and let live.” They want to enjoy the peace and quiet of a rural lifestyle without the insanity of the world bulling its way into every aspect of existence and marking its territory like a dog in heat. Of course, progressives are never content with “live and let live” and must lift their legs at every opportunity.
Case in point: Rangely 8th graders were recently given an occupational survey. At the end of the survey were some optional questions. You can read that part of the survey below:
As I mentioned above, this portion of the survey was allegedly”optional.” But one student claimed that they received bad marks for not completing it.
The survey utilized a site called Open Source Psychometrics, which offers the following disclaimers:
You are strongly discouraged from using any of the interactive pages on this website for anything other than one time personal use. This website is undergoing continual improvement and pages on this website may be updated or removed and scoring algorithms changed at any time. There have been several unfortunate incidents where people have been using a test of ours for a class project or something and the first email they ever sent us was about how changes to the website had ruined their project.
If you wish to use any of instruments here to collect data, please check the documentation or citation for the materials and implement your own survey. This will be strictly better as you will have more control over the data you receive and will provide a more seamless user experience.
So why was it used for a career survey for 8th graders, and why did that survey include questions about those particular queries? Those are questions I asked, and curiously, I am still waiting for an answer. Parents are understandably incensed over the issue. Some comments included:
“OMG! That’s outrageous!”
“Brainwashing is what it is”
“What??? This is so wrong in so many ways.”
“It’s from healthy lifestyles ** *****posted about it yesterday.”
“This was in the elective class financial literacy.”
“WTF??? So horrible. I hate the way the schools are having to be politically correct. So much wasted time. They could be spending that time on educating the kids instead. The government is wasting their time and our tax dollars. The kids education is being ignored.”
“The parent politics views are paramount to the success of a child’s education? Jackasses.”
“I warn people all the time about the garbage that is government schooling. Rangely isn’t immune to garbage government employees hiring garbage from cities.”
“I would be going to the school board and demanding that this board be fired immediately if they refuse to do anything about it. Better yet homeschool.”
“A minor shouldn’t be able to authorize a data release. survey or not this is NOT OK! And in the web bar it is under tests!”
I queried the principal about the matter. She originally referred me to a document provided to the superintendent, Matthew Scoggins.
It is noteworthy that the survey was presented on September 11, but the student above contacted their mother about it on September 25. It may be that the survey was presented to the board on September 11 and not administered until September 25. But why is the student claiming that they were penalized for not answering the “optional” questions?
Additionally, there has been the assertion that students were at one time assigned an essay lauding the greatness of George Floyd. The principal said that the accusation was untrue. One grandparent who talked with people who were then-seniors in high school at the time says otherwise. That person claims that those former students said that they were required to pen that essay.
I submitted the following questions to the principal:
I am not interested in fanning flames where there is no fire. But while I certainly understand the concept of a careers survey, many of 31 parents who voiced their opinion had concerns about the gender questions and the inquiries into their politics. And I have to admit that while the questions may have been optional, I am at a bit of a loss as to why they would be included at all, particularly when the survey was focused on careers and intended for 8th graders. Why do 8th graders need to express their genders, gender identity or talk about their parents’ political views at all? Furthermore, the survey asks if the students want their information to be shared. Is this question appropriate for minors? Are they of an age at which they can make an informed decision about their personal information, even if it is ostensibly going to remain private?
So far, my questions have gone unanswered. I was referred back to the above document. I emailed the Rangely schools’ superintendent and forwarded him my entire email chain with the principal. I received this answer:
Regarding Mrs. *******, the beliefs you mentioned don’t match what I know about her. To illustrate, she recently dedicated herself to volunteering at the Blue Stars Mother of America booth at The Tribute to Aviation event in Montrose, even after a full day of travel and coaching with the cross-country team the previous Saturday…There may be some misunderstandings in the mix, so I’d appreciate a bit of time to respond with a more accurate response.
Thank you for your patience.
When I have the superintendent’s reply, I will publish it. Responsible journalism dictates nothing less. One Rangely parent told me that they have no issue with gay, queer, or transgender people so long as they leave kids alone to be kids. Most people I have talked to feel the same way. They have no problem with adults doing what they want with their bodies and their lives. They just want children to be able to grow up without the burden of sexuality,
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