education

When Gov. John Hickenlooper and TBD Colorado issued a call for comments and ideas on education and transportation, state residents stepped up.  

TBD Colorado asked, and you answered – and are still answering. That's prompted TBD to add some more questions to consider.

In just a few days, more than 2,000 residents have visited www.etbdcolorado.org. Respondents from 70 towns, cities and rural areas across the state have offered more than 100 ideas and 2,200 comments.

When Gov. John Hickenlooper announced the TBD Colorado effort last year, he said he wanted Coloradans to "share their vision and priorities for our state."

Thousands of residents – including many of you – did just that by attending meetings across the state to identify important issues facing our state. The governor's goal was to spur conversation and gather opinions, and Coloradans delivered.

Today, we take the next step in the process. TBD Colorado wants to get your thoughts and opinions on education and transportation.

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.

The Skills for Jobs Act

House Bill 12-1061

Testimony to the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee
Frank Waterous, Senior Policy Analyst
March 5, 2012

My name is Frank Waterous, and I am a senior policy analyst with the Bell Policy Center. The Bell is a non-partisan, non-profit research and policy organization, founded on progressive values and dedicated to expanding opportunity for all Coloradans.

Emailed to supporters June 8, 2009

Behind the headlines
New reports offer insight
on achievement gap debate

By Frank Waterous
Senior Policy Analyst
waterous@thebell.org

With "Race to the Top" federal funding, the state's legislative interim committee on Public School Finance and other education reform efforts in the headlines, we thought that an update on new research related to one of the key topics in education opportunity might be in order.

This bill represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. Parental involvement is one of the most important elements in children’s academic success. By creating a state advisory council and grant program to increase parental involvement in education, the bill will take an important step toward closing the state’s achievement gaps, reducing the dropout rate and increasing the number of students who successfully transition to post-secondary educational opportunities and careers.

Emailed to supporters: Proponents of Amendment 46 maintain that by prohibiting governments from showing preferential treatment, they are righting a wrong because such treatment is “discriminatory, divisive and ineffective.” ... However, three recent reports clearly show that the educational and workforce “playing field” has not been leveled and that programs that give individuals a fair opportunity to compete are still vitally needed in Colorado.

This bill represents a net opportunity gain for Colorado. Parental involvement is one of the most important elements in children’s academic success. By making it possible for more parents to attend parent-teacher conferences and other specified academic activities, the bill takes an important step toward closing the state’s achievement gaps, reducing the dropout rate and increasing the number of students who successfully transition to post-secondary educational opportunities.

Wade Buchanan appears on KRMA's Colorado State of Mind, along with Cindy Stevinson of Jefferson County public schools, newspaper columnist Chuck Green and Frosty Wooldridge, a columnist and commentator on immigration issues.They discussed tuition equity (SB 170) and cutbacks in K-12 education budgets.

Education is the key to many good things. It creates a better and more diverse work force. It improves the economy and our quality of life. It creates a more content populace, one that can support itself and its families. So, why would we want to deny education to anyone? Exactly. ... Editorial quotes Matt Sundeen