Education

unhappycamper

(60,364 posts) Mon Feb 17, 2014, 11:42 AM Feb 2014

Colorado superintendents unite in plea for money for K-12 education

http://gazette.com/colorado-superintendents-unite-in-plea-for-money-for-k-12-education/article/1514693

"There is a lot of merit to the letter. Historically, I have never seen superintendents united like that. Even the Colorado Education Association and Colorado Association of School Boards are on the same side of the letter. Which is pretty historic at the Capitol. And we should really listen," said Colorado State Sen. Scott W. Renfroe, R-Greeley.

Colorado superintendents unite in plea for money for K-12 education
By Carol McGraw Updated: February 15, 2014 at 5:18 am • Published: February 14, 2014 | 8:45 pm

In an unprecedented move, 168 of Colorado's 178 school superintendents - including all 17 in the Pikes Peak region - have asked the governor and legislature to restore vital funding to an ailing education system.

The administrators sent a strongly-worded letter to Gov. John Hickenlooper and legislative leaders earlier this week, underlining that public school funding has plunged by more than $1 billion in four years, creating painful cuts in staff, programs and capital improvements.

The superintendents say that districts remain in a financial quagmire because available money is being withheld, despite a billion dollar surplus in the state's budget, a record balance of $1.6 billion in the State Education Fund for kindergarten through 12th grade and another $1.2 billion constitutionally promised to education.

"The dramatic funding cuts forced painful reductions that have resulted in increased class size, reduced services for children and deferred investment in critical infrastructure needs including safety and security systems," the letter said.

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Colorado superintendents unite in plea for money for K-12 education (Original Post) unhappycamper Feb 2014 OP

Administration is the problem. earthside Feb 2014 #1

earthside

(6,960 posts)

1. Administration is the problem.

Reply to unhappycamper (Original post)

Mon Feb 17, 2014, 12:38 PM

Feb 2014

Of course, superintendents and administrators want more money ... duh.

Their ranks are the biggest recipients of the testing, testing, testing; data, data, data polices that are killing public education.

If there was ever a dumb headed PR move it is superintendents asking for more money.

In Colorado we have been under this 'accountability' policy for a generation -- Gov. Romer was one of the first in the nation to advocate for the agenda that resulted in 'No Child Left Behind' and 'Race to the Top'.

And where has this got us? Forty percent of high school graduates who go to college here have to take remedial reading, writing and arithmetic classes.

The testing, data collection, teacher evaluating, charter (outsourcing to private corporations) movement has been a resounding failure.

Parents and citizens are increasing understanding that the Page-Spellings-Duncan-Bush-Obama education 'reform' strategy doesn't work. One of the big reasons Amendment 66 (raise taxes for schools) was trounced in last year's election, was because left and right decided no more money going down a rat hole.

Now, it is too bad that the teachers' union here in Colorado has become so supine to the never-ending quest for more money that they do not take a leadership role in demanding an end to this so-called 'reform' movement. If teachers were really empowered to actually teach in the classroom, we might start to pull ourselves out of this pit.

But that is not going to happen.

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