As a parent of two daughters at Jefferson Junior/Senior High School and a spouse to a preschool teacher at Lumberg Elementary, I am in support of increased school funding through the Jeffco ballot initiatives 5A and 5B and as well as Amendment 73.
The Jeffco mill levy override 5A will bring out per student education funding closer to that of other school districts like Denver and Cherry Creek. This will allow teachers and school staff to be paid the professional wages they deserve. Funds will also be used to create safer schools, improve career and STEM programming as well as investing in early childhood programming.
The Jeffco 5B bond package will help our school district catch up on school building improvements across the county. In Edgewater many of us are improving our homes by renovating interiors, replacing pipes and updating the electrical systems. These same improvements need to be made to our schools.
Click here to learn more about 5A and 5B.
The statewide Amendment 73 will improve education funding all across our state. School funding fell behind during the recession and it is time to come together to invest in the next generation of Coloradans. This increase in funding statewide will lift up rural school districts. It will also expand funding for early childhood and full-day kindergarten to help more students start school ready to learn. We have a moral imperative to create education pathways to college and career success all across our state and this funding can be the key to creating the workforce of tomorrow right here in Colorado.
Click here to learn more about Amendment 73.
One of the main reasons I support this increased school funding is because it gives us the chance to invest wisely to help all students succeed academically. We can do better in our educational systems, and if the funds are used wisely, each child in Colorado can graduate high school ready for college or to enter the workforce.
New school funding would give districts like Jeffco Public Schools a chance to truly invest school funding equitably. When there is a scarcity of funding, then those with the most power and privilege win out. We have to be honest about the opportunity gap that exists in our school district. Students who face the challenges of poverty start school behind and fall behind each year. Our students need more targeted resources to succeed to college and career.
Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Elizabeth Russell define equity in the following way, “It is about each of us getting what we need to survive or succeed—access to opportunity, networks, resources, and supports—based on where we are and where we want to go.”
There is a false narrative in our county that our students and families just need to work harder to succeed. It’s the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” idea. Over the last six years working in our community I have come to realize that poverty is systematic and that our families are already working hard at multiple jobs just to afford rising housing costs. We have to take a hard look at the systems that keep our students down and how the right resources can change systemic inequities.
More money won’t fix the opportunity gaps that exist in our schools but using the new funds wisely will start to bridge these gaps.
Increase Employee Compensation Especially in Title I Schools
When I look at our local schools, I see teachers, staff and school leaders who care deeply about our students but don’t get paid enough to afford housing in our county. Our teachers and staff deserve to be treated as professionals and paid as such. I believe new funding through these initiatives should be used to increase employee compensation and I believe that teachers and staff in Title I buildings like those in the Edgewater area deserve to be paid more than those in more suburban areas.
Renovate Schools Along the Sheridan Corridor
My office is inside Jefferson Junior/Senior High School in Edgewater and so I see the need for renovations every day. I also get angry when I see news reports featuring other suburban schools in Jeffco that have updated and beautiful facilities. I care deeply about our area students and believe they have the right to an inspiring building as much as other areas of our county. All along the Sheridan corridor are schools that were built in the 1950s or earlier and need to be renovated. I believe this is a social justice issue as many of these schools have a high percentage of Latino students. More funding will allow the needed investments in schools in the eastern areas of Alameda, Jefferson, Wheat Ridge and Arvada.
Increase School Funding for Title I Buildings
We need to be honest about the opportunity gaps that exist in our high Title I buildings and work together to help students start kindergarten ready to learn and grow academically each year. This should mean that schools that have a high percentage of students who work hard to overcome poverty can receive more school funding per student than suburban schools. This is hard to swallow for some but this is what equity looks like. Increased funding should also come with a desire to find what works in helping students grow academically and scaling up those practices. More preschool spots need to be opened in east central Jeffco so that our students can enter kindergarten ready to learn. This will take a renewed vision from our district leadership to acknowledge growth areas and make the needed investments to make sure that all students in the district succeed.
Advocating for these investments is harder because of how power and privilege impact how funding is spent. We need to stand up with our families to advocate for our students. Unfortunately those with the loudest voices win out and get the new school buildings and increased investments. Though our students might look different than the rest of the district and some speak a different language, they each have the same right to a great education and a school building they can be proud of.
This is personal for me and my family. These are the classmates of our daughters. I believe that with these smart investments and increased education funding we can see a Latina Jefferson graduate design rockets at Lockheed Martin. I dream of the day when a Latino Jefferson graduate comes back to teach at Lumberg Elementary and inspire the next generation of Saints to be teachers in their own community.
YOU can help invest in these education pathways to success by voting YES on 5A, 5B and Amendment 73.
Joel has been a resident of Edgewater, Colorado with his family since 2012. He is the Executive Director of local education nonprofit Edgewater Collective and Editor of the Edgewater Echo.
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