Expert argues Colorado Democrats' seek to undercut ‘bipartisan’ legacy, 'move backwards' on education reform

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Expert warns Colorado's legacy of bipartisan education reform, school choice is doomed

American Federation For Children senior fellow Shaka Mitchell discusses a new Colorado bill to check charter schools would be a 'move backwards' of successful education and bipartisan reform in the state.

American Federation For Children senior fellow Shaka Mitchell told Fox News Digital that the recent introduction of a new charter school accountability bill could undermine the successful education reform Colorado has seen for decades.

"Colorado should be really proud that they have had bipartisan support of education reform for decades, and that really made all the difference," Mitchell told Fox News Digital. "Education isn't inherently a partisan thing." 

Mitchell explained that while school choice has been adopted by the GOP platform, compounding the Colorado Democratic Party's care for "the unique needs of individual children" fostered bipartisan efforts in education reform.

"What better way to meet those needs than through educational choice? So, Colorado's really benefited from that ethos for a number of years. You saw lots of charter schools get started, particularly in the early 2000s," he said.

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Colorado State Capitol in Denver. (Photo by: John Greim/Loop Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images) (Getty Images)

"But now there's a movement to not just stop all that progress, but move backwards and force everybody back into a conventional zoned public school," Mitchell warned. 

Mitchell’s comments came after he wrote an op-ed in which he stated, "30 years of charter school work could be undone" and that HB24-1363, also called the Charter School Accountability bill, would "squander Colorado’s educational legacy."

Three Democratic state lawmakers, Reps. Lorena Garcia, Tammy Story, and Senator Lisa Cutter introduced the Charter Schools Accountability legislation in an effort to place a series of checks and balances on charter school operators.

"Much to the chagrin of Representatives Lorena Garcia, Tammy Story, and Senator Lisa Cutter, Coloradans should be proud of the 30-year history of charter schools in the state," Mitchell wrote. "Charters schools exist in all four corners of the state and have brought innovation to communities that would have otherwise lacked a range of educational options."

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"Nevertheless, sponsors of HB24-1363 must think educators, parents, and community members will either fail to read the bill’s provisions or are incapable of seeing it for what it is—a brazen attack on charter schools, the educators that operate them, and the thousands of families that benefit from these schools."

Charter schools are unique institutions as they are publicly funded and independently run, meaning they are not subject to state regulation in the same way as traditional public schools. Furthermore, charter schools have more flexibility and control over what happens at the school compared to public schools that operate under a more centralized structure. Traditional public schools are governed by a school district board and a superintendent who holds executive power.  

For instance, a charter school is free to do "site-based hiring and firing," as opposed to public schools.

The measure would give "community members" power and representation on decisions related to governing and restricting charter schools. The bill further dictates that an appointed authority of a charter school’s governing body ensures "one-third of the board is comprised of parents or legal guardians of students who are enrolled in the charter school and people who reflect the demographics of the community where the charter school is located." 

Three Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Lorena Garcia, Tammy Story, and Senator Lisa Cutter introduced Charter Schools Accountability, an effort that seeks to place a series of checks and balances on charter school operators and the institutions themselves in the state.  (Colorado General Assembly)

Some charter schools waive teacher performance evaluations, but this bill would prevent that from happening if passed. Another aim of the bill seeks to revoke a charter school operator’s ability to use a district building or land.

"The bill repeals a requirement that a school district prepare, and provide upon request, a list of vacant or underused buildings and land to the district charter schools, charter school applicants, and other interested persons, and repeals the ability of a district charter school or charter school applicant to apply to use the district building or land."

Most states restrict parents to schools within their zip code or the school district that presides over their residential area, yet, charter schools allow parents an option to send their kids to a different school. When charter schools are neighbors to public schools, they compete for per-pupil funding as parents are allowed to opt out of sending their child to the neighborhood public school.

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Opponents of charter schools say they siphon off funding from traditional public schools, thus decreasing the resources available to increase teachers' salaries, invest in facilities, and recruit more teachers.

One of the measures in the bill would give local boards power to force charter schools to close and impose a moratorium on the approval of charter schools due to current law prohibiting such action. Local boards would be granted authority to impose a moratorium on the approval of charter schools in the case that a school district’s pupil enrollment is declining, which as a result, would lower a school district’s per-pupil funding. The bill applies to the district’s charter school’s declining enrollment as well.

Three Democratic lawmakers, Reps. Lorena Garcia, Tammy Story, and Senator Lisa Cutter introduced Charter Schools Accountability, an effort that seeks to place a series of checks and balances on charter school operators and the institutions themselves in the state.  (Screenshot)

The bill states: "The charter school may appeal the decision. Under current law, a district accountability committee is required to review a charter school application. The bill requires a district accountability committee to also review a charter school renewal application."

Mitchell told Fox News Digital that Colorado has had some of the highest performing charter schools in the country. A recent Stanford study showed that charter school students outperformed public school peers in reading and math.

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"So that you would try to limit that when it's clearly working. And I'm not talking about best by like a small margin. It is Colorado charter schools that that sector is routinely ranked first or second in the country," Mitchell said. "Charter schools have been a great opportunity for lots of kids. But I think, unfortunately, there are too many elected leaders, too many, maybe teachers union folks who are threatened by the performance that charter schools and private schools have exhibited."

Fox News Digital reached out to the bill's sponsors for comment.