Education

There is a consensus that the desperate plight of Higher Education finances in Colorado calls not for tinkering around the edges but a radical re-examination of basic premises. The traditional solution of “Give Them More Money” is simply not an option given the perilous condition of the state and national economy.

Amendment 23 has become synonymous with K-12 education spending in Colorado, which now tops out at $5.7 billion a year and represents 43 percent of the State’s general fund budget. As the State continues to struggle with significant budget decisions and revenue shortfalls, legislative leaders are finally forced to deal with Amendment 23’s spending mandates.

College students sometimes do dumb things. I never did, but I’m told that others may have. However, sometimes the administrators at a college exhibit more idiocy than the students. Such is the case at Yale University.

The America’s Promise Alliance released a report last week, Cities in Crisis, an Analytic Report on High School Graduation. Studies cited in this report indicate that on average only 7 out of 10 students in the USA are successfully finishing high school. In Colorado, the statistics for 2007 graduates, those who started 9th grade and finished with a diploma in 12th grade, was 75% or 7.5 out of 10, which is slightly higher than the national average. One must wonder if the $6,660.00 spent per pupil annually (almost $90,000.00 over the course of a K-12 education!) is a wise investment.

The Colorado Democratic Party clearly has a master plan for education reform but they will go to any lengths necessary to make sure our citizens never figure out what it really is. This stealth strategy amounts to loudly proclaiming grandiose ambitions for sweeping school reform while behind the scenes doing everything possible to completely dismantle the important gains of the last fifteen years.

Reprinted with author's permission as printed in the Rocky Mountain News, February 1, 2008

The refusal of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association to support the contract waivers sought by Bruce Randolph School has resulted in one of the worst public relations disasters ever suffered by a Colorado labor union. In rejecting the very reasonable reform requests sought by the great majority of the school's teachers, supported by parents and approved by the Denver Public Schools board, the DCTA has gotten a very public black eye that no amount of union doubletalk or sophistry can conceal.

It matters who wins elections, and here's another example...

Reacting to a new state law that requires teaching of contraception and sexually transmitted diseases sponsored by Rep. Nancy Todd (D-Aurora) and signed by Gov. Ritter, the St. Vrain Valley School District is taking steps to implement a revised and considerably expanded sex education curriculum. According to a Channel 7 News report the first lesson was recently given to the school board and featured a "demonstration with male and female anatomical models and the proper use of birth control and contraceptives."

For the last three months, A Line of Sight has focused on the education and the reforms necessary to give our kids a fighting chance at a good learning experience, and thus a hope for all the blessings and opportunities of our great nation. The path to the American Dream in large part begins with a quality education.

We invited many guest commentaries on the subject, and not surprisingly, the unifying message from them was that "choice is what will fill our kids’ schools in the future" as Charlotte Ciancio, Superintendent of Mapleton Public Schools says.