Colorado charter school lays off three-fourths of middle school teaching staff weeks after opening

Sterling Ranch's first school, John Adams Academy, a public, tuition-free charter school that focuses on a classical "liberty-based" education, has laid off three-fourths of its middle school teaching staff within weeks of opening, according to former staff.

CBS Colorado's Olivia Young spoke with two of the laid-off teachers: one, a veteran teacher, shared their story anonymously over the phone, and a young teacher who moved to Colorado for her first teaching job at John Adams Academy also shared hers.

Both teachers share the same account of the layoffs, saying there were around 50 total middle school students and four middle school teachers.

On Sept. 11, they say three of those four teachers were laid off.

"These had little bookmarks and candies, book tabs and fidgets," said Emily Sharp, while looking through a bin she called her treasure chest. "There were times I would ask a question that would stump the class, and I'd hold up a lollipop and say, 'Who can come up with it?'"

Sharp filled her first-ever classroom with books, essentials, and prizes.

"To see middle schoolers scavenging through their notes cause they want a lollipop, that brought a smile for sure," she said. "That's my hygiene bin. My kids could take from it at any time. I was the only female teacher in the middle school, too, so especially the girls could come to me at any time. They knew where that was."

After graduating from a master's program in Arizona, Sharp moved to Colorado to become a middle school English teacher at John Adams Academy.

"They talked about how they would support me getting that teaching license here in Colorado, and it just sounded like a perfect fit," said Sharp.

She spent the summer meeting her future students and their families, trained for three weeks, then began classes on Aug. 24.

Sharp said she taught four classes, each ranging in size from 12 to 16 students.

"I loved the kids. I was like excited to wake up at six in the morning to go to this job. It was amazing," said Sharp.

But after just three weeks of classes, she was called into the headmaster's office.

"It was her and an HR representative, and within the next 10 minutes I was escorted back up to my classroom, handed my teacher computer and my keys in, and then escorted out of the school," said Sharp.

Sharp says she was told she was being laid off for "enrollment and financial reasons."

She didn't get to say goodbye to her students.

"The tears were flowing. It was emotional," said Sharp.

As she packed up her classroom, she scrawled a message to them on the board.

"Scholars, getting to teach you has been the best experience of my life. You guys were the first real class I've ever taught. Every single one of you is talented, smart, funny, and kind. Please never give up reading, even if I can't give you a lollipop. You all deserve the best possible education. I'm so sorry. I will still be cheering you on, even if I can't teach you. You will all do amazing things, and I'm so excited for you. Enjoy Animal Farm and Lord of the Flies; they are great books. Learn to write and communicate eloquently; it will get you far. Have the best year ever. Love, Miss Sharp." The message read.

Sharp says she heard through the grapevine that the message was erased before her classes could see it.

Sharp says two other teachers were also laid off, leaving just one middle school teacher.

"I asked who is going to be covering my classes. They said a rotating admin team," said Sharp. "As for the science and history classes, the facilities manager, physical education teacher, and school nurse are covering those."

John Adams Academy told CBS Colorado:

"The staffing adjustments at John Adams Academy involved full-time salaried positions that were supporting part-time teaching loads. With our middle school still growing in our first year, several teachers were not carrying full instructional schedules. Continuing to fund full-time positions when the teaching load did not require full-time staffing would not have been fiscally responsible. As a public charter school with its own governing board, we are responsible for balancing our budget and making the decisions necessary to ensure the school remains financially strong and sustainable for the long term.

John Adams Academy opened its doors this fall with hundreds of students and approximately 90% of its budgeted enrollment, a strong start for a first-year charter school. Our families chose John Adams Academy because they believe in the school's classical educational model, and we are grateful for the enthusiasm and support we continue to see from our school community.

As with any new school, actual enrollment and student schedules provide information that allows school leaders to refine the staffing model once the school is operating. In our middle school, several full-time positions did not ultimately have full instructional teaching loads. Rather than carry staffing costs that were not aligned with the actual instructional needs of students, the school made the responsible decision to adjust staffing early in the year.

As part of the adjustment, qualified members of the school's leadership and administrative team have taken on part-time classroom responsibilities in addition to their existing roles. These educators are strong mission fits for John Adams Academy, are classically aligned, and have extensive familiarity with the school's curriculum and instructional approach. John Adams Academy uses a highly structured curriculum supported by ongoing training from school leadership and the John Adams Academies Lyceum. All classroom educators at John Adams Academy are highly-qualified, per Colorado Department of Education requirements."

The school would not confirm specific enrollment numbers.

"I know that they wanted more enrollment, but as far as I knew, we were good," said Sharp. "It just felt completely out of the blue."

Sharp says the career she was promised was suddenly ripped away.

"It just completely turned my life upside down within an hour," said Sharp. "I had no idea. I was promised a career. I was told in the interview that I would be moving up through the high school, teaching kids through them. I was making lesson plans for the whole year and supplying them to the school, and everything like that."

But most of all, she worries for her students.

"Middle school is just such a time where you need that stability and to be able to connect with your core teachers, especially in a new school setting," said Sharp.

The school recently privately funded a drone security program called Campus Guardian Angel.

"At first, when I heard about the drones, it just seemed like an added safety measure, and I already had my contract signed, so I didn't have a problem with it at the time. Now, I think that having all of these, but not being able to pay teachers, feels like we're just not prioritizing education. It's being run like a business, not a school," said Sharp.

Sharp says the ordeal has been a lesson for herself about carefully reading contracts.

"There was a clause in the contract, just kind of buried in it, that said they could terminate me at any time for any reason without notice," Sharp said. "You're just so excited about this job, you sign it because it seems great and you're looking at it through rose-colored glasses."

She said the contract gives her no severance, that she was told she'd be paid through the end of September, but so far she's only received a paycheck through her last day.

Sharp is now in a tough spot financially, trying to tutor, substitute teach, and apply for other jobs in Colorado.