Hey, Colorado: Billion Dollar K-12 Tax Hike OR End the Education Plantation?

by Eddie | 1:27 pm, April 15, 2013

Often it’s very easy to get bogged down in a big education policy debate like Colorado’s SB 213 school finance reform proposal. Then along comes a Denver Post op-ed piece by a motivated citizen that exhales a breath of fresh air: Colorado currently spends about $10,600 per student per year on K-12 education. You can [...]

Split Partisan SB 213 Vote Shifts Debate from Real Reform to Raising Taxes

by Eddie | 1:58 pm, April 2, 2013

In case you haven’t been following me on Twitter (which raises the question: Why not?), you may not have noticed that the big education bill of the 2013 Colorado legislative session has made its way through the State Senate. As a new Ed News Colorado story by Todd Engdahl highlights, Senate Bill 213 has advanced [...]

All This Talk about Course Choice Makes Colorado Debates Seem So 20th Century

by Eddie | 3:11 pm, March 25, 2013

While the big school finance reform legislation at the Colorado State Capitol explores reshuffling the dollars in a 20th century system — and dashing my youthful hopes along the way — other states continue to plow ahead with the idea of course choice. Students are enabled to customize their education by choosing courses regardless of [...]

Guess No “Vouchers” in SB 213, Really Not Much Backpack Funding, Choice at All

by Eddie | 12:14 pm, March 21, 2013

So some of you may have been missing me since a couple days ago when I asked a dozen questions regarding the major school finance bill, SB 213. Many of my questions remain unanswered, and the first committee vote on the bill itself isn’t slated until this afternoon. But a couple interesting conversations sprung up [...]

Big SB 213 School Finance Bill Hearing Keeps Me Watching, Brings Out Questions

by Eddie | 12:32 pm, March 19, 2013

When it comes to the world of K-12 education in Colorado — you know, what keeps my little eyes busy watching — today (this week!) is all consumed in the political debates over Senate Bill 213, the big school finance overhaul tied to a billion dollar tax increase. So I invite you to follow the [...]

Court Upholds School Choice: Alabama Kids Win, Now Why Not Colorado, Too?

by Eddie | 3:52 pm, March 14, 2013

A little over a week ago I told you about the brilliant blindside hit for Alabama kids in failing schools and other school choice supporters. Not only did they sack the quarterback for a loss, but the reform team defense forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown! Well, the coaches for the education [...]

Colorado House Bill 1257 and the Quest to Stifle Local Education Innovation

by Eddie | 4:44 pm, March 11, 2013

Every once in awhile you see a piece of K-12 education legislation appear, and you just scratch your head. (Okay, really, it’s more often than every once in awhile.) Colorado’s latest example is the short and sour House Bill 1257, which I think should be called the Stifling Innovation Act of 2013. HB 1257 as [...]

Lobato Case Returns: We Need School Finance Reform, Not Constitutional Crisis

by Eddie | 1:11 pm, March 8, 2013

Yesterday, some attorneys got up and argued an important case affecting K-12 education before the Colorado Supreme Court. The hearing was about an appeal of the Denver district court’s Lobato decision, previously referred to by the Denver Post as the “Super Bowl of school funding litigation.” Judge Sheila Rappaport granted judgment for the plaintiffs, contending [...]

‘Bama Tax Credit Surprise: Status Quo Blindsided by Win for Needy Kids

by Eddie | 12:22 pm, March 5, 2013

A few years ago, a great movie called The Blind Side was released, portraying the real-life story of a poor, homeless young man who thrived on the football field under the care of an adopted family. Michael Oher went on to be a college All-American and last month a Super Bowl champion offensive tackle as [...]

Three Bens Could Lead Colorado K-12 to Three Million Benjamins in Savings

by Eddie | 4:20 pm, March 4, 2013

Recently, I raised the issue of how PERA reform could fit into the ongoing school finance reform debates. It certainly lessens the sense of a “grand bargain” — tying reforms to a billion-dollar tax increase — when such big issues are left off the table. But then I came across the information in a Friedman [...]

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