Great Education is pleased to announce this year’s honoree at our Second Annual Great Education Colorado Luncheon: State Board of Education Member Elaine Gantz Berman.
Elaine has been a tireless champion for the students of Colorado through her work as a member of the State Board and the Denver Public School board, as a proponent of Amendment 23 and other education-related ballot initiatives, and as a program officer at the Piton Foundation. She has been integral to the creation of numerous organizations and projects directed at improving the health and education of young Coloradoans, including the Colorado Children’s Campaign and the Colorado Legacy Foundation.
Always keeping the best interest of Colorado’s students as her guiding principle, Elaine has set an important standard, being a leader both for education reform and for providing the resources necessary to ensure the success of all Colorado students.
These accomplishments alone make Elaine a most-worthy honoree. But Elaine further distinguished herself as a courageous leader for children in December 2011, when she took the most public of stands against the state’s appeal of the Lobato school funding decision. The day of the State Board of Education vote on whether to appeal, Elaine wrote:
I voted against appealing the Denver District Court’s Lobato decision. I cannot come up with any reasonable rationale to defend the status quo of how we fund schools, and I believe the students of Colorado deserve a first class education system. Today, we do not have a first class education system in our state.
It’s my hope that this ruling will force the legislature and the governor to come up with a solution now – and not delay the important discussion.
Great Education Colorado salutes Elaine’s dedication, commitment, leadership and courage in advocating for Colorado’s students. We are proud to name her as our 2012 honoree.
