From Haley Anderson
How we care for and invest in our children reflects our values and the kind of future we envision. If we value a future where our state has critical thinking, well rounded, whole, and healthy citizens, we show that by investing in our children. If, as people of faith, we value justice, love, and caring for our neighbor, and we want to see these more fully realized in the world, we show that in how we nurture and provide for the children in our communities. These values come to life in the way we approach education, but unfortunately, Colorado’s legislative choices have historically not reflected the value of ensuring a vibrant future for our state through investing in our children. In fact, Colorado often puts the children, and therefore our shared future, last as evidenced by these facts compiled by Great Education Colorado:
Colorado Ranks:
- 50th in teacher wage competitiveness—compares teachers to non-teachers with similar education, experience and hours worked (Education Law Center, Great Ed national comparison chart)
- 49th in number of novice teachers in the classroom (Education Week, October 2016)
- 45th in % of Taxable Resources Spent on Education (Ed Week, 2021 Quality Counts)
- 44th in math gap (Ed Week, 2016 Quality Counts, 2013 4th grade NAEP scale score)
- 43rd in spending on education adjusted for regional cost differences (Ed Week, 2021 Quality Counts)
- 42nd in poverty gap (Ed Week, 2016 Quality Counts, 2013 data)
- 41st in pupil-teacher ratio (National Center for Education Statistics 2017)
- 39th in reading gap (Ed Week, 2016 Quality Counts, 2013 4th grade NAEP scale score)
It is critical that we change this narrative of putting our children last, and begin investing in their futures if we want to have a vibrant and thriving state.
Not only do we want to have fully funded educational programs, but we also want to ensure that our students and their unique cultures, identities, and histories are respected in the classroom. Students thrive when they feel seen and heard both by their teachers and by the curriculum, and that thriving is contagious!
This legislative session there are a lot of important bills on Education that are worth tracking and assessing their underlying values.
