Date: Sunday, September 12, 2010
Time: 1–4 p.m.
Location: Denver Tennis Club, 400 Forest St., Denver (NEW Location!)

Cost: Adults-$30 at door; $25 online. Kids-$20 at door,

$15 online.  Family-$80 at door, $75 online

Co-host $250 or $500

Activities: Great food, live entertainment, children’s activities (bouncy castle, face

painting, balloon artist, prize courts) competitive and noncompetitive tennis

including drills, lessons, high school courts and challenge matches

“Parents and students need to have a non-administrative contact within the school to voice their needs. I am the voice for many of our at-risk and marginalized families who are struggling just to survive at this critical time in our county. The school counselor provides this link between school and community.”

–Ski-Hi Daily News (3/19/2010)

Woodland Park RE-2 School District Superintendent Guy Arseneau:

“With staff reductions comes class size increases but with a maximum projected class size of 29 students, fourth through eighth grade, class size still remains below state averages … ‘We also have to look at [classroom] square footage. You can only put so many sardines in the can.’”

–Pikes Peak Courier View (3/12/2010)

University of Colorado Regent Stephen Ludwig:

“We are at a loss to make this a win for everybody because of Colorado’s complete lack of commitment to higher education.”

–Denver Post (3/10/2010)

Pueblo 70 School Board Member Bill Bregar:

“My guts tell me the four-day week is not the best decision we can make for kids.  It’s going to have to happen because we have to deal with this serious budget deficit.”

–Pueblo Chieftain (3/3/2010)

Englewood School Board President Scott Gorsky:

“Everyone needs to notify their legislators that it is time to quit talking about it and make public education a funding priority.”

–Englewood Herald (2/8/2010)

Colorado State Rep. Ken Summers (R-Lakewood) and Rep. Cheri Gerou (R-Evergreen):

“Democrats and Republicans must work together to solve our budget shortfall when it comes to K-12 and higher education funding. Anything less is a disservice to Colorado’s students.”

–Denver Post (1/27/2010)

Bill Ritter, Jr., Colorado Governor:

” … [I]f there is one single key that unlocks the doors of opportunity, it’s education. If there is one single key to economic recovery, it is education. And if there is one single key to addressing poverty, it is education. The best economic-development strategy and the best anti-poverty strategy is an education strategy.”

–2010 State of the State Address (1/14/2010)

Tom Boasberg, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools:

“[The cuts] are going to be far-reaching. [...] All areas of everything you do is affected. Right now, we are prioritizing what the potential cuts will be.”

Arnold Schwarzenegger, California Governor, in his Jan. 6 speech to a joint session of the California legislature:

“Because our future economic well-being is so dependent upon education, I will protect education funding in this budget.”

–Education Week (1/6/2010)

Rod Slyhoff, Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce President:

“Education is one of the top things people look at. Not just people who have kids, but the professional folks who are going to relocate to the area. It’s a measurement of a community. The education level, the quality of the schools seems to be something put on a list when looking for a new community.”

–Pueblo Chieftain (12/29/2009)

John Creighton, St. Vrain Valley School Board President:

“We’ve made the choices that this is the kind of state we’ve chosen to live in.”

–Longmont Times-Call (12/17/2009)

Gary Northup, RE-1 Valley School Board Member:

“If districts have to prioritize their funding for certain programs due to cuts, it would hurt other parts of the school system. It might mean cutting funding for extracurricular activities. That might not seem as important, but those help keep kids in school and keep the dropout rate down.”

–Sterling Journal-Advocate (12/3/2009)

Featured in a NEW school story video on the Great Ed School Stories map and petition, Lewis Palmer parent Cathy Wilcox says:

“We all know that we have to make cuts right now […] but what is really concerning to me as a parent is that Colorado is already one of the lowest funded states in the nation […] and if we fall lower than that how do we market Colorado as a state? Our educational profile is a huge part of our state and how can we justify dropping down to maybe the bottom?”

–Great Future School Stories Map and Petition (12/2009)

Greg Mikolai, Mesa Valley School Board Member:

“Kids are pretty darn sharp. [...] Seeing issues through kids’ eyes is a good way for adults to see things differently.”

–Grand Junction Sentinel (11/16/2009)

Lisa Weil, Policy Director of Great Education Colorado:

“No one should kid themselves: These cuts are going to hurt a lot.”

–Denver Post (11/7/2009)

Tom Boasberg, Superintendent of Denver Public Schools:

“To meet the needs of these students who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out, [...] requires significant additional per-pupil resources. We look forward to working with the state on the resource question.”

–Denver Post (10/30/2009)