Governor Ritter’s Education Revolution Receives Raves from Capitol

Education will get more than a makeover with SB08-212, a bill to align state education standards with 21st century demands and to revolutionize how education is delivered to students pre/k-12.

“This bill is revolutionary,” said Dr. Jane Urschel of the Colorado Association of School Boards at a Senate Education Committee Hearing today.  “It will bring together Ben Franklin’s view that education should prepare kids for useful work, and Jefferson’s view that there are laborers and learned people, and laborers are taught to labor and learned people are taught to live their aspirations.  This bill will help kids learn useful skills and give them the capacity to live their aspirations.”

The revolutionary portions of the bill reside in how kids from pre-school through high school will be taught and how their skills and competencies will be measured.  The bill establishes that high school graduation standards will relate to college and work force readiness.  The goal is to ensure that all graduates will be prepared, without the need for remediation, to go to college or get a living-wage job.

Learning measured by skill development, not seat time

Students will progress in their learning not based on seat time in a classroom, but by their learning advances.  Each student will have an individual learning plan that establishes where they are in relation to learning competencies, and where they need to go.  These plans will clearly identify skill strengths and gaps.  Teachers will educate according to where students are in their learning level, keeping them on a steady development path.

Endorsement diplomas may get students into state colleges with scholarships

Competencies will be established using various guidelines from other states, from within school districts, and from work force and higher education sources.  “Ideally, we’re looking for students to graduate with statewide endorsement diplomas similar to those based on the New York State Regency Exams,” said State Senator Josh Penry(R), bill sponsor.  Students with these diplomas may be guaranteed entrance into state colleges and universities and may have access to special scholarships.

Bill geared to help underserved

State Senator Chris Romer, another bill sponsor, said that the bill has the potential to keep students who might otherwise drop out focused on learning and excited about school.  “I was passionate last year about English Language graduation requirements, but I’m even more passionate about this bill because it can really change things for kids whom we haven’t reached.”  Julie Gonzales, an advocate in the North High School district of Denver Public Schools, said that the bill will only work if resources are also provided.  Senator Romer indicated that while resources will be important, “I passionately believe that this bill will transform education” for those underserved by today’s models of education by setting a high bar for their learning and making the steps to reaching competency clear and transparent.

Success will depend on resource allocation

Dr. Urschel stated that resources will be necessary to persuade students, teachers, and the public that this “radical transformation” will be good for kids.  “The public will have to be persuaded that they are not just customers of the school system; they are the owners.  We can’t ask the public for money without giving them ideas, and we can’t ask them for money without also asking for their ideas.”

Critic worries about CU profs setting competency standards

Dr. Rona Wilensky of New Vista High School in Boulder was a lone dissenter.  She doubts that sufficient resources will be put in play to make the reforms happen.  She also questioned whether the bar for high school graduation standards will be set so high that many students won’t be able to achieve the necessary skill levels. She critiqued the role that college faculty may have in setting high school graduation standards.  “College professors setting these standards… I know college professors who would love to set the standards, and would expect everyone to stand up and salute.”  She also noted that there’s a huge gap between how privileged kids perform in our system and how poor kids perform, and that the gap is so entrenched that it will be extremely difficult to eradicate without enormous resources.

Superintendent says “Get on with it!”

John Barry, superintendent of Aurora Public Schools, didn’t buy the critique.  His words were clear and forceful.  He wants the legislature to “get on with it,” so that schools can start to make a difference for kids before another five years have gone by.