Education

It's nice to have friends when you're in court and the Lobato v. State school funding case has drawn plenty, some backing the parents and school districts that brought the lawsuit and others supporting the state officials who are defendants in the case.

The case has attracted 18 "friend of the court" filings with the Colorado Supreme Court, including 13 that support the plaintiffs, four backing the state's case and one that's neutral. The briefs represent the formal views of nearly 50 organizations and groups of individuals.

We have watched the Lobato v. Colorado court case with great interest over the last several years. The plaintiffs, originally a group of Colorado students and parents that has now been joined by 21 school districts, allege that our state's method and level of public school funding fails to meet Colorado's constitutional obligation to provide a "thorough and uniform" system of education. Last December, a district court judge ruled in their favor.

Poverty is on the rise across America, in cities and even suburbs, and is expected to hit levels not seen since the 1960s, according to a survey of think tanks, academics and economists conducted by the Associated Press.

The rate in 2010 was 15.1 percent of Americans, and the estimate from the survey is that it will reach as high as 15.7 for 2011, the most recent year of data collection. Even if it rises to 15.2 percent, it will be the highest level since 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson launched the War on Poverty. The low mark for poverty was 11.1 percent, in 1973.

We want to talk to you!

The expert staff of the Bell Policy Center has developed deep knowledge about many of the most challenging issues facing Colorado, but that knowledge has little value unless we share it.

With that in mind, we want to make Bell staffers available for presentations on a variety of important topics. If your group is interested in learning more and has an opening on its summer or fall agenda, please let us know.

Students Launch Statewide Project to Make 2013 the Year of the Student

MEDIA RELEASE
June 13, 2012

Students Announce Project Calling on State Leaders
to Do the Right Thing for Education in 2013

Growing Statewide Coalition Launches Effort
to Make 2013 the " Year of the Student"

By Frank Waterous
Guest columnist

Recently, commentators in the media have questioned the value of a college education. Robert Samuelson of The Washington Post, for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness." In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points:

• The need for an expanded understanding that "college" includes much more than just four-year degrees.

By Frank Waterous

Recently, commentators in the media have questioned the value of a college education. Robert Samuelson of The Washington Post, (Herald, May 28) for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness."
Waterous Enlargephoto

In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points:

By now you have probably heard that the board of trustees of Metropolitan State College (soon to be University) voted 7-1 last Thursday to approve a new category of non-resident tuition that will make post-secondary education accessible and affordable for qualified undocumented high school graduates in our state. We are very pleased that Metro has taken this courageous step on behalf of Colorado students and applaud the board for showing leadership on this important issue.

(Online edition headline: College isn't what it used to be, but it's critical)

By Frank Waterous

Recently, the value of a college education has come into question. Robert J. Samuelson of The Washington Post, for one, said the "college-for-all crusade has outlived its usefulness."

In these tough economic times, with unemployment high and college graduates facing a bleak job market, the question might seem worthy of debate. But that's because the question misses the mark on two crucial points:

Several months ago, we wrote you about "TBD Colorado" – Gov. John Hickenlooper's non-partisan, collaborative effort to spark informed and constructive conversations among Coloradans about some of the biggest issues facing the state.

More than a thousand Coloradans have invested a great deal of time in community meetings to learn about the state's budget, education, health care and transportation systems and personnel challenges. Then, they considered policy options.