- Why so much turnover in mayor's office?
- Hearing on the Ruby Hill towers
- Let freedom ring
- Promoting socialized medicine
- Immigration Laws or Lack Thereof
- Atheist Diversionary Tactics
- The "Melting Pot" is unique to America
- Many mighty hearts covering the world
- Roan Drilling Bad for Colorado, country
- Americans entitled to universal health care
Bills would set back education reform
This Speakout has not been edited
By Pamela Jo Suckla Chairman, State Board of Education
Some current educational issues are of vital concern to all Coloradoans. The State Board of Education is deeply troubled by four proposed pieces of legislation. Let me describe them as I did in a recent letter to Governor Ritter.
If these four bills became law they would decisively overturn the educational accountability reforms that have been painstakingly built over the last fourteen years by Governors Romer, and Owens and bi-partisan majorities of the General Assembly. In addition to jeopardizing hundreds of millions of Federal Aid dollars, they would also fatally undermine the data base that is essential to the very promising longitudinal program recently signed into law.
Worst of all is that by going in this direction we would be turning our backs on the hard won growth and progress our state has shown over fourteen years within an accountability system that has won national praise as the most stable and inclusive in the country.
Here are some specifics on these bills: HB 07-1284 (excludes handicapped children from the state accountability system) Our state's leading authority on Special Education - Dr. Edward Steinberg - has described this bill as a "giant step backwards for children with disabilities." Additionally, it would involve the loss of 136 million dollars in IDEA funds and embroil our state with the United States Office of Civil Rights.
HB 07-1287 (allows parents to exempt their children from CSAP tests) In effect, this bill makes the state accountability test (CSAP) optional. Each school would thus have its own standard for who is tested. The impact would fall most upon "at-risk" and children in English Language Acquisition. Here again, Federal financial and legal implications would be immense.
HB 07-on bill paper but unnumbered (this bill eliminates):
Colorado has come so far in education reform. We can't turn back now.
It doesn't pass the smell test for me. The school system is always running around yelling , " The sky is falling!, the sky is falling! " everytime someone tries to hold them accountable or change anything.
I wouldn't trust anyone on the board of education with the word suck in their name.
Gotta be some spin in this if it comes from the Chairman of the State Board of Education. I wonder what the proponents of these bills say?