The funding crisis caused by the interaction of Colorado’s recession and TABOR may do away with public education.
College presidents, legislators and the state treasurer all agree that, within five years, our universities and colleges could be out of business unless something is done. The legislature’s “solution” of vouchers for college is certainly not a long-time solution, nor is it really enough to cover the costs of higher education. College vouchers seem like another way to avoid funding public education and to avoid sufficient financial aid for those who are intelligent, motivated and, through no fault of their own, unable to afford a college education.
Colleges have proposed they form enterprises, which would free them from TABOR restrictions and allow them to raise tuition.
A better solution would be to preserve public education for colleges and universities in Colorado. That would only be done with reform of TABOR. Specifically, this would entail legislation if the voters do not approve one of the TABOR reform measures on the ballot this November.
We need to:
1. Forego TABOR tax refunds which may be due in times of recession and
5. Loosen the ratchet effect of TABOR. Under the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, also known as TABOR, the state cannot increase their spending limits more than population + the rate of inflation, nor can they raise taxes without a vote by the people at the regularly scheduled election. Consequently, the state has been issuing tax refunds while millions are cut in services. This recession has created greater need for services. This has resulted in the state’s having to drastically pare back financial support to higher education, as well as to other institutions in the state, such as the judicial system and services to the poor.
Amendment 23 was passed by our voters in outrage at how low the state had fallen in educational attainment for grades K-12. Whereas Colorado was once 1st in the country in terms of education, and companies liked to move here because of our strong educational system, years of being starved by a neglectful legislature stripped away our once strong educational system into an embarrassment, as Colorado became 49th in the U.S. for education funding. Amendment 23 was designed to change that, but we are still only 36th in the country. Much remains to be accomplished. Because increases through Amendment 23 are tied to student population + 1% increase every year for 10 years, counties which lose student population – as has Jefferson County – are actually cutting services. This year, Jefferson County must cut $10 million from its budget. This means larger classes and fewer programs. For example, when you drive down the street, and a teenaged driver is approaching, do you think that driver has had Drivers’ Ed? Its unlikely. Schools in Jefferson County no longer offer this program, due to costs. So unless the parents can afford to pay for Johnny to take Drivers’ Ed, Johnny doesn’t get it…and our streets are less safe.
Some think charter schools will guarantee quality education. They said charters were designed to allow children in a “low performing school” to transfer to a charter school. But once a child transferred to a charter school, there was no further accountability. Charter schools do not need to report their CSAP scores. This is a serious flaw with charters. A foundational problem with any charter not under the control of the local school board is that it takes money away from quality public education, money which is sorely needed.
Another concern with charter schools is that many charter schools refuse to accept children with developmental disabilities. This prevents these children from being “mainstreamed” into the general student population – a move which has benefited all students.
Then there are vouchers. I oppose vouchers, because of their erosion of the public school system, upon whose strength this great country of ours was built. When, and only when, public schools are adequately funded for quality education, should we consider vouchers.
Our state needs a well-educated population if we are to attract quality companies with high-paying jobs. We simply cannot afford to cut back on funding education. Nor can we afford to use the cookie cutter approach of CSAP scores. While these can quantify certain subjects, such as the “hard sciences”, they cannot measure a student’s ability to think analytically, to envision creatively, to move into those unexplored realms of science, art and music which make us human and give us hope.
Some have proposed cutting back the administrative capacities of our community colleges, and even closing some of our community colleges. This would be a true disservice to our localities and to Colorado businesses who rely on graduates of these colleges. Many of the students at these colleges could not afford to go to college otherwise. These colleges offer quality education for a reasonable cost – why should we strangle them on the vine, and strangle our business climate along with them?
I propose we move forward into hope from the bleakness of our current educational system.
If elected, I will work for meaningful TABOR reform so as to adequately fund our public education system.
I will work for a quality educational system, K-12, at the college and university level, and within our community colleges and vocational schools.
I will work to keep our community colleges open. I will work against closing any of these colleges, or further eviscerating their administration budgets.
We need a highly qualified workforce for the future of our state.
I hope you will help me move our state forward towards quality education!