Should Colorado expand the public school voucher program?
Colorado does not have a public school voucher program. A law passed in 2004 was declared unconstitutional by the Colorado Supreme Court.
Should school districts continue to charter public schools, or should those charters be granted by and administered by the state education department?
Colorado is a local control state. Local districts should continue to charter their own public schools. Local boards and their communities are best suited to create accountable, quality programs to meet the needs of the students the charter school will serve.
Safety inspections in charter schools has been a concern during the past few years, what should the state education board do to ensure safe charter schools?
Healthy and safe learning environments should be a top priority and each school district must be held accountable for the health and safety of all of its schools. Facilities must meet local building code. Unsafe, unclean, substandard facilities are not conducive to either learning or health.
Should the state make it easier and more inexpensive for college graduates to become public school teachers, or do such programs weaken the public schools system?
As is true nationwide, Colorado is experiencing challenges in attracting and keeping qualified teachers. Regardless of the licensure path chosen — traditional 4-year or alternative licensure program — a key factor in a teacher’s long term success and job satisfaction is the quality of the preparation program and the ongoing support teachers receive throughout their career.
Why are you most qualified for a seat on the state education board?
I’m a lifelong Coloradan with well over three decades of experience as a classroom teacher, curriculum director, teacher association leader, and legislative aide. In addition to working with thousands of children and families, I’ve spent my entire career working side-by-side with other local and state educators, business groups, non-profits, parent organizations and all levels of elected officials. I know Colorado’s school and community cultures well, and I have a deep familiarity with the financial, political and instructional issues facing our schools. I’ve been part of many ground-breaking discussions and partnerships around learning and system improvements and I’m known for considering all sides of an issue before making a decision. I’m confident I can continue to raise the level of community involvement in schools in a spirit of shared focus on students and their future.
In what ways would you recommend the state modify the Colorado Student Assessment Program?
The revision of the Colorado content standards to include 21st Century Skills and workforce and higher education readiness will be the foundation for our “next generation” of assessments. This process will allow us to reconsider the basic purpose of education and the role of testing in the teaching and learning process. Moving our state focus from one high stakes test to a standards based collection of authentic and relevant measurements over time will give students, parents and teachers much more useful information for making future plans and adjusting instruction for better learning.
What would be your priorities during a term on the state school board?
Our priority challenge for the coming year is to set the tone for clearly defining the purpose of education in Colorado and creating a framework for reaching our goals as a state. These include revising the Content Standards to reflect the rigorous skills and knowledge necessary to compete globally; appropriate and relevant tools to measure learning progress over time; a communication system that welcomes ongoing participation of all stakeholders.
Does the state education board too often usurp or impede local control of schools? Should the state board have more control over local schools?
The Colorado Constitution clearly stipulates that the State Board is not allowed to usurp or impede local control. With the exception of ruling on a rarely requested charter school appeal, the role of the State Board is to encourage and support local efforts to provide quality programs and services for their students.
What’s your assessment of the current education commissioner, Dwight D. Jones?
Commissioner Jones is doing an excellent job. He has already made valuable contributions to building working relationships among all education stakeholders in Colorado, including parents, teachers, local school districts, the early childhood education community and the higher education system. He has improved the relationship between the state department and the school districts, educational organizations and the legislature. He has a forward focus, with student success always the top priority.
Is public school accreditation relevant, especially to parents?
Accreditation is quite relevant to parents, and now even more so, with the launch of the Colorado Growth Plan, a data tool that allows districts, schools and parents to follow both the school’s and their own children’s progress from year to year. The various categories of accreditation ratings are now less punitive, and provide parents with helpful information about the school’s progress in meeting its own learning goals, and at what rate, for all students in the school. |
