Alejandro Rivera, a Sheridan High junior, is unsure about his future: Study law at Rice University or open his own auto repair garage in Las Vegas?
Like most high school students, his future is a blank slate. However, the educational opportunities available at many schools are limited – and they’ll dwindle further if legislators add more one-size-fits-all requirements on districts.
Educators preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow have been nudging them toward college track curriculums lately since the vo-tech jobs of yesterday have been shipped overseas. While we believe every student should have the opportunity for college, it’s not the only route after high school.
As state lawmakers consider several bills this spring that will impact public education for years to come, we urge them to respect Colorado’s tradition of local control.
Local control, and the story of students like Rivera, are why we think state lawmakers should approve House Bill 1118, which will be considered today in the Senate Education Committee. Instead of creating cookie-cutter graduation requirements for the entire state, as some would prefer, the bill calls upon the state Board of Education to adopt basic guidelines for high school graduation. It will be up to local school boards to establish their own specific requirements.
The bill would allow local districts to design programs specific to their areas. For example, in energy-rich areas of the state, districts could help train students for jobs in the fields, while also giving them business and management courses for the day when they can no longer handle the manual labor.
Senate Bill 131 is one of those bills which would erode local control. The measure would require students to successfully complete four years of math and three years of science in order to graduate. The idea is admirable, but we have seen no proof that it would help students succeed in an emerging global economy.
Lawmakers also are weighing bills dealing with the state’s burgeoning online education industry. Online learning can be a useful way to educate students, but the system is out of control. Rural districts are approving online schools and collecting cash for out-of-district students they don’t have to educate.
Senate Bill 215 by Sen. Sue Windels would bring some order to the chaos. It encourages districts to operate online programs for district students only and requires rural districts to prove they’re capable of overseeing larger, statewide programs.
Today, the lack of online ed guidelines is an invitation to corruption and neglect.
