EDUCATION TASK FORCE

Purpose: to promote the collective actions necessary to advance equity and justice in Colorado’s education systems and policies as aligned with League positions.

The Education Task Force has been created and maintained to inform and engage members across the state to promote collective actions around education as aligned with  stated League positions. By increasing the understanding and importance of Colorado’s educational systems and policies through study and presentations, the Education Task Force will influence public policy and legislation at all levels through advocacy, while speaking with one League voice. 

The Education Task Force coordinates with local Leagues and other organizations advocating for policies in the education arena. The Task Force organizes webinars, workshops and presentations on major topics of interest and promotes justice and equity in education through advocacy at all levels of government. The Education Task Force is closely aligned with the efforts of the LWVCO Legislative Action Committee and the LWVUS to ensure cohesion.

NO on Amendment 80 Fact Sheet
This ballot measure will hurt Colorado public schools by taking funding from them!
Get the facts here:
NO on 80 Fact Sheet

Education Task Force Meetings
Fourth Thursday of the month, 5:30-6:30pm on Zoom
Next meeting:  TBA
Please register for the Education TF meetings on the LWVCO calendar for information about the speaker and to receive the Zoom link.
LWVCO Calendar
The Colorado Civics Bee
League Positions on Education
LWVCO 2022-2023 Issues for Action
See pp. 12, 34, 67+

LWVUS 2022-2024 Impact on Issues
See pp. 10, 122, 130+

Want to learn on which 2023 Education Bills the Colorado League has taken a stance?
Access all the information you need at:
2024 Master Bill Tracker

LWVCO Education Task Force and the Observer Corps
Our March 2023 Education Task Force Meeting included an outstanding discussion of two real life applications of the LWV Observer Corps model and School Board Meetings. I encourage you to watch it and think about how you might apply this important League function in your area.
Observer Corps at School Board Meetings

State Level Resources:
Governor Polis Statement Welcoming Susana Cordova as Incoming Colorado Commissioner of Education
Governor Polis Welcomes New Colorado Commissioner of Education

Colorado State Board of Education
Colorado State Board of Education
Upcoming Board meeting:  Sept 11, 9:00am

 

To watch the meeting online please go to:

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdeboard/watchlive

 

Click the links below to view the agenda:

Agenda for Wednesday, September 11, 2024 at 9:00 a.m.

State Board Room

201 E. Colfax

Denver, CO 80203

To view additional state board meeting information, go tohttp://www.cde.state.co.us/index_sbe.htm. If you require special accommodations or need more information, please contact the state board office atstate.board@cde.state.co.us. To request translation and/or interpretation for public in-person meetings and/or materials, please emailstate.board@cde.state.co.us. Please send all requests for interpreters to the state board within 48 hours before the meeting.


>> The CSBE holds special meetings between their regularly scheduled monthly meetings! Check their webpage for upcoming special meetings, so you can watch them live or the videos of the meetings.

School Board Observer Corps
We need League Observers for the Colorado Board of Education Meetings! Observers will take notes of all or part of the proceedings for posting below .
To volunteer to join the LWVCO Colorado Board of Education Observer Corps, click here: 
Volunteer for the Colorado State Board of Education Observer Corps 
We also encourage League Observers to attend their local school board meetings and take notes to share.
For more information about Observer Corps, click here.

Watch Live and Access the Agendas:
Watch Live Board Meetings



Board Meeting Agendas:  CO State Board Agendas

Colorado Department of Education
Colorado Department of Education

2022 State Accountability Report
2022 State Assessment Accountability Report Information
The Report

Colorado State Standards - Social Studies
CO State Standards: Social Studies

Colorado General Assembly Education Committees (2024):
Colorado House Education Committee
Colorado Senate Education Committee
Colorado Youth Advisory Council Interim Committee
Colorado Legislative Council


League Partners' Offerings

Great Education Colorado Presentation - a real life cautionary tale in Arizona

Of particular interest to Great Ed and the public education community is Initiative 138, which would lay the groundwork for a statewide voucher program by creating a constitutional right to "school choice." Last week (June 11, 2024) Beth Lewis, executive director of Save Our Schools Arizona, spoke at our Advocate's Network meeting about the consequences of statewide vouchers in Arizona. Hear from Beth in the video below.

Articles, Newsletters and More

14 states pledge to cut chronic absenteeism rates by half over 5 years

Fourteen states have taken up a challenge to significantly reduce the rate at which children miss a lot of school, responding to a recent call from a bipartisan coalition for states to prioritize school attendance.

Some of the states making the pledge have had among the highest rates of chronic absenteeism in recent years, such as Nevada, New Mexico, and Colorado.
Chalkbeat
Kalyn Belsha
September 9, 2024

Struggles to place kids with disabilities in right preschools forces Colorado to change enrollment
The Colorado Department of Early Childhood revised the way it enrolls students with disabilities in universal preschool amid complaints from districts and providers. Is it working?
The Colorado Sun
Erica Breunlin
July 19, 2024

Federal COVID relief dollars improved student test scores, two new studies find
Two new research papers released Wednesday attempt to isolate the effects of federal relief spending on student test scores. Both analyses, which were conducted independently, find that spending under the relief programs known as ESSER improved test scores in reading and math, and that the improvements were in line with other research showing that more spending boosts student achievement.
Chalkbeat
Erica Meltzer
June 25, 2024


How are Colorado teachers feeling these days? Good, state survey suggests.
Most teachers say their schools are good places to work and learn. Still, they crave more time for planning and more support in helping students who have lived through trauma.
Colorado Sun
Erica Breunlin
May 1, 2024

15 years after Colorado paved way for a new kind of school, students are falling short
This article's focus is the academic performance results of Colorado innovation school and innovation school zones. The reporter shares a report that compares assessment results of innovation schools, charter schools, and district run schools - all public schools.
Colorado Sun
Erica Breunlin
December 6, 2023

Colorado Republicans urge continued fight against ‘woke agenda’ in education
Colorado Newsline
Suzie Glassman
December 2, 2023
*** See the suggested legislation from the Colorado Youth Advisory Council Interim Committee's proposed legislation for 2024 on this topic. ***
Bills for Consideration

Civics Is the Latest Education Battleground
Virginia, Florida and South Dakota have new standards that focus on patriotism, Christianity and anti-communism. But debating current events? That’s discouraged.
Dana Goldstein
New York Times
November 30, 2023

How school boards became one of democracy’s front lines
Lexi Lonas
The Hill
November 26, 2023
This article offers a historical examination of local school boards.

Fourth graders in Eagle County take on Colorado River water policy
Shannon Mullane
Colorado Sun
November 24, 2023
Excellent example of very relevant problem-based learning!

STOP Moms For Liberty
Peter Greene
Forbes
November 3, 2023

Berthoud teacher named Colorado’s 2024 Teacher of the Year
Ann Schimke
Chalkbeat Colorado
October 27, 2023

Garfield County residents rallied against American Birthright social studies standards
Jenny Brundin
Colorado Public Radio
October 27, 2023

Moms for Liberty: Where are they, and are they winning?
Sana Sinha, Nicholas Zerbino, Jon Valant, & Rachel M. Perera
Brookings Governance Studies
October 10, 2023

Woodland Park teachers criticize conservative board that made sweeping changes
Erica Breunlin
Colorado Sun
October 5. 2023

Chronic Absenteeism Remains High
Absenteeism remains high, with 31% of Colorado students missing too much school last year

Erica Meltzer
Chalkbeat Colorado
October 4, 3023

Partnerships with Parents Are Key to Solving Heightened Polarization in Schools
Ashley Woo & Melissa Kay Diliberti
Brookings
Aug 10, 2023

Book Removals and Children's Civil Rights

Book removals may have violated student civil rights, Education Dept. says

[The Georgia ruling, although less far-reaching in its implications, is “a quiet shot over the bow against school districts that egregiously and without due process remove books from library shelves,” said Bruce Fuller, who studies education policy at the University of California at Berkeley’s School of Education. “When students are struggling with these issues of identity, and you ban books that are speaking to these kids, that does appear to violate the spirit of the letter of the civil rights law.”]
Washington Post, May 22, 2023

Banned Books in School and Public Libraries
The American Library Association's Views on Banned Books
This segment was aired on Amanpour & Company on May 1, 2023

Confused about how Colorado public schools are financed? You are not alone! This fact sheet from The Bell Policy Center explains this complex issue in understandable language.
In the Know: School Finance
The Bell Policy Center
2023

Do school-based police officers make high schools safer? It depends on how you measure.
This detailed article brings together perspectives regarding school safety measures, gun violence in schools, and student mental health support.
The Colorado Sun
April 5, 2023

With more shootings and guns on campus, schools walk a fine line in response
This article discusses the issues related to school shootings across the US.
Chalkbeat
April 5, 2023

Getting to "Yes" on Civics Education
Opinion by Glenn C. Altschuler and David Wippman
The Hill
March 19, 2023

Information about California's Age-Appropriate Digital Code Legislation
Online protection for children
CA Age-Appropriate Digital Code

The Age Appropriate Design Code: How it Works
AADC: How It Works

California AADC Legislation - 5Rights' Model
California AADC Legislation

The racist idea that changed American education
>>The racist idea that changed American education: How a landmark Supreme Court decision was shaped by the racist idea that poor children can’t learn.

Nov 21, 2022

NEPC - National Education Policy Center at CU Boulder

The National Education Policy Center (NEPC), a university research center housed at the
University of Colorado Boulder School of Education, produces high-quality information in
support of democratic deliberation about education policy. We publish original research, pol-
icy briefs, and expert third-party reviews of think tank reports. NEPC publications are written
in accessible language and are intended for a broad audience that includes academic experts,
policymakers, the media, and the general public.
NEPC Newsletter

Five Charts That Show How Partisan Strife Is Impacting Public Schools