CLAIM: Money raised is dedicated to school funding.
FACT: Money is in fact not dedicated to school funding.
There are no guarantees that this money will ever reach classrooms to benefit our hardworking teachers and students.
FACT: Money is in fact not dedicated to school funding.
There are no guarantees that this money will ever reach classrooms to benefit our hardworking teachers and students.
CLAIM: We’ll be raising almost a billion dollars for underfunded schools
FACT: There are absolutely no guarantees in the proposal that money will land in the classrooms for teachers and students.
FACT: There are absolutely no guarantees in the proposal that money will land in the classrooms for teachers and students.
CLAIM: With Amendment 66, class sizes will be smaller.
FACT: There are no guarantees that these funds will ever reach classrooms to benefit our students and hardworking teachers.
FACT: There are no guarantees that these funds will ever reach classrooms to benefit our students and hardworking teachers.
CLAIM: With Amendment 66, Colorado students will excel with more opportunities and smaller class sizes
FACT: There are no guarantees that this Amendment will reach classrooms, and more money does not automatically equal better results.
Many districts are performing great with current funding levels – Cherry Creek’s CFO, Guy Belleville, testified in Senate Education Committee to that fact. Another example – Washington, D.C.’s public school system spends the most per pupil in the country at $29,409, but have consistently been one of the worst-performing public school systems in the country.
During debate in the General Assembly, Republicans put forth amendments to tie funding to student performance, in order to encourage reform, innovation and improvement in student performance. Sen. Johnston said that he considered an idea like this while crafting the bill, but discarded it because it creates “perverse” incentives. In other words, it creates competition which unions have consistently opposed despite proven results. Just giving schools more money with no strings attached will not improve the public education system.
FACT: There are no guarantees that this Amendment will reach classrooms, and more money does not automatically equal better results.
Many districts are performing great with current funding levels – Cherry Creek’s CFO, Guy Belleville, testified in Senate Education Committee to that fact. Another example – Washington, D.C.’s public school system spends the most per pupil in the country at $29,409, but have consistently been one of the worst-performing public school systems in the country.
During debate in the General Assembly, Republicans put forth amendments to tie funding to student performance, in order to encourage reform, innovation and improvement in student performance. Sen. Johnston said that he considered an idea like this while crafting the bill, but discarded it because it creates “perverse” incentives. In other words, it creates competition which unions have consistently opposed despite proven results. Just giving schools more money with no strings attached will not improve the public education system.
CLAIM: Amendment 66 will help restore the programs and extracurricular activities, like gym and music classes, that were lost due to budget cuts.
FACT: There is nothing in the bill to guarantee that the money will go to the classroom.
In past years the state’s education fund has been raided to cover deficits when needed. There is also nothing preventing it from funding PERA (the Public Employees’ Retirement Association), which is $20 billion in debt. There is also nothing in the bill that actually provides for extracurricular activities.
FACT: There is nothing in the bill to guarantee that the money will go to the classroom.
In past years the state’s education fund has been raided to cover deficits when needed. There is also nothing preventing it from funding PERA (the Public Employees’ Retirement Association), which is $20 billion in debt. There is also nothing in the bill that actually provides for extracurricular activities.
CLAIM: Amendment 66 will hold teachers and principals them accountable for student achievement.
FACT: There are no measures in the bill that hold anyone accountable for achievement.
We can all agree that great teachers and principals are an important classroom factor for student’s success. Our best educators should be rewarded and we should help them be successful. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the bill that ensures money will go to the classroom.
Teacher and Leadership Investment (TLI) should actually invest in improving teacher and school leader effectiveness; however much of it goes to administrative and overhead costs for teachers, not students, and is thus not tied to any sort of achievement/performance measure.
During debate in the General Assembly, Republicans put forth several amendments that included increasing starting teacher’s salaries in order to recruit and retain the best and the brightest candidates, increasing teacher’s salaries for those teaching a high-percentage of at-risk students, and to add a teacher-in-residency program to give student teachers more classroom time. All would have improved the quality of schools and teachers, and all, unfortunately, were voted down by the Democrats.
FACT: There are no measures in the bill that hold anyone accountable for achievement.
We can all agree that great teachers and principals are an important classroom factor for student’s success. Our best educators should be rewarded and we should help them be successful. Unfortunately, there is nothing in the bill that ensures money will go to the classroom.
Teacher and Leadership Investment (TLI) should actually invest in improving teacher and school leader effectiveness; however much of it goes to administrative and overhead costs for teachers, not students, and is thus not tied to any sort of achievement/performance measure.
During debate in the General Assembly, Republicans put forth several amendments that included increasing starting teacher’s salaries in order to recruit and retain the best and the brightest candidates, increasing teacher’s salaries for those teaching a high-percentage of at-risk students, and to add a teacher-in-residency program to give student teachers more classroom time. All would have improved the quality of schools and teachers, and all, unfortunately, were voted down by the Democrats.
CLAIM: Schools will have the resources to provide more classroom time.
FACT: There are no guarantees that this money will ever reach classrooms.
FACT: There are no guarantees that this money will ever reach classrooms.
CLAIM: Graduates with real-world technology experience are positioned to get better jobs in today’s market.
FACT: Instituting a permanent, billion-dollar per year tax increase will make Colorado a less attractive place to live, work, and invest. NFIB, the voice of small business, overwhelmingly voted (96%) to not support this measure. Ninety-two percent of all businesses in Colorado file and are taxed as individuals and would be impacted by the tax increase. Small businesses will have fewer dollars with which to create jobs.
Additionally, Colorado’s reputation as a low-tax, business-friendly state has declined. Colorado fell from 16th in 2012 to 18th in 2013 on The Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index. Colorado fell from 25th in 2008 to 37th in 2013 on CNBC’s Cost of Doing Business Index.
While we agree that our children should be prepared for the future, there are no guarantees that these funds would benefit children or give them the skills they need for life.
FACT: Instituting a permanent, billion-dollar per year tax increase will make Colorado a less attractive place to live, work, and invest. NFIB, the voice of small business, overwhelmingly voted (96%) to not support this measure. Ninety-two percent of all businesses in Colorado file and are taxed as individuals and would be impacted by the tax increase. Small businesses will have fewer dollars with which to create jobs.
Additionally, Colorado’s reputation as a low-tax, business-friendly state has declined. Colorado fell from 16th in 2012 to 18th in 2013 on The Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index. Colorado fell from 25th in 2008 to 37th in 2013 on CNBC’s Cost of Doing Business Index.
While we agree that our children should be prepared for the future, there are no guarantees that these funds would benefit children or give them the skills they need for life.
CLAIM: Amendment 66 will make for better communities.
FACT: We agree that education is a good investment, but this proposal fails to provide reforms needed in order for our education system to become top-notch.
The proponents of Amendment 66 are against real school-choice, success-based metrics and guarantees that parents deserve to know that funds will go directly to parents and students in the classroom. Without these components of real school reform we will not see the top-notch schools that are essential to a strong state.
FACT: We agree that education is a good investment, but this proposal fails to provide reforms needed in order for our education system to become top-notch.
The proponents of Amendment 66 are against real school-choice, success-based metrics and guarantees that parents deserve to know that funds will go directly to parents and students in the classroom. Without these components of real school reform we will not see the top-notch schools that are essential to a strong state.
CLAIM: Improving high school graduation rates leads to lower unemployment, reduced social service needs and higher property values.
FACT: This amendment fails to include any of the real reforms necessary to deliver a high-quality education for our children.
Forty percent of the state’s high school graduates need remedial classes once they enter college. This is unacceptable. Colorado’s public schools are not adequately preparing our children for college or for success in life. Our children deserve better. If the amendment’s proponents were truly committed to a world-class education system, they wouldn’t offer the largest income tax in the state’s history without genuine reform measures.
FACT: This amendment fails to include any of the real reforms necessary to deliver a high-quality education for our children.
Forty percent of the state’s high school graduates need remedial classes once they enter college. This is unacceptable. Colorado’s public schools are not adequately preparing our children for college or for success in life. Our children deserve better. If the amendment’s proponents were truly committed to a world-class education system, they wouldn’t offer the largest income tax in the state’s history without genuine reform measures.
CLAIM: Students will graduate from high school ready for college or for the workforce.
FACT: There are no guarantees that these funds will reach classrooms, nor are there any genuine reform measures in this amendment.
NFIB, the voice of small business, overwhelmingly voted (96%) to not support this measure. Ninety-two percent of all businesses in Colorado file and are taxed as individuals and would be impacted by the tax increase. Small businesses will have fewer dollars with which to create jobs.
Additionally, Colorado’s reputation as a low-tax, business-friendly state has declined. Colorado fell from 16th in 2012 to 18th in 2013 on The Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index. Colorado fell from 25th in 2008 to 37th in 2013 on CNBC’s Cost of Doing Business Index.
While we agree that our children should be prepared for the future, there are no guarantees that these funds would benefit children or give them the skills they need for life.
FACT: There are no guarantees that these funds will reach classrooms, nor are there any genuine reform measures in this amendment.
NFIB, the voice of small business, overwhelmingly voted (96%) to not support this measure. Ninety-two percent of all businesses in Colorado file and are taxed as individuals and would be impacted by the tax increase. Small businesses will have fewer dollars with which to create jobs.
Additionally, Colorado’s reputation as a low-tax, business-friendly state has declined. Colorado fell from 16th in 2012 to 18th in 2013 on The Tax Foundation’s Business Tax Climate Index. Colorado fell from 25th in 2008 to 37th in 2013 on CNBC’s Cost of Doing Business Index.
While we agree that our children should be prepared for the future, there are no guarantees that these funds would benefit children or give them the skills they need for life.