We started our first day of work on the floor of the house today debating a meaningless partisan resolution to call a constitutional convention. This “Letter to Santa Claus” is a clear waste of our time while doing nothing of value to improve education or create jobs in Colorado.  One of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle moments before the debate told me directly that the sole purpose of this exercise is to get the Democrats on record opposing it!  Instead of working collaboratively to move Colorado forward we are seeing partisan politics focused on an agenda that is too extreme for Colorado.

Continuing to Focus on Education

When I talk to folks in our community, I almost always hear them talk about how important it is for us to provide a quality education for our kids. In my years so far at the legislature, it has always been a focus of mine as well. And even though my youngest child is 28 years old, I’ve been getting back involved in neighborhood schools and I’ve been attending PTA and PTO meetings all over the district over the last several months.

It’s always impressive to see the enthusiasm and support of the most active parents, and it helps me realize how much of an influence parents have over their child’s education. Our schools reflect the communities in which they are located, and we can see how some communities really have a tough time supporting their local schools. So if you care as deeply about education as I do, contact your neighborhood school and volunteer to help out! There are opportunities to tutor kids or help out with various other things. You can make a big difference in your community.

Jeffco Public Schools – Community Budget Forum

While we’re seeing some signs of the economy turning around, we’re not yet able to start restoring funding to our schools. Jeffco Public Schools are still figuring out how to deal with a $70 million budget cut over the next two years (2012-2014). The Citizens’ Budget Advisory Council has developed a prioritized list of suggestions for reductions; the list is the result of hundreds of community members and staff working since the fall to identify the suggestions for reductions.

Members of the Jefferson County Board of Education will be hosting community budget forums in several locations, and all interested community members are invited to attend.  Keep in mind that no final decisions about the budget have been made. 

When: Saturday, January 28, 2012, 9:00-10:30am

Where:

Arvada High School

Columbine High School

Evergreen High School

Ralston Valley High School

Bear Creek High School