The Cortez Journal: It’s unclear exactly why Montezuma-Cortez Board of Education President Sheri Noyes took the lone initiative in asking former Superintendent Risha VanderWey to resign or be fired in mid-January. It’s unknown why board members communicated in ways that likely violated Colorado’s Sunshine Law, according to the Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition.

Whatever the reasons, the school board’s decisions were made without required notice to the public. The focus is now on Noyes and board members. Especially Noyes.

On March 16, The Journal reported this story, which plays out in more than 100 documents of emails and messages, some duplicative, among Noyes and board members, obtained under the Colorado Open Records Act. In “daisy chain” discussions, Noyes asked the board to vote on terms of the separation agreement and the wording of news releases about VanderWey. Noyes sent all board members the same information – sometimes in one email or group text, other times in separate messages – and asked for individual replies. This conversation was supposed to be public.

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