Senate President Brandon Shaffer said Wednesday he will assign a sweeping literacy bill that has divided Democrats to what has been dubbed the “kill committee.”
But Shaffer, a Longmont Democrat, said his intent was not to kill House Bill 12-1238, which recommends holding back students if they can’t read by third grade, but to make sure amendments that various school superintendents have suggested make it on to the bill.
“I’m not sending it to the ‘kill’ committee,” he said, “I’m sending it to the ‘fix’ committee.”
Sen. Mike Johnston, D-Denver, initially was pretty unhappy when he learned the measure wasn’t going to the Senate Education Committee, which he sits on, but to the State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.
Johnston said Wednesday that he wasn’t worried about it going to State Affairs and thinks the amendments will make the bill better.
The bill requires schools to measure reading progress from kindergarten through third grade and to hold discussions among teachers, principals and parents on whether to hold back a child. The school superintendent has the final say.
The House approved the measure 52-12, with all “no” votes coming from Democrats, after a lively floor debate and a seven-hour hearing before the House Education Committee.
Bipartisan supporters said it was a modest step toward improving early-childhood literacy in Colorado, crucial for reducing dropout rates and increasing college readiness. Opponents contend retention is an unproven tactic and that the bill imposed yet another unfunded mandate on teachers and schools.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
