In a TV ad set to hit TV screens Wednesday, Republican Bob Beauprez turns his run for governor toward schools. The 30-second ad is titled “Opportunity.”
“Colorado is a great state with great opportunities, and that all has to start with a great education,” Beauprez said in a statement. “Our education system is stronger and more effective at meeting a student’s individual needs when it is administered locally and offers parents choice and control.
“Colorado kids deserve an education second to none, and I will be a decisive leader focused on their education. A good education gives tomorrow’s generation an opportunity to pursue their American Dream.”
His ideas on K-12 education will include, in his words:
— Increasing autonomy of local school districts over standards, curriculum, testing and teacher accreditation.
— Increasing the choices available to parents concerning their children’s education.
— Increasing opportunities for parent input at the district level.
— Improving early childhood reading programs to ensure a higher level of literacy among Colorado students, especially in minority communities.
— Expanding tutoring opportunities.
— Offering career-ready programs to students.
On Monday, Beauprez took aim at Common Core state educational standards and gave his opponent, John Hickenlooper an F.
“For too long, Colorado politicians have failed to make effective K-12 education outcomes a priority,” Beauprez said in a statement. Instead John Hickenlooper just hands over the keys to the federal government and lets them drive.
“Common Core is an additional government mandate that burdens taxpayers, parents, teachers and students. Common Core narrows the choices available to students and forces teachers to make decisions based on what’s coming out of Washington, D.C.”
To expand opportunities as much as he is pledging, Beauprez will have to work closely with or find a way to step over the state Board of Education, which has a. The board is elected and currently includes four Republicans and three Democrats.
In an interview last week Hickenlooper laid out his accomplishments on education, tempered by, “In this state the governor doesn’t have much control over education, but we do get to push things like that transparency bill we got done.”
He was referring legislation he pushed for to put every school’s budget online.
“This was not an easy lift, but having a website where parents can go and see their child’s school and how much is going to teachers, how much money is going to buildings, how much money is going to the school administration and the school district — you give people that information and they will have power, and they will become more involved in their children’s education,” Hickenlooper said. “I think it’s a systemic change, and that almost always improves the system.”
He noted that his son attends a Denver public school that has gone to a longer school day and a longer school year.
“So he has an extra four weeks of school more than other kids do,” He said. “He has to be there at 8 and doesn’t finish until 4.”
Asked if is son is happy about that, the governor pointed to a silver lining for students.
“Well, he has no homework,” Hickenlooper said. “I think the results we’ll see, but the idea is for low-income kids who go home and both parents are working, there’s the TV and there’s not the discipline to get them to do their homework. Now they’re doing their homework in the school.”
Hickenlooper also is a champion of career-ready programs for students who might not be headed to college.
Last week the governor held a press conference to announce the BuildColorado.com website to connect job seekers with skilled positions in the construction industry, including opportunities for training and apprenticeships.
“It’s through collaboration from our education system, our workforce development and industry itself that will allow us to find new, innovative ideas like the one we’re rolling out today with BuildColorado.com, in order to help meet Colorado’s workforce needs to help promote construction careers within our students,” Hickenlooper said. “In students’ lives, in the planning stages of their futures, too often we’re not getting information to them about what the real requirements are for these jobs and the compensation these people are receiving without having student debt piled on top.”
