Boost Funding
Education is the best investment we can make as a state, but sadly Colorado ranks near the bottom of the nation in per pupil funding. Mark strongly supports protecting Amendment 23 as a first step to protecting state education funding. He also recognizes, though, that the recent drop in property values will result in drastic cuts to local funding for our schools over the next few years. Here are suggestions Mark has for protecting and improving funding for our public schools, both this year and into the future:
- Raise Local Property Tax Rates – Without an increase in local property tax rates, local funding for K-12 schools will have to be cut. This will almost certainly lead to bigger class sizes, teacher layoffs, and further overcrowding of Northeast Denver’s schools. Mark believes the wise choice is to boost tax rates, to keep the overall level of local level of funding steady. Otherwise, Denver property owners will see a net tax cut, at the expense of our schools.
- Pass a Temporary Income Tax Increase for Education – Arizona, Oregon, and Kansas recently passed different types of tax increases to avoid drastic cuts to education spending. Mark believes that Colorado should follow their lead and temporarily increase our state income tax on the wealthiest households to prevent drastic cuts to schools.
- Invest Future “TABOR Refunds” in Education – Not only does Colorado need to find more revenue in the short run to protect education funding, but the state also needs to boost support for schools over the long run to keep up with the rest of the country and improve performance. Referendum C’s timeout on TABOR refunds will soon come to end. Colorado should reinvest future refunds in our state education fund, at least until Colorado reaches the average level of funding in the nation.
While more funding is not the only answer to improving school performance in Colorado, Mark understands that by underfunding our schools, we are shortchanging our future and that the same rhetoric we have heard before is not enough. Mark instead offers the honest answer that to improve funding for our schools, we all need to pay a little more.
Support Our Teachers
Mark’s mother was a math teacher in public schools for 30 years. She made sure her two sons understood the teacher’s critical role in providing a quality education. Mark will fight for improved teacher pay and benefits, both to reward them for their hard work and also to attract the best educators to our state. He will also work to ensure that teachers have a say in decisions affecting their classrooms.
Reduce Class Sizes
Overcrowding is the most prominent example of the struggles our public schools face on a daily basis. Colorado needs a leader who will make a strong commitment to expanding schools and reducing class sizes, and Mark will make this a priority in our budget.
Expand Training Programs
Mark has a plan to enhance career-training programs in Northeast Denver’s high schools and community colleges. Whether our kids decide to go to college or pursue job training for a 21st century career, they should have every opportunity available to them. Furthermore, career training should include a larger green jobs focus, and Mark’s plan would provide career skills in solar technology and energy conservation, allowing our kids to help us retrofit area schools and maximize energy savings here in the district.
School Choice
Mark strongly supports ensuring all parents can send their children to a high quality, traditional neighborhood school. He also believes charter schools should be available as a choice for parents, but not as the only option.
To discuss education issues in more detail, give Mark a call at 720-840-8492 or send him an email at Mark@VoteMark2010.com. Mark would love to talk with you personally about it.
