We all know that a well-educated workforce is necessary for a strong economy. If you have kids, you know that your children’s education is one of the biggest and most valuable investments you will make. Our state’s policies should reflect those values. Yet Colorado continually ranks near the bottom of the nation in funding when it comes to investing in education. The results speak for themselves.

Renew Our Commitment to Education –

Open the Door to a Better Future Early Childhood to Diplomas We all know that a well-educated workforce is necessary for a strong economy. If you have kids, you know that your children’s education is one of the biggest and most valuable investments you will make. Our state’s policies should reflect those values. Yet Colorado continually ranks near the bottom of the nation in funding when it comes to investing in education. The results speak for themselves. Our high school graduation rates are dismal. Despite a decade of federal education policy designed to leave no child behind, the kids who need the most, are still getting the least. Accountability without investment doesn’t add up! If Colorado’s kids are going to benefit from our economic opportunities, we need to close the ‘achievement gap’ that ultimately separates the haves from the have-nots. Education must begin in early childhood, and end with one, or more, diplomas. Without more high school and college graduates, Colorado and its children face a bleak future. Our kids will struggle to make a living, and our state will struggle to support them. Together, we can open the door to a better future with curriculum standards and testing policies that will prepare our kids to go to college, technical schools, or trade schools, if they work hard and choose to do so. The Colorado Department of Education has adopted “fewer, clearer, and higher” standards as a first step. Now we need to design a statewide testing policy that will hold students accountable by providing teachers with useful, real time information, rather than the delayed results of our current testing methods. Those are important steps. Even more important, is for each and every citizen of Colorado to make a renewed commitment to education. If you are a parent, take responsibility for your child’s education either directly, by getting involved in their schooling, or indirectly by supporting policies that allow others to do so. If your children are grown, or you never had kids, you can also renew your commitment. Stand with me for policies that put Colorado’s children in good paying jobs in support of their communities, rather than programs or prisons that drain resources. Higher Education, Higher Aspirations If we’re going to set high standards for our children, then we have to include a frank discussion about higher education policies statewide. It’s no secret to anyone that higher education has faced many, and perhaps more, of the cuts we've seen in our schools. Colorado’s colleges and universities face real challenges when it comes to drafting a sustainable business plan, and so far the only solutions seem to be taxes or tuition hikes, both of which you’ll end up paying, sooner or later. We need an honest and creative conversation around how we as a state can fund higher education, because a more highly educated workforce is a vital component of our future economic success as a state. This conversation needs to include private sector groups such as businesses, charitable foundations, and churches, as well as public sector groups at the local, state, and federal level. Our state colleges and universities are too valuable an asset, for us, and for our children, to allow them crumble in disrepair, or be sold to the highest bidder.