Policy Position

"Our goal should be for every child in Colorado, regardless of economic conditions to have the opportunity to receive the very best education possible, whether in the public school system, private schools or home-schooling. The decision as to where and how that child is educated must lay with parents. The state's duty should be to ensure that parents have as much ability, knowledge and opportunity as possible to make the best decisions. The job of legislators should be to seek out and eliminate as many obstacles as possible to making the best decision and to create the best public school system possible. In recent decades, the huge influx of illegal alien children, or children of illegal aliens has dramatically reduced the quality of our public school education" -- Dave Schultheis

To implement this, consideration should be given to several issues:

First, the state must limit the number of students per school so that every child can be recognized for his/her accomplishments and have the opportunity to participate fully in the life of the school. Far too many high school students feel a loss of significance when they attend large-scale schools housed in buildings designed like shopping centers, where recognition goes mainly to top athletes, brilliant scholars, or disruptive students.

Second, the state must begin ensuring that effective disciplinary alternatives exist and are used for unruly students. This would include shielding teachers, and administration from unwarranted lawsuits arising from their efforts to maintain discipline.

Third, the state must scale down the size of many school districts. In school districts the size of District 11, with its 30,000 students, parents feel they they have little, if any say in the education of their children. No wonder parental apathy reigns. We are paying a high price to achieve economic "economies of scale.

Fourth, the state should revamp teacher tenure for all newly-hired teachers, to give schools more flexibility in keeping and firing teachers.

Fifth, the state should be ensuring that we have numerous ways to recognize the positive accomplishments of students, their parents, teachers, and school administration.

Sixth, we need to establish state policy to reduce the number of illegal aliens in Colorado, whose children cost state taxpayers approximately $10,000/year/child...thus draining resources from students of citizens

Position on Vouchers/Tax Credits

While I am in favor of both vouchers and tax credits for those parents seeking an alternative to the Public School system, I have a preference for tax Credits over vouchers, because of the reduced possibility of government strings attached to tax credits.

"I believe that in the long run, initiatives such as these, will benefit our public schools. I will work hard to help the public schools be as academically sound as possible, while at the same time supporting whatever alternative forms of education have proven successful in teaching the children of Colorado." -- Dave Schultheis

"Competition, like hanging, focuses the mind" -- unknown

"Now, however, the educational system has become the weapon of choice for modern liberals in their project of dismantling American culture." -- Judge Robert Bork in "Slouching Toward Gomorrah

Supplemental Information

Articles:

5/17/07 - Organizers Defend Sex Talk at Boulder High
In Boulder, high school students were forced to attend a sex
talk put on by the Conference on World Affairs (CWA). Parents and
students felt they heard biased views on teenage sex, homosexual
relationships, and drug use. School board members agreed the talk was
inappropriate.

Could You Have Passed 8th Grade in 1895?
This is the 8th-grade final exam from 1895 in Salina, Kansas. It
was taken from the original document on file at the Smokey Valley
Genealogical Society and Library in Salina, KS, and reprinted by the Salina Journal.

Reports:

1/6/06 - All Eyes On Tenure

8/7/2007 - Charter School Statistics

March 2006 - Counting the Cash for K-12: The Facts about Per-Pupil Spending in Colorado

Links:

Colorado Public School Choice

Updated Regularly - Conservative Web Site Addresses Bias on University Campuses

Books:

Public Education Against America: The Hidden Agenda