After serving barely a year, 74-year-old Doug Kershaw — known as the “Ragin’ Cajun” to his fans — is stepping down as a member of the Greeley-Evans School District 6 Board of Education.
Kershaw said he could no longer serve adequately as a board member while still pursuing his music career — and a possible Grammy nomination.
“I couldn’t do my album and see the kids get educated and do both justice,” Kershaw said. “I need to survive.”
Kershaw said he was leaving for Virginia on Thursday to finish the vocal tracks on his album “Clash of the Cultures,” which he hopes to release by September. That will be in time to be considered for next year’s Grammy awards.
“It’s going to be a heckuva album,” said Kershaw, who rocketed to fame in the 1960s with his wild fiddle playing. His autobiographical homage to his Louisiana Cajun roots, “Louisiana Man,” was an international hit and was broadcast to Earth by the crew of the Apollo 12 moon mission in November 1969.
Kershaw worked as volunteer for the Greeley 6 system while his three sons were going to district schools. But he decided last year to run for a seat because he wanted to get a better idea of how the district works.
The experience was eye- opening, Kershaw said. Officials and teachers “work night and day for the district. They work all the time. I just wish I could,” he said.
The district, Kershaw said, has been hurt by the bad economy and lack of funding. He is proud that he lobbied to ensure that each district student has access to three meals a day.
“If a child is not fed well, he is not going to learn,” Kershaw said.
Kershaw was elected to the board in November, along with Brett Reese. Both men were new to public office and said they would bring a common- sense approach to managing school budgets.
Reese has often clashed with board members over district spending, including asking for more details on expenditures listed on the district’s consent agenda.
“Brett’s a bulldog,” Kershaw said. “He’s getting a lot of things done, and he deserves a lot of credit.”
Past board president Bruce Broderius said Kershaw brought passion to the board as well as compassion for district students who come from poverty-stricken homes.
“He just doesn’t know why you don’t feed children when they are hungry,” Broderius said. “His candor and unvarnished view of things will be sincerely missed.”
Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907 or mwhaley@denverpost.com
