Ryan Abresch

Ryan Abresch

Education

Bachelor's

James Madison University

Law

Valparaiso University School of Law

Personal

Profession

Legal analyst

Ryan Abresch was a candidate for District B representative on the Douglas County School District school board in Colorado. Abresch was defeated in the nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. He ran as a member of the Elevate Douglas County slate along with Randy Mills, Grant Nelson, and Debora Scheffel.

Biography

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Abresch's work experience includes serving as a legal analyst for an online legal research firm and as a deputy district attorney in the Colorado 10th Judicial District. He earned a bachelor's degree in political science and government from James Madison University and a J.D. from Valparaiso University School of Law. He and his wife have one daughter who attended a public charter school in the district during the 2017-2018 school year.

Elections

2017

See also: Douglas County School District elections (2017)

Four of the seven seats on the Douglas County School District Board of Education in Colorado were up for nonpartisan general election on November 7, 2017. No incumbents filed to run for re-election, which guaranteed four new members were elected to the board. The race featured two candidate slates. The Community Matters slate—Anthony Graziano, Chris Schor, Kevin Leung, and Krista Holtzmann—won the election after campaigning against the policies of the board's 4-3 governing majority. They defeated the Elevate Douglas County slate—Ryan Abresch, Randy Mills, Grant Nelson, and Debora Scheffel—which campaigned in support of continuing programs started by the governing majority.

Results

Douglas County School District, District B General Election, 4-year term, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Anthony Graziano	58.65%	52,937
Ryan Abresch	41.35%	37,321
Total Votes		90,258
Source: Colorado Secretary of State, "Official Results," accessed August 28, 2023

Funding

See also: Campaign finance in the Douglas County School District elections

Abresch reported $29,943.98 in contributions and $29,907.67 in expenditures to the Colorado Secretary of State, which left his campaign with $36.31 in the election.

Endorsements

Abresch and the other members of the Elevate Douglas County slate were endorsed by the following organizations and elected officials:

• Colorado Republican Committee
• Colorado Women’s Alliance
• Denver Post Editorial Board
• The Gazette Editorial Board
• Douglas County Republicans
• Douglas County Young Republicans
• U.S. Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colorado)

• State Sen. Chris Holbert (R-30)
• State Rep. Pat Neville (R-45)
• State Rep. Kim Ransom (R-44)
• Colorado State Board of Education member Steve Durham
• Colorado State Board of Education member Pam Mazanec
• Colorado State Board of Education member Joyce Rankin
• Douglas County Treasurer Diane Holbert

Abresch and the other members of the Elevate Douglas County slate were also endorsed by former officials and community members. Click here for a list of their supporters.

Campaign themes

2017

Candidate website

The Elevate Douglas County slate highlighted the following issues on the slate's campaign website:

“	RESTORING CIVILITY As a team of parents, community leaders, and educators, we know firsthand that excellence in the classroom grows from a healthy culture that allows students to focus on learning, teachers to focus on teaching, parents to focus on doing what’s best for their children, and the community to focus on supporting Douglas County School District rather than on navigating complex political situations and acrimony. A recent news article pointed out that the district has been in 'a constant state of conflict' since 2015. We agree. It’s time to hit the reset button. We can do better. We must do better. Our students should look to their elected school board members as role models and leaders, not as politicians from one 'side' or the other working to advance a particular agenda. First and foremost, the Elevate team stands for restoring civil discourse and stability to Douglas County School district. RESPECTING TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS Each member of our team has deep respect for educators. Debora began her lifelong career as an educator right here in Douglas County neighborhood schools as a special education teacher. She has since gone on to earn a master’s in special education, complete her doctoral work, and serve as the dean of Colorado Christian University’s School of Education, where she works every day to train teachers for school systems across the state. Randy’s father taught for 30 years, instilling in him a deep respect for what he calls “a noble profession.” Grant’s and Ryan’s experiences in both neighborhood and charter schools have also helped them develop an incredible respect for the more than 3,500 talented teachers who go to work every morning to serve our community’s students. We believe strongly that teachers deserve our respect. They deserve to be treated and paid like professionals. They deserve to be rewarded for their hard work, not consigned to rigid pay structures that fail to recognize the power of effective teaching to change lives and to help students reach their potential. Most importantly, they deserve to go work every day in a stable environment that empowers them to make a difference for students. Similarly, principals should be empowered to make the best decisions for their unique students in their unique schools. Educational decisions are best made at the closest possible point to students. Our district has seen much chaos and conflict in recent years, and this turbulence has made many of our educators feel disrespected or frightened. And while some policy changes have been steps in the right direction, we recognize that implementation matters. We need to ask whether changes will actually make a positive difference for educators, whether we have appropriately communicated changes to our community and sought its input, and, most importantly, how will these changes deliver the best possible education for Douglas County’s students. We look forward to working with Douglas County educators to move forward together into a new era where teachers are empowered to do what they do best: prepare the next generation of students to thrive in a competitive world. EMBRACING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY School district budgets are massively complex. Among many other things, these documents are statements of the district’s priorities. Here in Douglas County, the school board is tasked with ensuring that every possible dollar of our district’s roughly $700 million in revenue is spent in way that provides an excellent education for every student in every Douglas County public school. That is an enormous responsibility, and the public expects their school board members to get it right. There has been much talk of a property tax increase in 2018. We acknowledge that a committee of hard-working volunteers recently spent a great deal of time preparing information on this subject for the current board. Certainly, our district has its share of serious financial challenges—buildings that require maintenance and teacher salaries that fall short of being competitive with surrounding districts, to name a couple. Even so, we are believers in fiscal responsibility. Our team includes successful business owners, neighborhood and charter school parents, and a former Colorado State Board of Education member. We know how to build and manage successful organizations, and we know how important it is to get this right. We also know that the community needs to fully trust their board members and their administration before they open their wallets to pay higher taxes. We applaud the interim superintendent and her team for finding more than $20 million in savings this year. We would like to ensure that we have found all possible savings before asking our neighbors and fellow parents and taxpayers to pay more of their hard-earned money into the system. If it becomes clear that Douglas County requires a tax increase, we are willing to have that conversation with our community. But first must come trust, and trust grows only from diligence, communication, and responsibility. RESPECTING PARENTAL DECISIONS We all come from different educational backgrounds. Ryan’s daughter attends a public charter school. Grant’s children attend neighborhood schools, and they have also attended a public charter school. Randy’s children attended both neighborhood and public online schools. And Debora has spent a lifetime studying the ways in which students learn. We know every single student is unique, and we know that every single student deserves a stellar education. We believe that the school district’s role is to empower our students to reach their full potential, not to dictate how they go about doing so. Tens of thousands of students go to school in one of our many neighborhood public schools. Thousands more attend one of more than a dozen public charter schools in the district. Others take advantage of online education options. We believe every one of these families deserves to be respected and applauded for making the decisions they believe are best for their students. No parent in Douglas County should ever be made to feel guilty for doing what we expect of parents in all other areas of life: looking out for the best interests of their children. As a team made up of parents and a lifelong educator, we know parents know best—and we are excited to empower them in any way we can to act in the best interests of their students. Creating an environment in which every Douglas County student can thrive requires thoughtful decision-making in conjunction with our community, and we look forward eagerly to those conversations. EXPANDING TRADES AND LIFE SKILLS EDUCATION We believe that respecting students means providing a launch pad into happy, successful, independent lives. For many students, that path will take them to a four-year college or university. Others, however, may wish to take a different path. There is a growing need in Douglas County and Colorado for workers who are skilled in trades and other vocations that may not require a traditional four-year college degree. Randy, an electrician by trade who took a non-traditional path to building a successful electrical contracting business, is a passionate advocate for offering these kinds of options, as are the rest of us. Douglas County School District already offers some stellar options for students who are looking to build skills in trades or other vocations. But we could do more. We want to work with the community, staff, and administration to find fiscally responsible ways to make Douglas County School District a destination not just for parents and students who are focused on academic paths, but for those who are interested in nontraditional pathways. Whichever pathways our students take, the district’s job is to prepare students to succeed no matter where they go. That’s why we are also passionate about providing students with real-world skills like how to manage finances, navigate the complexities of everyday life, and make good, well-reasoned decisions. Our school district already does some of this, and we applaud the educators who work every day to provide these options for students. But we believe that there is always more to do, and we will work ensure that every student in Douglas County leaves school not just with an excellent education and the opportunity to build his or her own success story, but with the skills needed to navigate adult life. We look forward to talking to principals, teachers, students, and parents about the kinds of offerings they want to see our district offer.	”
—Elevate Douglas County (2017)

Chalkbeat Colorado survey

Abresch participated in the following survey conducted by Chalkbeat Colorado. The questions provided in the survey appear bolded, and Abresch's responses appear below.

Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you lived in the school district? What do you do for a living?

“	I am a dad to a little girl who just started first grade in a Douglas County public charter school. I am a Colorado licensed attorney and work as a research analyst. I have lived in Colorado for ten years, and in the county for three years. We chose to live in Douglas County because of the high-quality education we have found here. I started my legal career as a deputy district attorney in Pueblo before moving on to my current position.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

Tell us about your connection to the school district.

“	I am married to a young woman that was raised in the district. She attended Larkspur Elementary School, Castle Rock Middle School, and is a graduate of Douglas County High School. We are thrilled to have our daughter attend a public charter school in the same district in which my wife grew up. I also have several nieces and nephews that attend school in the district. In short, I have a lot of skin in the game in terms of providing a high-quality education to all of the students in Douglas County. As parents, we valued the choice that Douglas County provided for our daughter.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

If elected, would you continue the district's legal fight to enact a private school voucher system? Why or why not?

“	Whether or not there is a fight for a new scholarship system depends wholly on the court case pending in the Colorado Supreme Court. I am in favor of continuing the case until a final decision is heard as it is a legitimate question of law with repercussions outside of our district and it needs to have a final answer. I support continuing the case so long as no taxpayer dollars are used, which has been the case thus far.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

One of your most important tasks will be to select a new superintendent for the district. What characteristics will you seek in a new leader?

“	Here are the three characteristics that are important to me in a new superintendent: One that can unite all the people within our district, whether parents, students, teachers, or the taxpayer. One that elevates morale among the teachers and staff. For too long, our hardworking teachers lived under a cloud of fear and intimidation due to the previous superintendent. I am encouraged to see the strides that the Interim Superintendent Kane has made in this area. We must allow teachers to do what they do best - teach. One that can restore the trust in the public by working with the schools and being a good steward of our budget. We applaud Interim Superintendent Kane and school administration for finding over $20 million in savings already and hope to continue in this direction of responsible budgeting.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

If elected, would you seek to make changes to the way the district pays its teachers? How?

“	I would like the board to take a further look at improving the steps involved in the county's current salary system so we can streamline the process, reduce or cut any inefficiencies or needless paperwork, and make the system work better for our teachers and staff. We also need to work to attract and retain the best and brightest teachers to our district. We must find ways to pay teachers competitively within the region.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

If elected, would you support the district asking voters for a tax increase for capital construction and to pay for additional educational programs? Why or why not?

“	The recent community survey indicated that 70 to 80 percent of the district's citizens do not trust the district to spend their tax dollars wisely. I feel that before we can ask the public to open up their wallets again, we need to restore trust with the community. Asking voters for a tax increase without restoring their trust sets the district up for failure. Putting a tax increase on the ballot is an involved and, often, expensive process. If we don't have the trust of taxpayers, the measure will fail as it has the last two times. Regaining voter trust is our first step.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

The Douglas County education community for years has been divided by actions taken by the school board. How would you bridge the gaps and ensure all residents are listened to?

“	My time spent as an attorney, and more specifically, as a deputy district attorney have prepared me well for working in a high-pressure atmosphere in which passionate and dedicated people are working for a good cause. A good example of this would be the plea negotiations that I would work out with other attorneys each day. In a plea negotiation, there are zealous advocates representing the interests of two very different sides of an issue. In order to resolve matters in the most efficient and equitable way possible, it is crucial for these people on opposite sides of the spectrum, to sit down and come to some form of agreement with one another. Forming a good working relationship with opposing counsel, a willingness to listen, and the ability to work out creative solutions to difficult problems are critical to this process. I would use that experience as well as an enthusiasm for excellent education in our district to ensure that I am listening to all of our stakeholders within the district and doing what is best for our children, teachers, parents, and taxpayers.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

The effectiveness of the Douglas County School District's special education services was recently challenged in a U.S. Supreme Court case. While the court did not rule on the merit of the program, it did find the historic standard of "minimum" improvement is no longer acceptable. What sort of reforms do you believe the district's special education program should consider?

“	Unfortunately the court did not provide much clarity outside of its ruling on the de minimis standard. In order to comply with this ruling we need to make sure that as a district when we re-evaluate our policy in this area we are doing so with input from teachers, parents, and the community at large to ensure that we are not only meeting, but exceeding, our goals for the special education services we provide to our students. Every student in Douglas County should have a high-quality education and we must continually rededicate ourselves to this promise.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

How should Douglas County approach its relationships with existing and future charter schools, and should they be funded equally?

“	Charter schools have been a part of Douglas County for three decades, and my daughter attends a public charter school. In fact, approximately 20% of our students attend charter schools, and they are a part of why Douglas County School District is a top choice for parents. We want to respect parents’ choice and ensure parents and students have educational options that best meet their needs. Charter schools are an integral part of our district and should be on equal footing when it comes to funding in all respects. We will not nickel and dime charter schools into financial peril and we plan to continue to allow charter schools to have the flexibility to make the best decisions that drive educational excellence. We want every school to be a great school in Douglas County, funding is a big part of that, as is making sure all new and existing charters receive a proper and appropriate level of scrutiny and a fair hearing.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

Parker Chronicle Q&A

Abresch participated in the following Q&A conducted by the Parker Chronicle. The questions provided in the Q&A appear bolded, and Abresch's responses appear below.

Why did you decide to run?

“	We moved to Douglas County primarily for my daughter’s education. She has a lot of young cousins that go to school here as well, and I’m running because I want to make sure she, my nieces and nephews and every other student in the county can continue to have the best opportunity for a great education.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

What are the most important issues facing the school district?

“	One of the major issues is acrimony and discussions around the school board. I think if you’re on the school board as a director, you need to carry yourself as a role model for the adults and students who are in this district. I want to bring respect back to our discussions with the teachers, parents, students and staff in Douglas County. I think also accreditation and teacher retention are major issues that we need to work together to find solutions on.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

The board has been divided in recent years. How would you help bridge that divide?

“	The first, I think, is to listen. Whether it’s to the other board members that you may disagree with or to the community that comes out to these meetings or teachers. Listening is a big part of being an effective board member. I know the district has been making strides toward improving these processes, but there were significant issues under Liz Fagen’s leadership as superintendent in that regard. In addition, by trade I’m a lawyer, I worked inside the courtrooms for a number of years so I think I’m use to being in an adversarial environment, so I think having that experience will bring me the ability to keep a cool head and effectively lead despite all the disagreement.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

Would you be supportive of a bond or mill levy to bring more funding to the district?

“	I think before we can begin discussing that, any new board member needs to build trust with the community that elects them. I think the community needs to trust that all of us will be fiscally responsible with the funds that are already there. I think our budget is around $700 million and they want to make sure that money is actually going to the classrooms and paying all of our best teachers. I also think, as a district, we need to exhaust all of the other options forefficiencies in the budget before we can go to the community and ask them to open up their wallets and give us any more of their hard earned money.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

What else do you want people to know about you?

“	I’m a hard-working father who lives here in Douglas County with my wife and our first-grade daughter. Having a daughter in the district, along with other nieces and nephews, I have quite a bit of skin in the game. The decisions that are going to be made by me as a board member are going to directly impact her. I also want to make sure the best educational opportunities are not only afforded to her, but all of the children who go to school in our district.	”
—Ryan Abresch (2017)

Recent news

The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Ryan Abresch Douglas County School District school board. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

Ryan Abresch - Google News

See also

• Douglas County School District, Colorado
• Douglas County School District elections (2017)

External links

Suggest a link

• Douglas County School District
• Campaign website
• Campaign Facebook page
• LinkedIn profile