Students and teachers have come out on the streets in protests in Colorado's second-largest county condemning the actions of a newly conservative school board.

The students were seen walking out of classes from five different Jefferson County high schools and showing signs and soliciting supportive honks from passing cars. On Friday, a teacher protest was launched. During the protest two schools had to be closed as after 50 teachers called in sick.

Similar protest was staged on Monday too when around 100 students protested at Evergreen High School.

The centre of the issue was proposed changes to the curriculum, which would include a new committee to promote "positive aspects" of the history of the country and avoid material to encourage or condone "civil disorder, social strife or disregard of the law."

The school board proposed the changes in response to the new Advanced Placement U.S. History course frameworks introduced by the College Board this year. The guidelines have been slammed by conservative groups, including the Republican National Committee, who complain that the new framework "reflects a radically revisionist view of American history that emphasizes negative aspects of our nation's history while omitting or minimizing positive aspects."

It is to be noted that three new conservative members were voted in to the board in 2013. The board has five members.

"We've had conservatives on our board before," said Michele Patterson, the president of the district's parent-teacher association. "They were wonderful. These people, they're not interested in balance or compromise. They have a political agenda that they're intent on pushing through."

School board president Ken Witt noted that it is possible to cut the specific language, stressing that new rules were aimed to improve student achievement and reward teachers for their success.

"I would rather be able to do those things without conflict, but at the end of the day, it's very important that we align with those goals," he said. "A lot of those words were more specific and more pointed than they have to be."