A Vision for Colorado: Every Student Graduates

Ready for the World

Great Education ColoradoApril 2015

Which deserve a great education?

Our Vision: Every Student Graduates “Ready for the World”

Prepared for:• Post-secondary education (2 or 4 yr) • 21st century careers• Independence• Engaged, productive citizenship in

community, state and country• Life-long learning

Colorado Academic Standards: Our Proxy for “Ready for the World”

Statewide standards in:• Math (CCSS)• Language Arts (CCSS)• Science• Social Studies• World Languages• Arts• Health & Physical Ed

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS)

• Adopted in 2014• Successor to CSAP/TCAP• Reflects new Colorado Academic Standards• Testing in– Math (3rd – 8th, high school) – English Language Arts (3rd – 11th)– Science (5th, 8th, and 12th)– Social Studies (4th, 7th and 12th)

But, standards don’t teach themselves We need…

A great start with quality ECEWell-supported, inspiring, high quality teachers

Rich curriculum

Individual attention & reasonable class size

Updated technology & textbooks

Safe schools & classrooms

The best teaching & classrooms in the nation.

Is Colorado stepping up to the “RFTW” challenge?

Is Colorado making an adequate commitment to the teaching

profession?

Stepping up for teachers?

Is Colorado making an adequate commitment to the teaching

profession?

Stepping up for teachers?

Stepping Up on Class Size?Colorado ranks 43rd in

pupil-teacher ratio.

Stepping up on Early Childhood?

Colorado ranks:• 16th in 3-4 yr old enrollment• 47th in “Poverty Gap”• 45th in Full-Day preschool• 45th in Full-Day K

Is Colorado stepping up to the “RFTW” challenge?

Not Yet.

FY92

FY93

FY95

FY97

FY99

FY01

FY03

FY05

FY07

FY09

FY11

-3000

-2500

-2000

-1500

-1000

-500

0

500

Trends in Per Pupil Spending:Dollar Amounts Colorado Spends Less than the National Average

Profile Data: U.S. Census: Ed Week NCES US Average

U.S. Average per Pupil Spending (baseline)

Funding Gap between what CO spends per student and the Na-tional Average

Does it matter that we’ve fallen behind?

Every state that rankshigher in achievement than Colorado . . .

. . . spends more per pupil than Colorado.

.

What’s Getting in the Way?

1995 1999 2002 2009 20127500

7700

7900

8100

8300

8500

8700

8900

9100

9300

9500Per pupil funding (adjusted for inflation)

Growth in at-risk, English lan-guage learners, and special

needs populations

Transition to standards-based ed – higher expectations &

universal proficiency

Increased reliance on up-to-date technology: instruction,

student data, testing, etc.

Higher inflationary growth in energy, transportation, health

care.

1995 - 2012 – Increasing Expectations schools

The Recession’s Toll on Students

FY13-14 per pupil funding is below FY07-08.

FY

08

-09

FY

09

-10

FY

10

-11

FY

11

-12

FY

12

-13

FY

13

-14

FY

14

-15

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$6,874 $7,077 $6,813 $6,468 $6,474 $6,651

Average per pupil funding

Actual per pu...

$7,021

Colorado’s Debt to Students

FY13-14 per pupil funding is below FY07-08.

FY

08

-09

FY

09

-10

FY

10

-11

FY

11

-12

FY

12

-13

FY

13

-14

FY

14

-15

$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$6,874 $7,077 $6,813 $6,468 $6,474 $6,651

$134

$423 $906 $1278

$1209 $1056

Constitutional level of funding under Amendment 23.

Actual per pupil Neg. Factor

$7,021

That’s $890M total – the equivalent of more than 11,000 teachers.

What about this year’s budget?

FY13-14 per pupil funding is below FY07-08.

FY

08

-09

FY

09

-10

FY

10

-11

FY

11

-12

FY

12

-13

FY

13

-14

FY

14

-15

(FY

15

-16

)$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$6,874 $7,077 $6,813 $6,468 $6,474 $6,651

$7,259

$134

$423 $906 $1278

$1209 $1056

$237

Ave. per pupil funding – Gov’s budget for 15-16

Actual per pupil One time $ Neg. Factor

$7,021

$813

$200 M one-time dollars

What about this year’s budget?

FY13-14 per pupil funding is below FY07-08.

FY

08

-09

FY

09

-10

FY

10

-11

FY

11

-12

FY

12

-13

FY

13

-14

FY

14

-15

(FY

15

-16

)$5,000

$6,000

$7,000

$8,000

$6,874 $7,077 $6,813 $6,468 $6,474 $6,651

$7,259

$134

$423 $906 $1278

$1209 $1056

Ave. per pupil funding – Long Bill for 15-16

Actual per pupil One time $ Neg. Factor

$7,021

$1021

$25 M GF set aside for school fi-nance.

2015 Legislative OutlookThe Budget Bill:– Nowhere near the amount necessary to reverse

cuts. – Doesn’t include the Governor’s request for $200

million in one-time dollars. We’re still fighting for that extra funding in the School Finance Act.

So, why such a tight budget, when . . .

Colorado’s economy is taking off?

Why can’t Colorado pay back the debt?

Colorado’s Constitution has a provision that imposes a barrier to restoring cuts without a

vote of the people.

It’s called TABOR.

TABOR’s Impact

When state revenues exceed voter approved cap, Colorado’s Constitution requires money be returned in some way to taxpayers unless voters

allow the state to keep the surplus.

Colorado is about to exceed that limit for the first time in well over a decade.

FY 2013-2014 FY 2014-2015 FY 2015-2016 FY 2016-2017 $10,900

$11,400

$11,900

$12,400

$12,900

$13,400

$13,900

Total TABOR Revenue Legislative Council Total TABOR Revenue OSPB

TABOR limit/Ref C Cap Legislative Council TABOR limit/Ref C Cap OSPB

Mill

ions

Current Projections: TABOR Refunds Return This Year

The New Colorado Paradox:

During bad economic times… we cut K-12.

During good economic times…we can’t reinvest.

Current estimated TABOR rebate next year

$20Per taxpayer

. . . or pay down Colorado’s debt to kids.

What we do together.

“Well, sure Coloradans know how to spend their money. But we also know we can’t personally hire a teacher, repair a failing bridge or hire a prison guard. That’s why we all pool our resources – to do things we can’t do individually, for the good of everyone.” -- Former Rep. Don Marostica

What’s Next?

• Advocate at the Capitol for maximum education funding in current budget.

• Put pressure on state leaders to take action and provide leadership to “Keep the TABOR Surplus for Kids”

• Prepare for a ballot initiative in next 2 years - use TABOR surplus to pay debt to Colorado’s kids.

Join others from your community at our

legislative advocacy days.

Bring Stories/Passion to Capitol

Join others from your community at our

legislative advocacy days.

Bring Stories/Passion to Capitol

Schedule a school tour for your legislators.

Bring the Capitol to Classrooms

Schedule a school tour for your legislators.

Bring the Capitol to Classrooms

Check out “Advocate’s Corner”

Join us!

Sue CatterallOutreach Director, Great Education Colorado

sue@greateducation.org303 722 5901

Facebook (search Great Education Colorado)Twitter @greated