Office and district sought: State Board of Education, Fourth CD
Name: Bob Schaffer
Party: Republican
Website: www.BobSchaffer.org
E-mail: team@BobSchaffer.org.
Age: 44
Last degree earned: BA – University of Daytona, 1984.
Occupation: Vice president for business development at a Denver-based energy company.
Hobbies: Visiting www.BobSchaffer.org on the Internet, backpacking, camping, skydiving, Tae-kwon-do, reading, starting charter schools, calf roping, skiing, snowboarding, football, driving kids from activity to activity.
Family: Wife, Maureen Schaffer; children, Jennifer, Emily, Justin, Sarah and Mary – all educated in Poudre School District R-1 public schools in Fort Collins.
How long have you lived in Colorado? Where did you live before? 21 years. Ohio.
Last book read: “TABOR and Direct Democracy,” by former Colorado State Representative Brad Young.
Civic Involvement: Member of State Board of Education since January; member of US Congress from Colorado, 1997-2003; Colorado State Senator, 1987-1996; Republican US Senate candidate 2004.
Why are you running? To make Colorado’s education system the best in the world, offering high-quality, free education to every young Colorado citizen.
What are the top three challenges facing Colorado or the institution you seek to represent?
Colorado’s minority drop-out rate is embarrassing. Parents deserve more options and choices in educating their children. Public education leadership and authority is too heavily consolidated in bureaucratic offices of the state and federal governments.
Does the State Board of Education provide leadership that is relevant to its stakeholders – parents, public schools, charters, teachers, administrators and other groups?
No and yes. Education leadership in Colorado has traditionally been decentralized. This is a strength, not a weakness.
Describe what the board should be focusing on to ensure all public school students are graduating from high school with a solid education. The board can be more aggressive in elevating the standards of teacher training, accountability, school safety and competitiveness.
Describe how you have impacted the education of Colorado students. Helped improve the following: parental choice options; instructional supplies funding; federal “PILT” funding; Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act; elimination of learning fees and more.
