We are coming off a historic election, with a new Governor-elect: John Hickenlooper. Not much was said about education during the governor’s race, as the candidates focused instead on pressing economic and environmental questions. But while it may have been a back-burner issue during the campaign, education must now become a priority for Hickenlooper as he takes office.
We have made great strides toward equality, but we still face stubborn race- and income-based achievement gaps in Colorado. Thirty-eight percent of Colorado students are growing up in low-income communities; these children are seven times less likely to graduate from college than their more privileged peers. This disparity is holding our state back from what it can and should be.
Hickenlooper has already demonstrated a real commitment to education. As mayor of Denver, he forged an initiative that made college scholarships available for deserving public school students. He also spent a great deal of time in the classroom among school children: in 2004, he spent an entire school year as a volunteer tutor at the chronically underperforming Cole Middle School. As the executive director of Teach For America, I observed him guest-teach a lesson at Contemporary Literacy Academy in Denver, and was struck by his obvious passion for education.
Now, Hickenlooper has a chance to use the largest bully pulpit in the state to advocate for the high-quality schools and innovative education reforms he has supported in the past. I would like to offer some specific recommendations:
First, support programs to train and retain great teachers. There are a number of innovative programs in Colorado that are poised to become models for teacher training across the United States. For example, initiatives at the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Colorado at Denver are developing teaching assessments and training curricula to help produce excellent teachers. This creates the foundation for a talent pipeline of high quality teachers in Colorado, which will impact not just schools, but also the communities around them.
Second, continue the drive to improve teacher quality in Colorado. The passage of SB 191, the educator effectiveness bill, is a bold step toward this goal, but we can do much more. Colorado must ensure that public school principals have the autonomy to assemble dedicated, talented faculties, and to effectively assess teachers’ performance in the classroom so we can provide more of our students with the high quality instruction they need.
Third, work to expand school models with a proven track record of success. There are plenty of traditional and charter public schools throughout Colorado that are excelling. These include Skinner Middle School in Denver, a district school that was once at the bottom of state rankings but has shown huge progress in just four years; and Atlas Preparatory School in Colorado Springs, a public charter school that has produced remarkable student achievement gains after only a year and a half of operation. And there are also school districts, like Aurora Public Schools and Denver Public Schools, that have worked hard to foster innovation across entire communities. With the government’s backing, these successful programs can be preserved and expanded.
This is a time of great potential for public education in Colorado. As John Hickenlooper takes office in January, I hope he will use his position to shine a spotlight on proven education solutions and expand them to serve more students. By expanding the number of quality public schools in the state, we can give our young people a chance at a better future.
Sean VanBerschot is executive director for Teach for America in Colorado. EDITOR’S NOTE: This is an online-only column and has not been edited.
