Great Futures Start with a Great Education Spring Summer 2011

Great Futures Start with a Great Education Spring/Summer 2011

Summary of Presentation
Information to answer the following:
What do we want for our students?
What is proven to work?
How is Colorado doing compared to other states?
Why are we in this position? What brought us here?
How can we change and improve the is situation for our students, communities and state?

Great Futures Colorado Coalition A growing and diverse coalition of organizations that informs the public about the need for an education system -- preschool through higher ed -- that will prepare every student for the challenges of the 21st century. www.greatfuturescolorado.org

What do we want for our kids?
{Optional: Discussion Element}
We’ve asked, and this is what we heard consistently
GOALS: Prepare for lifelong learners (Creative Thinking, Technological Literacy
STRATEGIES: High Quality Teachers, smaller class size
Great Futures Members

To succeed , every student needs:
Inspired, inspiring, high quality teachers
Well-rounded curriculum (Music, Art, P.E., etc.)
Individual attention and class sizes that work for all students
The tools of today: Updated technology and textbooks – and skills to utilize effectively
Preschool and full day kindergarten
Access to quality, affordable higher education
A vibrant economy for our kids to live and work in

What works?
“ Programs that correlate with improved student achievement”:
Preschool and Full-day Kindergarten (particularly for at-risk kids)
Small class size (particularly for low-income kids)
Technology
Professional Development and Teacher Pay
Summer School
Counselors
* Source: 2008 Colorado School Finance Project/Augenblick, Palaich & Associates study

What works vs. what we’re doing
Programs that correlate with improved student achievement:
Preschool and Full-day Kindergarten
State provides preschool slots to fraction of those in need;
Full-day K for at-risk students is the goal but inconsistent due to a lack of resources at district and state levels
Small class size, especially for low-income kids
Colorado ranks 42 nd in student-teacher ratios
Colorado ranks 50 th in “poverty gap” for 4 th grade reading
Technology
Colorado ranks 40 th in use of technology in classroom, and how well “wired” our schools are

What works vs. what we’re doing
Programs that correlate with improved student achievement:
Professional Development and Teacher Pay
Colorado one of 15 states that spends $0 at the state level for professional development
Colorado ranks 50 th when comparing teacher pay with salaries in jobs that require comparable education
Summer School
- Few districts are able to provide summer school
Counselors
In 2007: average of 470 students per counselor

Why does Colorado look like this?
40 th in per pupil spending adjusting for regional cost differences (2007-08) *
$1,682 below the national average in K-12 per pupil spending (2007-08) *
48 th in higher education spending per capita
* Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2007-08 (Fiscal Year 2008), May 2010; and 2008 gross-state-product data from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis.

{Optional: Discussion Element}
We’ve asked, and this is what we heard consistently
GOALS: Prepare for lifelong learners (Creative Thinking, Technological Literacy
STRATEGIES: High Quality Teachers, smaller class size
** Colorado: 48th Higher Ed Funding (per capita) How Low Can Higher Ed Go?

No Coincidence . . .
49 th in state taxes
46 th in combined state and local taxes

What’s the Outlook ?
2011-12 cuts
$227.5 million cut to K-12
– about $380 per pupil average
$36 million to higher ed
– $877 per student
Predicted cuts for 2012-13: $300 million
On top of:
2010-11: $260 million K-12 cut
2009-10: $110 million cut to K-12

The real impact of cuts . . .
Provide info about cuts in your district, at your community college…..

Not just the Bad Economy
Long term problem that we can’t just expect to grow out of:

“ But K-12 Funding is Taking More and More of the Budget !”
Schools used to be funded 60% local, 40% state. Now the reverse.
Gallagher + TABOR + School Finance Act = huge reduction in property taxes ($3.1 billion annual average)
Why does this happen?

What options do we have?
1) “Fee for Service” Education
Continue to expand transportation, athletic, activity, & book fees, fundraising, school supply lists, student fees and tuition . But . . . It’s inequitable, contrary to idea of “free” public schools and accessible higher ed.
2) Cut other state programs . But . . .
We rank 49 th in Medicaid (health care for the poor),
48 th in transportation, 125 bridges are “structurally deficient,” and wait lists growing for developmentally disabled, child welfare, etc.

3) Pass a Local Property Tax increase
An important option for districts to temporarily cushion deep cuts, but . . . not enough to overcome enormous loss of state revenue.
4) Status Quo: Keep Cutting
Continue to search for more efficiencies and try to keep cuts away from classroom. But . . . many or most efficiencies were found in the first two or three years of cuts. 2011-12 will be Year 3-4 of cuts so avoiding key priorities (quality teaching, individual attention, early childhood education, etc.) is hard.

5) Let state voters decide:
More cuts to education and other community services or pay for the public education system our kids, state and economy need?

Will there be an opportunity to vote in 2011?
It’s Up to Us.

There is one option in 2011
Senator Rollie Heath’s Proposition “X”
Returns income, corporate, and sales tax rates back to where they were in 1999 .
Raises about $500 million annually .
Funds go primarily to education (P-20).
Sunsets in five years.
Not a “fix” to long-term disinvestment; it would stop or minimize the cuts and provide a bridge until a long-term fiscal rescue is developed.

You can help give Coloradans a choice.
The Heath Proposition
Is the ONLY available option to prevent a fourth year of cuts.
Needs 120,000 - 130,000 signatures to get to the November 2011 ballot.
Does not yet have major institutional donors to pay for signatures.
Does have widespread support from Coloradans who believe that voters should have a chance to stop crippling cuts and tuition hikes.
That’s why it’s up to us.

What can you do?
Sign up to stay informed about latest developments and ways to get involved.
Have your organization join the Great Futures Colorado Coalition .
Sign the petition to put the Heath proposition on the ballot.
Carry a petition for the Heath proposition to help ensure voters have a say this year.
Donate to Great Ed Action to help us educate and gather signatures.

For More Information: Contact Great Education Colorado Liane Morrison [email_address] Casey Shea [email_address] Join us on Facebook: greateducation.org/facebook www.greateducation.org www.greatfuturescolorado.org

Great Futures Start with a Great Education Spring Summer 2011

by Great Education Colorado on May 10, 2011

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Great Futures Start with a Great Education Spring Summer 2011 — Presentation Transcript

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