The Colorado Association of School Boards presents its coveted “McGuffey Award” to eight-year school board veteran and longtime community leader.
BOULDER – Boulder Valley Board of Education Member Jean Paxton of Broomfield was honored this month by the Colorado Association of School Boards (CASB) as one of the organization’s “McGuffey Award” winners. The nomination of Ms. Paxton was put together by her school board colleague Laurie Albright with the individual concurrence of each of the other five members of the Boulder Valley school board. According to the CASB website, the McGuffey Award “is designed to honor that unique board member who brings to his or her board work both the head and the heart of committed and passionate service.” Each school district was invited to name one member as the winner of the McGuffey Award. Winners were awarded at CASB regional meetings.
The McGuffey Award is named after the famed seven-volume McGuffey Readers of the 19th century United States frontier that taught “the basics.” According to the CASB website, “First published in 1836, the McGuffey Readers rode the wave of western expansion. After the Civil War they were standard schoolbooks in 37 states. The McGuffey Readers were a series of seven books with stories and poems that not only taught kids reading and grammar, but also helped them develop good qualities. It was one of the most widely used and influential textbooks of its time in transferring not only knowledge, but also certain virtues required to fulfill the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.”
First elected to the school board in November 2001, Ms. Paxton was re-elected without opposition in 2005. She is not a candidate for re-election this year due to term limits.
Ms. Paxton’s CASB award certificate stated:
“Jean Paxton is the quintessential public servant. She has served the district as a school board member for eight years. Jean’s passion is for all kids, and with Jean, “all” really does mean “all.”
“She has been active with CASB, the state PTA, and has testified in the state legislature about education issues, particularly in the area of early childhood education.
“Jean is known for her integrity, laughter, and advocacy for public education. She is regarded by many as ‘the heart and soul’ of the school board because she speaks to the “human” side of every issue. Students in Boulder and throughout Colorado have benefited from Jean’s commitment, knowledge and passion.”
Ms. Paxton has friends throughout Colorado’s local and state education circles. According to current Boulder Valley Board of Education president, Ken Roberge, she “is known for her integrity, laughter, and advocacy for public education. She is regarded by many as “the heart and soul” of our school board.”