Great Futures so far has more than 30 organization members.  Learn more about who we are and how the organization you’re connected to can join this coalition to grow the movement to reinvest in Colorado’s kids and economy.

Colorado voters finally have the opportunity to put an end to the short-sighted and irresponsible cuts to our schools, colleges and universities.  Proposition 103 allows Colorado to reinvest in our schools and colleges.  It’s up to us to change the way we invest in education.  Be part of our grassroots effort!

Help us meet our goal: 21,000 voter contacts before October 14th.

Pledge to Vote YES and Take Action to help pass Prop 103

In July 2011, the Great Futures Coalition endorsed the proposed statewide Ballot Initiative #25 (now Proposition 103).  Coalition members and volunteers helped to gather more than 20,000 signatures for the measure to contribute to the total 142,000 signatures that were submitted to the Colorado Secretary of State on August 1, 2011.

On August 24, Colorado’s Secretary of State declared that a sufficient number of valid signatures had been submitted to certify the initiative for the ballot. The initiative will appear as Proposition 103 on the November 1, 2011 ballot, giving voters across the state the opportunity to stop a fourth year of deep cuts in our schools, colleges, and universities.

On August 24, Colorado’s Secretary of State declared that a sufficient number of valid signatures have been submitted to certify Proposition 103 for the November 1, 2011 ballot, giving voters across the state the opportunity to stop a fourth year of short-sighted and irresponsible cuts to our schools and colleges.

SUMMARY: Proposition 103

Proposition 103 would restore state income, corporate and sales taxes to their 1999 levels for the benefit of education:

• Corporate income tax and personal income tax rates would increase from 4.63% to 5%.
• The state sales tax rate would increase from 2.9% to 3%.
• The initiative would raise an anticipated $532 million per year.
• The new funds would go toward preventing further cuts to education — preschool through higher education – and, depending on the economy and recovery, could begin restoring funding for some of the devastating cuts of the past three years.
• The new rates would be in effect temporarily for five years, beginning in January 2012.

Context:

• Without ballot action, it is anticipated that P-12 will face a fourth year of deep cuts in the 2012-13 school year and higher education will continue to experience significantly diminished state funding, resulting in higher tuition, reduced financial aid, and possibly even closures of colleges and departments.
• While this initiative will not reverse the cuts schools and colleges have endured over the past four years, it will help to prevent or minimize future cuts.
• This initiative provides the ONLY opportunity available to stop deep cuts in the 2012-13 school year.
• The proposal simply restores tax rates to 1999 levels.
• The proposal’s five-year limit is intended to ensure that the initiative cannot be viewed as a permanent solution to public education funding.  This initiative is like a tourniquet that will prevent more irreparable cuts while providing a few years to build consensus on long-term fiscal reform.

Vote YES on Proposition 103!

For more information or to download or print material, visit www.greatedaction.org.

Friday, April 29

8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Johnson & Wales University Event Center
7150 Montview Boulevard
Denver, CO 80220

In Colorado, there’s only one way to STOP the education cuts and start reinvesting in our students: Organize our communities, strengthen the grassroots movement, and make the urgent case to voters for a potential Ballot Initiative, maybe even in 2011! We’ll give you all the information and training you’ll need to create real, lasting change for our kids and economy.

Click here to register! Registration is open through Friday, April 22. Space is limited.

Sponsored by:

Some legislators answered. Some didn’t. The current responses are listed below alphabetically by Senate and House. If you do not know who your legislators are, link here and enter your Zip Code and Address.

Senator Irene Aguilar, SD 32

1) Yes

2) No

I would encourage your organization to work with Senator Rollie Heath on his initiative to address this problem — “kids can’t wait.”

Irene Aguilar

Senator Joyce Foster, SD 35

Great Futures Colorado Coalition and Great Education Colorado,

Thank you for expressing your concerns regarding funding education in Colorado and for sharing your stories with me. In response to your questions, I fully recognize the effect that reduced funding is having on students at all levels in this state. As a mother of three children who attended public schools in Colorado, I am especially concerned about larger class sizes in K-12 that make it harder for students to get the one-on-one attention from their teacher that they so often need.

The way our state funds education is not okay with me. Like you, I seek an open conversation about the real consequences of poor funding for education. I will not support any further education cuts and will always work to bolster preschool, K-12, and higher education in Colorado as a way to invest in our future and strengthen our economy.

If you have any questions, please contact my office at 303-866-4875.

Regards,

Joyce Foster

Senator Angela Giron, SD 3

Great Futures Colorado Coalition and Great Education Colorado,

Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding budget cuts in education spending in our State. I certainly share your concerns regarding these cuts. I am working hard to ensure that our students get the education they deserve by providing schools with the resources they need.

I know that teachers and student’s families are sacrificing to provide supplies for the classrooms. I know that higher education costs continue to increase at a staggering rate and individuals and families are struggling to provide higher education opportunities for themselves and their children. You can be assured that I remain committed to helping to change this present reality.

I was inspired by the note from P. Dorram of Pueblo who is working hard to get her degree, at the age of 50, so that she can move out of low paying jobs and be a strong example to her son. I want the system to support individuals, like her, in their educational pursuits. In the end, we all stand to benefit.

I truly believe that an education provides opportunities for people to utilize their abilities and collectively enables our society to achieve our potential. This is why I am leading the charge on SB 126, ASSET (Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow). If passed, this critical legislation will enable students who have attended a Colorado high school for three years, regardless of immigration status, to be eligible for a college education at unsubsidized in-state tuition rates. I agree with J. Marino of Pueblo West that, “it is not OK that an entire cadre of students will not reach their potential or their dreams.” Education is the key to enabling people to reach their dreams – equal access to education is a value we can all support.

Because we are in a revenue crisis and budget cuts have to be made, we must identify ways to increase our state’s revenue so that this will only be a temporary circumstance. I am actively working to both carry and support legislation that will enable our state’s economy to grow and succeed. Additionally, the Senate Democratic Caucus is working on behalf of education by supporting a “no cuts” education agenda to protect students and their schools from further limitations that would compromise their education.

I look forward to working alongside you and the people who represent the education system in Colorado. Our children’s education will determine both their future and ours. We must secure that future by protecting education funding.

Sincerely,

Senator Angela Giron

Senator Rollie Heath, SD 18

Dear Great Futures Colorado Coalition,

I hear about the consequences of substandard state funding for education nearly every day at the Capitol, and fairly often in my home town of Boulder. It’s leading to increased K-12 class sizes, cuts in programs, increased fees and costs to parents, layoffs in K-12 school districts and at institutions of higher education, school closures and heavy debt for students in colleges and universities who must take out loans. I had the good fortune of having quality systems of public education while I was growing up, but it hurts me deeply to consider what additional cuts might do to the educational opportunities for my grandchildren. It’s not OK with me, and I decided to do something about it. I’ve proposed an increase in our sales and income tax rates to help fund education, and if we can collect enough petition signatures, it will be on the 2011 ballot. I will appreciate any support you can provide. I’m doing this because I care about the future of our children and of our state.

All the best,

Sen. Rollie Heath

Senator Cheri Jahn, SD 20

Dear Great Education Colorado,

First, I want to thank you for contacting each legislator with your concerns on the cuts being made to education. I admire the passion our citizens have for our public education system and can understand your not wanting us to make any cuts. With that being said, I have to say that I was troubled by your question of whether or not I thought these cuts were okay. I cannot tell you how much this budget has troubled me, and I NEVER think it is “OK” that such cuts have to be made.

I take this job as a legislator very seriously. That includes the constitutional mandate that we, in Colorado, must balance the budget by the end of every session. We scoured all of the departments and policies to see where we could possibly make the cuts we had to make. I would like to share some of the cuts we were forced to make that honestly, along with education, not only made me lose sleep, but just make me sick.

I championed juvenile issues during the eight years that I served in the House, especially issues surrounding our juveniles locked up in prison or trapped in the judicial system. Some of the programs I fought for, ensuring that they actually receive the treatment, education, and programs they need, had to suffer serious cuts this year.

I have fought hard to implement policies around community corrections and getting offenders treatment, education, and programs so they can successfully come back into our communities. We had to decimate their funding in this budget. These programs included labor programs (to teach skills), educational programs, sex offender treatment programs, and drug and alcohol treatment. Along with this came the cuts to residential substance abuse treatment.

We also completely closed one prison in the state, leaving a community in Bent county with massive job cuts – about 250 before the trickle down. It is reported that one out of five families were employed at the facility. The determination was made that we could not sustain funding for prisons at the current level and this was a cut that had to be made. The trickle down in economics will be quite telling as these workers lose their jobs. All of the other businesses in these communities will sorely miss the spending that used to be made by these workers. Adding this closing on top of the education cuts was just devastating.

In the Dept. of Human Services we made serious cuts as well. We had to make cuts in medicaid programs, including the state’s medicaid medical and mental health programs, the Colorado Indigent Care Program, the Children’s Basic Health Plan, and the Old Age Pensioner Medical Program. One program that saw cuts, the Medical Services Premium, provided health care funding for 613,148 people (an increase of 54,841 people). These are acute services like physician services, prescription drugs, hospitalizations, nursing home care and community-based services.

We cut funding for Child Care Services, which oversees Youth Corrections, and also the Circle Program at the Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo. We cut $4,550,000 from their funding, a devastating cut. We also cut $6.3 million for services for those with disabilities at the Regional Centers for People with Disabilities and the community services for the elderly.

I would like to report that we did add some other funding to our education systems, even though we did have to make horrendous cuts. We moved $100 million into the Education Fund. This will help plan for future budget cuts and should allow us to lessen any cuts to education. In SB184, the Amnesty Bill, we will be able to take all funds that come in, which is expected to be $5-$10 million, which we were told is a very modest projection, and put all of it into the education fund. We all voted to fully fund the Counselor Corps Grant Program at $5 million, and we added $22 million just thirty days ago.

These are just a few of the cuts we made; I just wanted to make it very clear that we did not in any way target education. Our K-12 education system is at least 45.6% of our budget, prisons are about 14.1%, human services/health care is 26.9% and higher ed is 9.3%.

Sincerely,

Senator Cheri Jahn

Senator Steven King, SD 7

With three children in school, I have first hand life on the effects of reduced funding. I will tell your coalition the same as my children and their teachers. “I will do my best.”

Steve

Senator Gail Schwartz, SD 5

My constituents are right to be concerned with the proposed cuts to education funding, as they would have a major impact on students, families, educators, and many others across Colorado. One of my constituents, K. Harris from Basalt, voices the concerns shared by many when she writes, “It is not okay that money is being cut from education and at the same time more is required of educators–the extra will take away from planning, professional development and, most importantly, teaching.”

Throughout my career as a senator, I have dedicated significant time and effort to promoting quality education to all Coloradans because our young people all deserve the opportunity to attend high-quality public schools to be better prepared to succeed as they go off to college or start their careers. During my first term as State Senator, I carried the ‘Building Excellent Schools Today’ (BEST) program to ensure that more rural areas of my district and throughout the state have safe and healthy facilities. The work that I have done on education has enabled me to grasp the impact these budget cuts will have on our state, and, like many of you, I am also very concerned. While I am committed to minimizing budget cuts, given the budgetary constraints that Colorado is currently facing, it is likely that that education will have to endure some budget cuts in the upcoming fiscal year. As school districts around my senate district prepare for these serious cuts, I want to understand what measures will be necessary to take to minimize the impact of these cuts on students.

For these reasons I’ve planned a series of “Local School Budget” town halls throughout Senate District Five as a forum for an open conversation on how these education cuts will impact local schools and communities in my district. I am paying close attention to the plans that school districts are developing, and I am committed to working with my colleagues in the legislature to protect our schools in next year’s budget. Stabilizing school funding long term is the best way forward.

Sincerely,

Senator Gail Schwartz

Senator Pat Steadman, SD 31

Dear Great Futures Coalition,

In answer to your questions:

1) YES

2) NO

Sincerely,

Pat Steadman

Representative Lara Bradford, HD 55

1) Yes.

2) No.

Representative Brown, HD 59

1) Yes! Thanks for your concern also! We’ll do what we can.

2) No!

Representative Lois Court, HD 6

Dear Great Education Colorado People:

Thank you for delivering the comments from my constituents with their concerns regarding education funding in Colorado.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. Yes

2. No.

I’m sure you’re aware of the various efforts underway to put a citizen initiative on this fall’s ballot to address the woefully inadequate funding we have available for education and so many other services in our state.

I urge all of you to get involved in these efforts. I’m not sure at this point which specific idea will rise to the top, but it is my sincere hope that whichever one becomes the most viable will achieve wide-spread support in the campaign and in November.

It’s up to you, the citizens of Colorado. What kind of state do you want? I hope we’ll all have an opportunity to answer this question on the ballot this fall.

Thank you for all your efforts for our children.

Sincerely,

Lois Court

State Representative

House District 6

Representative Randy Fischer, HD 53

Dear Great Education Colorado:

Thank you so much for taking the time to contact me with your concerns about the deep cuts proposed for education in the Governor’s 2011/2012 budget.

You asked me if I recognize the impacts that the Governor’s proposed cuts will have on students. The answer is an emphatic “YES”, I am acutely aware of the impacts these cuts would have, not only on students, but on teachers and other educational professionals.

I am aware that Colorado is ranked 49th or 50th in the nation in per capita spending on higher education. I am also aware that recent cuts in K-12 and early-childhood education has resulted in increasingly large class sizes, fewer resources for special-needs students and the lay-offs of thousands of professional educators. On a personal level, my wife spent her entire professional career in high school classrooms in Fort Collins. Her experiences have helped to inform my awareness of the impacts of underfunding education.

You also asked if I find the Governor’s proposed cuts acceptable. The answer is “NO”! I find the proposed cuts to K-12 education unacceptable. However, it is we, the legislature, who crafts the budget bill and who are ultimately responsible for balancing the budget. Please be assured that I will be at the forefront of legislative efforts to prevent deep cuts to education in Colorado. I do not support the Governor’s budget unless serious efforts are made to raise revenue for early-childhood, K-12, and higher education. I ran for office to strengthen Colorado’s education funding, not to slash it.

Colorado is at a critical juncture. I believe the legislature must take decisive action this year to address the structural problems in our state budget. We will need the support of educators to be able to accomplish this. Thanks, again, for your comments about education and Colorado’s budget crisis.

Best wishes,

Randy Fischer

State Representative

House District 53

Representative Deb Gardner, HD 11

Thanks for your letter concerning the state of education funding in Colorado.

I’ve read the concerns of the many petitioners whose stories you included, and am happy to answer the two questions you and they pose:

1) Do I recognize the effect that reduced funding is having on students – preschool through higher ed? And

2) Is it OK with me?

Here is my answer:

I am painfully aware of the effect that reduced funding is having on students.

As we all know, we’re facing budget cuts that will have an impact on all kinds of programs around the state and, even if I have to consider them, most of them are definitely not okay with me. However, the last place I want to cut funding is in the area of education – for both moral and practical reasons. Not only do our kids deserve the best education we can give them, our State deserves an educated workforce As well, I know how hard teachers work, and how much they care about providing kids with the best education possible, and I care deeply about their ability to do their jobs to the best of their ability, and to be properly compensated for their dedication.

Sincerely,

Deb Gardner

State Representative

House District 11

Representative Dickie Lee Hullinghorst, HD 10

I thank you for the delivery of the packet of letters from constituents concerned about the current and future state of education in Colorado. I learned a lot from those letters, as well as from the Town Halls, District Coffees, and Budget Listening Tour I have been involved in since the start of this legislative session.

You should know that I believe firmly that education is an investment in our future and that the General Assembly should prevent as much cutting as possible in this area. I know that your children are getting less time with their teachers because class sizes have grown and that things are looking bleak in the near term. It is clear that informed Coloradans want those of us that serve in the legislature to exert leadership in trying to find solutions to our budget shortfalls that impact education funding as little as possible.

We Democrats in the state legislature will fight to prevent deeper cuts to education, in part through assuring that unnecessary revenue reductions are minimized, particularly special interest give-backs in the form of corporate tax incentives. I assure you that, as the General Assembly tackles the budget in the coming weeks, my Democratic colleagues and I will be fighting for the priorities that you have laid out for us.

I encourage you to stay involved. Call or email me, and continue to follow this debate in the press. Also, I encourage those supporters in House District 10 to attend one of my upcoming Town Halls or District Coffees. Details on future events can be found on my website at dickeylee.net.

Thanks to you and your organization for the work you do to assure that Colorado stays an exceptional place to live and grow.

Sincerely yours,

Dickey Lee Hullinghorst

Colorado State Representative

House District 10

Representative Matt Jones, HD 12

1) Yes.

2) No, not OK with me.

Representative John Kefalas, HD 52

1) Reduced state funding for P-20 education is having a significantly negative impact on students and learning. I will do all in my power to minimize cuts to education and mitigate the impacts. I will also work hard to solve our structural deficit budget problems.

2) Obviously, this is not ok with me.

Representative Andy Kerr, HD 26

It is not OK.

Colorado should support world class schools, but instead of making a sound investment in our future, we let our education spending drop near the bottom of the rankings. As we cut further, we push away the opportunity to be a magnet for business and innovation. We starve our workforce development, and every bad choice we make today leaves our children less prepared to make good choices tomorrow.

I was a middle school teacher before I came to the legislature. They are two different jobs, but I continue to fight for the same goal. In both the classroom and the committee room, I focus on the job at hand in order to prepare for a successful future. The future I want for Colorado is one filled with thriving schools, universities, businesses and families. It is a generational challenge, and it is a challenge we will fail unless we prepare the way now.

This is not the first economic downturn we have faced, and it won’t be our last. Knowing that, we need to ask, how can we soften the dips and how do we speed the recoveries? Every correct answer must include supporting quality public education. Without cultivating all our students, we can’t build an environment that attracts business to our state, or one that grows cutting edge companies right here within our borders.

I will fight to reduce the damage caused by our current budget crisis, but no matter how we resolve this year’s issues, the structural budget problem will remain. Ultimately, the people of Colorado must come together and decide who we are as a state, what programs we want and how we will fund them. We can’t cut our way to a balanced budget that still provides needed services. Part of the conversation needs to include revenues. As a legislator, TABOR only allows me to address half of the problem. I applaud Great Education Colorado and citizen groups like it across our state, for looking at the full picture.

Together, we have the choice of funding our schools, or losing a generation of opportunities. I am a father of three. How do I feel about failing to support our kids and the future of Colorado? I would say it is one hundred percent not OK!

Andy Kerr

State Representative: HD 26

200 E. Colfax Ave., Room 271

Denver, CO 80203

(303) 866-2923

andy.kerr.house@state.co.us

Representative Jeanne Labuda, HD 1

1) Yes!

2) NO!

Representative Pete Lee, HD 18

1) Yes

2) No

We cannot let the next generation bear the brunt of our current fiscal situation – the price we risk paying is in missed opportunity. I have always supported public schools, and have heard from my constituents who reaffirmed that education is their priority. I will continue to work to minimize cuts to our schools.

Representative Claire Levy, HD 13

Dear Great Futures Coalition and Great Education Colorado,

I received a packet of materials last week with messages from people all over Colorado expressing concern about the prospect of cutting education budgets. You asked me as a member of the General Assembly to answer two questions: do I recognize the effect that reduced funding is having on students and is this effect okay with me.

I certainly do recognize the effect our dire financial condition is having on students and it is absolutely NOT okay with me.

What’s more, it is time to stop talking as if there is nothing that can be done about this situation. We cannot control the weather but we can control whether we provide our children with a high quality education.

Thank you for sharing thoughts from real people who are feeling first-hand the effects of the cuts the legislature has already imposed. We need to hear those thoughts and the general public simply must know that this is not just a theoretical problem. It affects our children and our future.

Claire Levy

State Representative

House District 13

303-866-2578 (capitol)

Representative Joe Miklosi, HD 9

Dear Great Ed:

Thank you for sending me the thousands of your comments and for the opportunity to communicate with your organization. We need to change the way we fund kindergarten – college education in Colorado. The current system is simply not adequate enough to prepare our students to compete and win in an ever-changing, global economy. The cuts that have been proposed are simply not acceptable and I will do everything I can to ensure that the cuts are reduced. One idea I am contemplating is creating a statewide college opportunity fund to empower every deserving student to attend one of our colleges or universities so they can achieve their unique version of the American Dream.

Representative Joe Miklosi

303-866-2910

Representative Dan Pabon, HD 4

Great Futures Colorado Coalition and Great Education Colorado,

I want to thank you for sharing your concerns regarding to cuts to education in Colorado. I agree with you that cutting $286 million from education is NOT acceptable. I recognize the impact will be felt for years to come.

I ran on protecting education, and I plan on keeping my promise to the voters. I am actively working to find innovative solutions to reduce the burden on our kids and ensure every child has access to a top quality teacher and a top quality school.

Providing our children with a good education is our obligation as a state and an investment in our future. We need an educated workforce to remain competitive in the global economy.

As never before, we face difficult times. We still must balance the budget but we have fewer resources to work with – federal stimulus dollars have run out and there are no more places to move money around.

I will continue to work for solutions and to minimize the impact on our families and communities and look forward to continuing to hearing from you as we work together to fund education.

Representative Dan Pabon

House District 4

(303) 866-2954

Representative Cherylin Peniston, HD 35

1) Yes, I absolutely do recognize the effects. They will be devastating. I know this because I am a retired public school teacher (27 yrs.) and former president of the WEA (the Westminster Education Assoc., a local of the CEA)

2) No, of course not. Myself and my caucus are dedicated to reducing the amount of the cuts currently proposed.

Thanks for speaking up,

Rep. Cherylin Peniston

Representative Sue Schafer, HD 24

I do not support the Senate budget with the cuts to K-12 and higher ed. As a teacher and adjunct professor I do understand the impact on students, educators, community and the Colorado workforce. I am looking for other revenue to reduce the cuts in both K-12 and higher ed.

Sue Schafer

Representative Ken Summers, HD 22

1) Yes.

2) Cuts to education are always difficult and the last to be made.

Representative Nancy Todd, HD 41

Yes I a very aware of the drastic impact that cuts to education are making. As a former teacher I will continue to do all I can to keep cuts away from k-12 ed in Colorado. I have the stacks of letters on my desk to remind me of those strong supporters of k-12 public ed in our state.

Rep Nancy Todd

Representative Angela Williams, HD 7

Dear Colorado Education Supporters,

In answer to your questions:

1) YES

2) NO

I ran on protecting education, and I plan on keeping my promise to the voters in my district. As the budget makes its way to the House next week, I will work to find innovative solutions to reduce the burden on our kids and ensure every child has access to a top quality teacher and a top quality school.

My priority as a legislator is to ensure that the children of Colorado have a bright future. Providing our kids with a good education is our obligation as a state and an investment in our future. We need an educated workforce to remain competitive in the global economy.

I know that times are tough, but how we respond is a test of who we are as Coloradans, and we simply cannot afford to balance the budget on the backs of our schools, our kids, and our teachers. I will work hard to find innovative ideas that alleviates the burden on our kids.

Sincerely,

Representative Angela Williams

House District 07

Office: 303-866-2909

Representative Roger Wilson, HD 61

1) Yes

2) NO!

On March 14, 2011, the Great Futures Colorado Coalition delivered over 5,200 signatures and thousands of stories and comments telling our state legislators that poor education funding is NOT OK with us! Click here to sign.

With your help, we made sure that as many state leaders as possible answered our questions.  Click here to view their responses.

Press Coverage from Letter Delivery:

CLICK HERE FOR GREAT FUTURES LETTER DELIVERY NEWS RELEASE

CBS 4 Denver, Letter Opposing Colorado Education Cuts Signed by Over 5,200

9 News, Parents hand-deliver worries  about school budget cuts to lawmakers

Fox 31 News, Parents deliver letter to lawmakers over education cuts

Denver Daily News, ‘OK’ with K-12 cuts? Education supporters ask lawmakers if they are ‘OK’ with damage caused by K-12 cuts

KUNC Radio, Education Advocates Urge Lawmakers Against Making Funding Cuts

The Associated Press, Letter Opposing Colo. Ed Cuts Signed by over 5,200

Telluride Daily Planet, Opposition to school cuts mounts across state

March 14, 2011

Public Education Supporters Bring Reality to the Capitol

Message to State Leaders: “Severe Multi-year Education Cuts are NOT OK

with us.  Are they OK with you?”

Great Futures reps, and parents deliver “Is it OK?” signature and story packets at the state capitol Monday.  Constituents delivered 5,200 stories and thousands of stories to state leaders about the impact of poor education funding.

DENVER, Colo. – Conveying a growing concern and urgency about the impact of multi-year cuts on Colorado’s students, public education supporters today delivered a letter to state leaders signed by over 5,200 Coloradoans.  The letter calls on legislators to declare publicly whether they recognize the damage done by cuts and whether they are “OK” with that reality, and was also accompanied by thousands of comments and stories about the local impact of recent cuts.

“We were overwhelmed by the outpouring of comments and stories,” said Lisa Weil, Director of Policy and Communication for Great Education Colorado, which created the online letter in conjunction with the Great Futures Colorado coalition.  “These are the words of folks who want to remind state leaders that a year of lost educational opportunity can never be fully recovered.”

The stories, from over 200 communities across the state, describe the impact cuts are having on classrooms, students and families.  Stories include:

• Parents watching their children’s performance slide with the decline of individual attention due to increasing class size (often in the 30s or 40s) or the loss of special ed or gifted and talented programming;
• Parents concerned about the loss of art, music, physical education, foreign languages and other parts of a well-rounded education;
• English classes where students must read assignments during class because there are not enough books to take home, and chemistry classes that are too crowded to safely permit hands-on lab experiments;
• Rural districts unable to retain teachers or provide all the coursework necessary for college entrance;
• Teachers with 20^th century technology being asked to teach to 21^st century standards;
• Parents dismayed that out-of-state tuition at colleges in other states costs less than in-state tuition in Colorado.

A representative sample of the stories can be viewed here.

“We need to make sure that state leaders inside the Capitol become more directly aware of the urgency of the problem,” said Lynn Huizing, President of the Colorado PTA, a member of the Great Futures Colorado coalition.  “With the cuts proposed this year, we are going off a cliff that we’ve all known was coming for over two years now, and yet there is still no plan to stop the fall, much less one to start climbing back up.”

“It’s time to change the conversation,” stated Ricardo Martinez, Executive Director of Padres Unidos, a Great Futures partner.  “Right now it’s all about numbers – ‘how much do we have to cut this year?’  We hope leaders will take this letter and these stories to heart, and start talking in earnest about how we are going to change direction.  Our kids can’t wait.”

The text of the letter is as follows:

Dear State Leaders:

As citizens of Colorado, we want you to know that the way our state is funding education is simply not OK. Colorado’s failure to provide necessary resources to our schools, colleges and universities is endangering the future of our students, communities, and economy.

We request that you read our stories about the lack of adequate education resources and that you respond to these two questions:

1) Do you recognize the effect that reduced funding is having on students — preschool through higher ed? and

2) Is it OK with you?

We know you have difficult decisions ahead, and we honor your service. What we seek is an open conversation about the real consequences of poor funding for education.

Legislators were asked to respond to the questions via email, Facebook or U.S. mail.  Responses will be posted at  www.greatfuturescolorado.org.

Great Futures Colorado is a growing and diverse coalition of organizations that informs the public about the need for an education system – preschool through higher ed – that will prepare all students for the challenges of the 21st century. Together, the Coalition advocates for the investment necessary to implement that vision for Colorado.

###

The Great Futures Coalition formed in January 2010 and is celebrating its first birthday as a Coalition of now 30 organizations. Great Futures is always expanding and looking to encompass more and more of the groups who understand the importance of a quality education for all of Colorado students from preschool through college.

Here’s a look at our “Top Ten” after just one year of existence:

1. Together, we collected and delivered over 2,600 petition signatures to legislators including more than 1,000 stories documenting the impact of cuts on Colorado’s students and economy.
2. Notable Quote from Don Beard, Superintendent of Pritchett School District (Member of Colorado Rural Schools Caucus) on why the Great Futures Coalition is important for Colorado: “The future of Colorado’s schools must be predicated on the need of all students, from the smallest single school community to the largest multi-school districts; all students must be provided a quality education.  Colorado can simply not afford anything less.”
3. Great Futures called on the legislature to refer a Measure (DECIDE: Education Cuts or Invest in our Democracy and Economy) to the November 2010 ballot, so Colorado voters could have the opportunity to prevent even deeper cuts to Colorado’s schools, colleges and universities.  After thousands of emails, phone calls, and eloquent testimony from education supporters, DECIDE passed three Committees, but unfortunately failed to reach the Ballot.
4. Great Futures garnered two extraordinary Opinion Pieces from the Greeley Tribune and Denver Post Editorial Boards, and over 30 media stories about cuts to education, the DECIDE measure, and its broad and diverse support.
5. A Great Futures Guest Commentary made it to the pages of the Denver Post on the closing days of the 2010 Legislative Session.
6. The Coalition submitted an Open Letter to Colorado Voters through the Media and using online tools, which was signed by hundreds of supporters declaring: “We, the undersigned, are parents and grandparents. We are Republicans, Democrats and unaffiliated voters; businesspeople, clergy, professionals, students and educators; we are rural, urban, suburban, P-12 and higher ed.  We are the public education supporters of Colorado and we will not let another year pass without giving Colorado voters the opportunity to provide a better legacy for our children.”
7. We launched our first Coalition video, showing the public the voices and faces of the Great Futures Coalition.
8. In the Summer and Fall of 2010, Great Futures helped to defeat three anti-education ballot measures — Amendments 60 & 61, and Proposition 101 — with strong numbers.  We informed tens of thousands of Colorado voters about the realities of deep cuts to education, and the potential impact that the “Bad Three” could have had on Colorado’s students.
9. In helping defeat 60, 61, and 101, the Coalition developed online outreach tools, and implemented a postcard voter contact program that harnessed over 6,000 volunteer hours to reach more than 40,000 voters two to three times each.
10. Following the election, Great Futures convened over 50 preschool, K-12, and higher education groups to discuss how and what we need to do next in order to reinvest in our local schools, colleges, and universities moving forward.

Great Futures is looking ahead to more years of educating and advocating on the road to better investment in Colorado’s students.  We hope that your local community group will join the Coalition, and that you will stay informed about our work through bi-monthly news updates about education funding, that also provide easy ways to take action.

In the Summer and Fall of 2010, the Great Futures coalition worked together to inform organization members, local communities and Colorado voters about the potential impact of Amendments 60 & 61, and Proposition 101 on Colorado’s schools, colleges and universities.  The coalition developed online outreach tools and implemented a postcard voter contact program that harnessed over 6,000 volunteer hours to reach more than 40,000 voters two to three times each.

Moreover, coalition members made over 125 presentations not only to educate about the impact of 60, 61 and 101, but also to raise awareness of the impact that Colorado’s already dire financial situation is having on our students and economy.

ARCHIVED Amendment 60, 61 and Proposition 101 Information and Action …

Take Action:

Great Futures’ “One-Stop Shop”  to Defeat Amends. 60, 61, and Prop. 101

Urge your local school or college board to adopt a resolution opposing Amendments 60, 61, and Prop 101!  Who has already taken a resolution? Click here.

Use our resolution asking your community group to oppose 60, 61, and 101.

Information:

Print a one-page information sheet. En Español

Print a Wallet Card! (Note: 8 per page, double-sided using Avery #5390 cardstock) En Español

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AMENDMENTS 60, 61, and PROPOSITION 101 SUMMARIES:

Great futures start with a great education, but even mediocre education will be impossible in Colorado, if Amendments 60, 61, or Proposition 101 pass.  Here’s why:

Background Information: In 2007, Colorado ranked 40^th in the nation in K-12 education funding, spending $1,397 per student below the national average.  And in 2008, Colorado was 48^th in the nation for our higher education spending per capita.  Since then, school districts have endured cuts averaging over $400 per student, with worse yet to come. Meanwhile, colleges and universities anticipate cuts of at least $56 million in state aid and rising tuition rates by up to 9% each year through 2015-16. This is the context in which Colorado faces the following three ballot initiatives – each designed to reduce spending for public services, including education.

Proposition 101

A statutory provision that would reduce several state and local government revenue sources including car registration, license fees, the income tax rate, and phone bill taxes.  If passed, the measure would:

• Cut the state income tax rate over time down to 3.5% from the current 4.63%.
• Severely reduce the primary state revenue stream for higher ed and K-12 schools – the state income tax
• Reduce several car ownership taxes and fees, including:
  • Cutting “specific ownership” taxes to $2 for new cars and $1 for used cars, which is a 98% cut from 2009 levels.
  • Resulting in a funding cut of $250 million for K-12 education, which in Pueblo County School District, for example, would mean $158 less per student.
  • Reducing license fees back to 1919 levels of a $10 flat rate, cutting support for transportation
• Eliminate all state and local telecommunications charges except for 911

SUMMARY: If Proposition 101 passed on top of the already deep state budget cuts to public services, our state and local governments would lose over $2 billion per year by the time the measure was fully implemented.

Amendment 60

A constitutional amendment that would cut local property taxes in half and void local “de-brucing” elections, without providing any mechanism for replacing those funds. If passed, Amendment 60 would:

• Cut local property taxes for schools in half by 2020 – REDUCING local FUNDING by $1.22 billion – and would require the state budget to replace lost local revenue.  However, after $3 billion in budget cuts from 2008-10, the state government has no source of funds to replace the lost local revenues.
• Reverse local “de-brucing” elections in the 98% of Colorado school districts, where voters have chosen to let schools keep revenue above the constitutional “TABOR” limit.
• Require many colleges and universities to pay property tax for the first time.
• Allow individuals to initiate local ballot measures to cut mill levies. This means that public school supporters would have to fight efforts to cut local support for education.

SUMMARY: If passed in November, Amendment 60 would overturn the will of local voters, and lead to massive cuts and fees for our public schools, colleges, and universities.

Amendment 61

A constitutional amendment that would prohibit state debt or loans of any kind, and would make it more difficult for local districts to bond to build, repair or improve school buildings. If passed, Amendment 61 would:

• Make Colorado the only state in the nation that is prohibited from using debt to finance capital projects, including schools, higher education buildings and roads.  (This is the equivalent of prohibiting families from purchasing a house until they could pay the whole price upfront, without a mortgage).
• End the “Build Excellent Schools Today” program which has so far financed 63 projects to address critical health and safety needs in schools around the state.
• Prevent higher education construction for projects like the Anschutz Medical Center, and the recent modernization of the Auraria Campus – which generates jobs and local economic activity.
• End the state’s interest-free, short-term loan program for school districts.  Those loans ease cash flow problems that result from the timing of property tax payments.  The end of the loan program could result in a March – November school year in some school districts, causing massive disruptions to Advanced Placement courses and fall sports programs.
• Puts stringent restrictions on the ability of school districts to bond.

SUMMARY: If passed by Colorado voters, Amendment 61 would eliminate the state’s ability to address the health and safety of Colorado students, to invest in higher ed and transportation infrastructure, or to compete with other states for businesses and the jobs they create.

TOTAL IMPACT

If passed by Colorado voters, Amendment 60, 61 and Proposition 101 would slash our state and local government services by at least $2.5 billion.  This would result in even deeper cuts to education from preschool through higher education (and all other public services), causing a rapid acceleration in the current trend toward increased class sizes, elimination of educational opportunities such as classroom technology and textbooks, sports, summer school, after-school enrichment programs, and professional development for teachers.  Click here to find out how much would be lost in your local school district if Amendment 60, Amendment 61, and Proposition 101 pass on the November 2010 ballot (Source: www.lookingforwardcolorado.com).

Click here to get updates about Amendment 60, 61, and Proposition 101 and other education funding news.