But county Republican Party officials broke that custom this summer when they endorsed four candidates for the four seats up for election in November, in an all-mail-in-ballot election. And the four GOP-favored candidates just happen to be the ones NOT endorsed by the Douglas County teachers' union, the Douglas County Teachers Federation.

Dan Gerken, Doug Benevento, Meghann Silverthorn and incumbent John Carson are running together as a conservative bloc, under the banner of more parental choice, more charter schools, more transparency in district spending and less autonomy for district administrators. This has a lot of folks nervous, and wondering just what changes such a bloc would bring to county schools should they all win.

Carson, by the way, was the sole board member to vote against taking the district's $395 million bond request to voters last year. That bond issue ultimately failed.

Rumors are flying that with such a majority, the board would convert all county schools to charter schools, thus diminishing the power of the teachers' union; and appoint ex-Congressman (and current president of the State Board of Education) and right-wing darling Bob Schaeffer to succeed departing superintendent Jim Christensen.

To read Rebecca Jones' complete story on Education News Colorado, click here.