Please add your name to Great Futures’ open letter to voters: we won’t let another year go by without giving voters a chance to improve resources for public education!

As the House sponsor of HCR10-1002, the “DECIDE” referendum, I have some bad news and good news for public education supporters in Colorado.

The bad news is that DECIDE won’t be on the ballot in November.  Although a majority of representatives voted for DECIDE on final passage (35-30), we were unable to reach the two-thirds majority necessary to put DECIDE on the ballot.

I am disappointed that Colorado voters won’t be given the opportunity to DECIDE in November whether to give the legislature the ability to avoid deep cuts to education in 2011.

But those of you who know me know that I’m always looking forward, and planning to build toward future victories.

So let me tell you the good news and what’s next. We accomplished so much, just by proposing and supporting DECIDE.

• We changed the debate about education funding, taxes and TABOR. (Just look at all the press coverage!)  Until Great Ed and the Great Futures coalition brought DECIDE forward, cuts to schools, colleges and universities were considered inevitable.  DECIDE has reminded the legislature and Colorado voters that we have the power to change course and do what’s right for our kids.
• You shook the Capitol.  The flood of emails and calls, the huge turnout at the hearings, and the eloquent, heartfelt testimony from such a diversity of backgrounds, were like nothing I’ve ever seen on school funding.  Seeing that sea of red in the hearing room, with testimony from DECIDE supporters from age 8 to 80, Democrats and Republicans, business owners, clergy, students and educators, made me proud, and hopeful for the future of Colorado.
• Great Ed Action and Great Futures Colorado — and you — are building the army we’ll need for meaningful budget reform. You and thousands of others, are now part of a vibrant, grassroots coalition that has united P-12 and higher ed, and is ready to take the next steps to put Colorado back on the path to investing in our children and our future.

So here’s the question.  Are you ready to keep fighting for better funding for education in Colorado? If so, here’s your first chance to take action by adding your name to Great Ed’s open letter to Colorado voters.

With the momentum of DECIDE at our backs, we must show Colorado that this is just the beginning, and that we will keep fighting until we have given Colorado’s future generations a proud legacy of a great education for every child.

With DECIDE, we’ve made a real difference — and we’ve only just begun.  Thank you for your support and for everything you do for Colorado’s kids, schools, colleges, and universities.

In a 35-30 vote, the Colorado House of Representatives failed to reach the two-thirds majority vote and the Senate never brought it to the vote necessary to put DECIDE (HCR 1002) on the ballot in November 2010.  Great Education Colorado — a member of the Great Futures Colorado coalition, which proposed the referendum — issued the following statement:

We are deeply disappointed that the voters will not have any opportunity on the November 2010 ballot to prevent and reverse deep and disastrous cuts to schools, colleges and universities.  It is unfortunate that the legislature did not trust the voters enough to let us DECIDE whether to invest more in our children, economy and future.

We knew from the start that it would be an uphill battle to put DECIDE on the ballot.  If there were an easy way to fix Colorado’s education crisis it would have been done by now.

Even though DECIDE will not be on the ballot, this effort was tremendously successful.  The Great Futures coalition moved the budget reform conversation forward, by focusing attention on the urgency of the education funding crisis (preschool through higher education), offering a solution, and reminding Colorado that a fix to the funding crisis is within our grasp.

Thousands of public education supporters stepped into the political process — many for the first time — to testify, call and write their legislators.  Together they took DECIDE far beyond what anyone expected, and put the legislature on notice that we will not sit idly by, as budget cuts dim the prospects of our children and our state.

We are tremendously grateful for the courage and leadership demonstrated by DECIDE’s prime sponsors — Representative Debbie Benefield, and Senators Suzanne Williams and Chris Romer — and by all the other legislators who cosponsored and voted for DECIDE.

The defeat of DECIDE is a disappointment and a blow to the educational opportunities of over one million students in Colorado.  It does not mark an ending, however.  To the contrary, we are just getting started.  We will not rest until Colorado provides the resources necessary to ensure the legacy of a quality education for every child.

UPDATE: Read the news here

On March 24, the Great Futures Colorado Campaign unveiled a proposed referred measure called DECIDE: “DECIDE: Education Cuts or Invest in our Democracy and Economy.”

DECIDE: Frequently Asked Questions

Great Futures Campaign Website

New! Press Conference Photos

Coming Soon: Videos from Press Conference

Inaction is no longer an option! Read more than 1,000 P-20 education cuts stories from across Colorado telling the devastating impacts of cuts to Pre-school, K-12, and Higher Education.

News Release:

March 24, 2010

Diverse Coalition Asks Legislators: “Let Voters DECIDE to Support Education in Colorado”

New “Great Futures Colorado” Coalition Proposes Referred Measure to Give Voters a Say in Preventing Deep Cuts to Public Schools and Higher Education

DENVER – A diverse coalition of public education supporters today called on the Colorado General Assembly to give voters the chance to prevent and reverse crippling cuts to Colorado’s schools, colleges and universities.

The Great Futures Colorado Campaign, a new coalition of nonpartisan, community organizations (see list below), unveiled their proposal for a referred measure for the November 2010 ballot at a State Capitol press conference on Wednesday. Known as “DECIDE” (“Decide: Education Cuts or Invest in our Democracy and Economy”), the proposal would give the legislature options to balance the budget other than deep cuts to education.

“Right now, the legislature has only one tool for balancing the budget, and that’s cutting education,” said Andrew Bateman, Chairman of the Associated Students of Colorado, a Great Futures coalition member.  “Colorado voters have made it clear that we want to support education. We’re just asking for a chance to DECIDE if there’s a better way to balance the budget.”

“It’s the urgency of the matter that brings us here today and we’ve got to get this issue on the table and start talking about the solutions,” said Ricardo Martinez, Co-Director of Padres Unidos, a coalition member.  “Inaction is no longer an option.”

If referred to the voters in November, DECIDE would ask voters to give the legislature authority to raise revenues to prevent and reverse cuts to preschool, K-12 and higher education, as well as to make critical investments in school improvement efforts, class size reduction, technology, teacher effectiveness, safe schools and other education priorities – all while being held accountable by voters.

Using an interactive map that includes video and stories of local parents, teachers and concerned citizens, Great Futures coalition members highlighted the urgency of the school funding crisis.  ”We’ve heard heartfelt stories from every corner of Colorado,” said Kristi Hargrove who is a small business owner, Great Education Colorado board member and Gunnison School District parent. “Whether it’s the loss of beloved teachers, increased class sizes, the closing of schools, unaffordable tuition, or the adoption of a four-day week, we hear the same message over and over: These cuts will have an irreversible impact on our kids, and we’ve got to do something now to pull Colorado back from the brink.”

The legislature is currently considering a budget that will result in cuts of 6-8% in most school districts.  Even before these cuts, Colorado’s per pupil funding had fallen far behind the national average – $1,397 per pupil behind the national average in 2007, the most recent data available.  Likewise, Colorado’s state and local per capita spending on higher education ranks 48th in the nation.

“Enough is enough,” said Colorado PTA President Lynn Huizing in a prepared statement. “Colorado PTA is sending a message to state legislators that our citizens care about educating our kids. We’re asking them to seek a long-term solution now. Don’t make this the ‘lost generation.’ Our kids can’t redo kindergarten, 6th grade or their high-school senior year. ”

Great Futures coalition members noted that it’s not just students who will face lasting harm from the cuts, but Colorado’s economy as well.  “Crippling cuts to public education will result in thousands of job losses, skyrocketing tuition, less educational opportunities, and a less-prepared workforce.  Unless we act soon, how will our economy recover?” asked Denver City Councilwoman Carol Boigon, chair of Great Education Colorado.

DECIDE is expected to be introduced this week by Representative Debbie Benefield of Arvada. “Our number one goal in this building has to be investing in the future of our kids and our economy,” said Benefield.  “We simply can’t do that right now.  Our hands are tied and our kids are paying the price.”

Benefield noted the legislature has enacted laws over the years that create unfunded mandates for districts, as well as education-related programs that are to be funded by “gifts, grants and donations.”  ”We’re committed to improving education in Colorado, but we are stymied at every turn by the lack of resources to implement reforms and make them successful.”

Photos, videos, and more information from the Press Conference will be available upon request and at www.greatfuturescolorado.org.

ABOUT GREAT FUTURES COLORADO

The Great Futures Colorado Campaign is a coalition of community organizations formed in January 2010 to educate about and advocate for implementation of, and adequate funding for, an education system that will prepare all children for the challenges of the 21st century. For more information, visit www.greatfuturescolorado.org.

MEMBERS OF THE GREAT FUTURES COALITION

Associated Students of Colorado, Boulder Valley Gifted and Talented, Colorado Association for Gifted and Talented, Colorado Council of Churches, Colorado School Foundations Association, Colorado PTA, Colorado Rural Schools Caucus, Colorado Statewide Parent Coalition, Every Child Matters, Great Education Colorado, Impact on Education, Justice and Peace Ministry Team – Rocky Mountain Conference United Church of Christ, Kyffin Elementary PTA, Padres Unidos, Partnership for Families and Children, Wickerdale Walkers, and Women Informed Network.

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Higher education is also in trouble. Colorado ranks 48^th in the country in state funding for higher education. The higher education funding cliff threatens the sustainability, quality, and affordability of colleges and universities in Colorado.

Is that what Colorado voters want?

What is DECIDE?

DECIDE stands for “Decide: Education Cuts OR Invest in our Democracy and Economy.”

DECIDE is a proposed referred measure that would give voters the chance to DECIDE whether they want an alternative to balancing our state budget by making deep and irreparable cuts to Colorado’s public schools, colleges and universities.

What would DECIDE do?

DECIDE would allow voters to grant authority to the legislature to increase revenues in order to prevent more cuts to education and invest in K-12 and higher education. New revenues could be used for accountable education reform, class size reduction, school safety, technology, effective teaching, early childhood education and full-day kindergarten, career technical education, higher education and more. 

Why now?

Across Colorado, public schools are enduring deep, crippling cuts that are virtually irreversible.  You’ve heard about Pueblo going to a four-day school week. Adams 12 Five Star just announced 180 job cuts.  Class sizes are growing in just about every district – and every community college – in the state.

Without action, school districts, colleges and universities will be forced to make even more painful cuts – cuts that could only by reversed through years of steadily improving funding, and only after a heavy price has been paid by Colorado’s students and our local economy:

• Class sizes – already among the highest in the nation – will grow to unmanageable levels.
• Colleges may close or lose their accreditation.
• Highly qualified and effective teachers and professors will leave the state and/or profession – and few will enter the teaching profession.
• Programs critical to educational achievement, economic opportunity and competitiveness, and life-long learning will be lost, perhaps forever.  Already deep cuts are being made to music, the arts, foreign languages, International Baccalaureate, Career Technical Education, and specialized programs for diverse learners, such as children with disabilities and those who are academically advanced and/or highly creative.  The loss in potential resulting from these cuts is incalculable.
• Students who cannot afford rising tuition will end their advanced education; more high school students will fall through the cracks and drop out – creating permanent obstacles to economic opportunities.
• Colorado will lag in its economic recovery, as businesses seek out locations with a strong commitment to public schools and colleges and universities, and a well-prepared workforce.

Perhaps most important: our children don’t get do-overs, nor can they wait to get their education until Colorado sorts out its fiscal mess. For our kids, educational opportunities delayed are opportunities lost.  Inaction is no longer an option.

Is there any evidence that increased funding improves academic achievement?

Yes. While increased funding is not an end in itself, it is the only way to bring necessary resources to bear in educating the next generation.  A recent study commissioned by the Colorado School Finance Project “found close links between funding specific, systemic student education initiatives and increased student achievement.”  In particular, the study found that certain high-quality, sustained programs and interventions had a significant impact on student achievement, among them: counselors, preschool and full-day kindergarten, professional development, summer school and teacher pay.  Notably, funding in each of these areas has, at best, stalled, and, in most cases, fallen significantly in the past two years.

Considering the fact that Colorado ranked in the bottom quintile in many of these indicators before the recent cuts, funding reductions in these areas will put Colorado’s kids at even greater risk of falling behind their national and international counterparts.

Who supports DECIDE?

DECIDE is being proposed by a broad coalition of organizations called the “Great Futures Colorado Campaign.” The coalition supports increased investment in preschool, K-12 and higher education in Colorado. Visit www.greatfuturescolorado.org for more information.

Why should others support DECIDE?

DECIDE would give voters the opportunity to step in to protect Colorado’s kids from more irreversible and crippling education cuts

DECIDE would give the legislature the ability to avoid the looming education funding cliff in 2011, when the federal stimulus dollars end.

DECIDE would allow the legislature to create a more fair and equitable tax structure and to act upon the analysis that will soon be provided by the first study of Colorado’s tax system in over 50 years, which was requested by the legislature (in Senate Joint Resolution 10-002).

DECIDE would protect Colorado from extra years of rebuilding while our fellow states and nations outperform us educationally and economically.

DECIDE would restore balance to two voting traditions in Colorado: limiting the size of government and supporting education. Without it, the voters’ clear intent to protect education from cuts will be violated, without their consent.