Fall Kick-Off: Funding Education in Colorado
Sue Stark | Published on 9/1/2024
Colorado’s educational ranking and the funding of public education here, both K-12 and higher ed, do get attention in the press. We read that Colorado’s ranking by various measures of spending on K-12 education ranges from 37th to 47th in the nation, and higher education public funding ranks 49th. Colorado incomes rank among the top five in the country and our state has the 5th most highly educated residents in the nation, but the number of Colorado high school students who go on to college is 10 percentage points below the national average. Our teacher pay rate ranks near the bottom nationally when the cost-of-living here is factored in. Barely one out of three Colorado high school graduates are able to complete a college degree, and students of color have even lower completion rates overall. The Colorado legislature passes bills that aim to improve school financing, but what is the reality in our classrooms?
Hearing these sharp disparities in information, labeled the “Colorado Conundrum,” the League of Women Voters of Denver decided to focus our Fall Kick-off briefing on Colorado’s educational funding: where are we, and where should we be. Guests are always welcome.
Two speakers with strong backgrounds in education policy will give depth and breadth to these issues. Lisa Weil, Executive Director of Great Education Colorado, and Kristin Hultquist, Chair of the Board of Trustees of Metro State University, will be the presenters.
Lisa is a product of Greeley District 6 schools and the mother of two DPS graduates. She co-founded Great Ed with four fellow preschool moms in 2003. Before diving into public education advocacy, she was a public interest attorney and political consultant. She is driven by a belief that a vital, equitable public education system is the foundation for individual success, family well-being, thriving communities, a strong democracy, a just society and a vibrant economy.
Kristin is a nationally-known expert in higher education policy and strategy development. Her 30-year career includes work at the federal and state levels, where she focuses on policies that improve opportunity and economic mobility, particularly for first generation college graduates like herself. She is a founding partner of HCM Strategists, a public policy and advocacy consulting firm founded in 2008.
Sally Augden and Sue Stark