Dear EVCA parents and guardians:
Estancia Valley Classical Academy again seeks people to join its Governing Council (school board), with the release of its “Perspective [sic] Membership Timeline,” an endeavor that comes with controversy.
To our great fortune, Hillsdale College planted a Member Charter School in our community a decade ago. EVCA’s local founders rightfully praised the Member School relationship as a godsend, and a means to robustly educate our children on intellectual and moral character and civic virtue.
EVCA recruited parents on the benefits of the Member School relationship accrued to teachers and students, provided by Hillsdale College staff for FREE, such as:
-Onsite training at EVCA for our teachers.
-Easy one-on-one access to master teachers who help your child’s teachers.
-Classroom observation by college staff.
-Access to online teacher resource portals.
-Classical education focus groups.
-Marketing, branding, and public relations.
-Conferences on the Hillsdale campus.
The EVCA Foundation was established in part to send teachers to Hillsdale College for training and conferences and for students to attend college summer sessions.
Then something suspicious happened.
The obscure term “Hillsdale Contracts” appeared last on the GC’s May 2023 monthly meeting agenda, oddly placed after a session closed to the public. Late at night, effectively out of public view, Executive Director Rowan cautioned the GC about the negative consequences of severing the Member School relationship.
With virtually no public notice, no public hearing—and no public telling—the GC chose to end EVCA’s Member School affiliation.
Ms. Rowan alerted teachers with little substantive explanation that EVCA was changed to a Curriculum School, and that Member School benefits were no longer available. After pressure from teachers and parents demanding explanations, the GC issued a letter that offered no substantive reasoning.
But, that letter made this promise: "Given that there appears to be a disparity in the way two NM Hillsdale Charter schools are operating, the Governing Council will investigate the disparities to see if there are actual differences in treatment by Hillsdale.”
That promise refers to Hozho Academy, a thriving Hillsdale Member School in Gallup.
Parents phoned and emailed Hillsdale College staff seeking to uncover what the GC obfuscated. We learned that the GC would not adhere to the governing practices expected of all Member Schools.
These practices include, quoting a document provided to us from the college:
“Board Member Term Limitation Policy. The term limitation policy ensures the regular turnover of all Board Members in a judicious fashion, especially providing for the turnover of founding members and the efficient transition of the Board from founding efforts of the school to long-term governance board membership.”
“Succession Plan. The Board has a written and/or executed succession plan outlining the transition of the Board from its founding membership and activity to that of long-term governance and strategy.”
Rebecca Lincoln, Director of Teacher Support for Hillsdale College’s charter schools, wrote: “Specifically, our Office had recommended term limits for Governing Council members; a commitment to limiting Governing Council involvement to governing rather than day-to-day presence or management; and a policy governing staff-board communications.”
The GC professes to take America’s founding principles seriously but it owns a totalitarian impulse. The GC is a body of unelected state officials who govern without the consent of the people. It effectively operates as a private club with public dollars. The members serve by invitation-only—invitations that come from the current GC, ensuring a makeup of comrades who walk in lockstep. By rejecting Hillsdale’s rules for Member Schools, the GC is scarcely accountable to anyone.
Some GC members have been unable to hide their contempt for parents and teachers who disagree with their deeds. Addressing this ruling class in public meetings is like talking into an empty paint can. A GC member’s spouse has confronted dissident speakers. The GC is unfriendly to the most sacred American principle, free speech. Last year, I sued GC members in U.S. District Court for violating my First Amendment rights that occurred during public meetings.
When the suit made news in February 2024, EVCA issued an all-employee memo prohibiting teachers from speaking freely about the GC’s behavior. The memo chilled free speech but saved the GC from more embarrassments. The prohibition could open up the school to more costly First Amendment claims—by all school employees. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 1969 Tinker decision guarantees that teachers do not give up free speech rights in a public school.
My lawsuit closed in September 2024 to my satisfaction. The litigation was costly for the school, yet the defendants accepted no liability as condition of settlement. But it was your tax dollars, and you deserve to know about it. We all deserve to know why EVCA unjustly revoked its original relationship with Hillsdale College and deprived the community of its benefits, and why they refuse to explain.
The GC grabbed a weak reed and blamed state law for severing the Member School affiliation.
The Hillsdale Member School in Gallup operates under the same state laws. Hozho’s principal Juliane Hillock told me by phone that when she learned that EVCA professed a problem with the law, her school’s lawyer and attorneys from Hillsdale College all examined the matter and found no problems. I asked EVCA via a public records request to read the documents that show an issue with state law, but was refused.
As for the GC’s vow to investigate how Hozho continues to operate as a Hillsdale Member School, the GC had no interest after all. I made multiple requests at GC meetings to see the results of their investigation. An inspection of public records revealed that the GC conducted no investigation—exposing an apathy and betrayal.
EVCA enrollment and school funding have declined. The GC’s credibility is severely eroded. You can read how 113 parents rate the GC, culled from a survey, attached. The loss of the Hillsdale Member School affiliation and the behavior of the GC is criticized throughout the 92-page survey. The entire public document is available from EVCA.
Now, for the second time in 17 months, the GC tries yet again to recruit new members into their insular organization. The endeavor last year ended poorly. Emails between GC members revealed that a friend of one GC member was recruited despite the man’s public history of sexual harassment involving four women in his prior capacity as a state official. He cost taxpayers $1,100,000, not just in settlements but including a jury award.
Recruitment may continue to be difficult. With its current composition and reputation per the parent survey, the GC may have created a hell-spun doom loop. The pillars of character crumble. The GC’s character is EVCA’s fate.
Moral clarity is not difficult.
To stop the decay, the founders must vacate their seats. Establish term limits; ensure independence among GC members; GC members must stay out of the classroom and not meddle in Executive Director Rowan’s duties delegated only to her by state law. Cancel the speech-prohibiting all-employee directive, and reestablish an ethos of excellence and solid civic virtue.
Restore EVCA to its original promise as a Hillsdale Member School for all the benefits to your students and their teachers. New Mexico ranks 50th in education among all the states—let’s give our children every advantage possible. Let us see a revival of common sense.
Mrs. Hillock at Hozho Academy is willing to present the benefits of a Hillsdale Member School via Zoom. If this interests you, your child’s teacher, or prospective GC members, please let me know and I will facilitate.
Truth and Virtue Uphold the Republic.
Craig Springer is a parent of two Member School alumni and a current upper school student. he can be reached at Craig@Lobo.net 505-423-2501 text or call.
