House Bill 24-1363, one of the most reprehensible anti-charter bills ever introduced in Colorado, was defeated outright in the House Education Committee last week. All five Democrats and three Republicans voted against the bill, while three Democrats voted for it.
The 55-page bill included provisions aimed at weakening or even eliminating charter schools, Colorado’s more than 260 autonomous public schools. Both bill sponsors said the bill is not about closing charter schools, but about accountability and transparency. While listening to the hearing, some may have wondered if they had read their bill or understood Colorado’s charter school law.
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If adopted, the bill would give public school districts with declining enrollment the power to cancel charter schools. This is a significant concern, given that declining enrollment is a pervasive trend in Colorado and nationally. Nearly one-third of all charter schools are located in school districts with declining enrollment, making them potentially at risk.
The bill would have eliminated a second charter appeal to the Colorado State Board of Education and left the final decision on whether a new charter school opens or current school contracts are renewed with school districts. In 1993, Gov. Roy Romer (D) told the House and Senate Consultative Committee that he was pleased that the commission had preserved the State Board of Education’s authority to override local school boards’ decisions to establish charter schools. He said there was.
Interestingly, the bill’s sponsors didn’t seem to understand what charter schools were already legally required to do. One sponsor argued that charter schools do not have accountability committees, even though they are legally required to have one. Another provision of the law requires charter schools to post state law exemptions on their websites, a requirement that already exists. Additionally, one of the sponsors falsely claimed that charter schools have no obligation to be financially transparent, which is simply not true.
HB 24-1363 is not the first significant attack on charter schools, and it will not be the last. The bill’s sponsors, who appear to be primarily former anti-charter school legislators, remain true to their mission of eradicating charter schools as viable public alternatives to traditional public schools. This enthusiasm may be due to the fact that Colorado’s charter schools are not unionized and teachers are not required to hold a state-approved teaching license. In 2007, one of these former members wrote to another: They deserve it! ”
There is a divide between Democrats who do not support charter schools and those who do. Charter schools are public schools that must meet academic standards and conduct state assessments. Socialist Democrats and the Old Guard have different views on public school choice than many other Democrats.
When Colorado’s charter school bill was passed in 1993, it was a demonstration of bipartisan cooperation. The bill was proposed by then-Republican Sen. Bill Owens and the late Democratic Rep. Peggy Kearns. Democratic Governor Romer supports this bill, and its passage deserves great praise. He knew that school districts didn’t like the idea of charter schools, but he also knew that the public education system needed reform and that creating autonomous public schools was a worthwhile risk. I was there.
The late David Devlin, co-founder of the Independence Institute, also played a key role in passing the Charter Act. David was passionate about providing more educational options for his families and provided the intellectual ammunition to support policy change. His Institute of Independence continues David’s unwavering commitment to public charter schools and parent choice.
This war will never end, so charter school supporters must remain vigilant, strengthen our forces, and remain vigilant. Parents need to recognize the fragility of school choice and keep that in mind every time they sit down to mark their ballot.
Pam Benigno is director of the Center on Education Policy at the Independence Institute. She is the co-author of “On the Road to Innovation: Colorado Charter School Law Celebrates 20 Years.”
