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Youth and Families Archive
Youth_Families_Archive
A focus in La Plata County on building assets for our children, youth and engaged families.
The following contains events, positions and news from 2007-2009 related to local youth and families.
Youth and Family Positions 2007-2009.
CO Ed Legislation 2007-2009.
La Plata County Actions 2007-2009.
LWVUS Positions.
LWVUS Reference Materials.
Colorado and US News 2007-2009.
Letters 2007-2009.
Past Events 2007-2009.
References 2007-2009.
Local Youth and Family Positions 2007-2009
Colorado Education Legislation 2007-2009
4/7/09 Durango Herald: Senate kills immigrant tuition bill /Five Democrats join Republicans in voting against the measure by Joe Hanel Herald Denver Bureau
DENVER - On a narrow margin, the Senate killed a bill to give in-state college tuition to illegal immigrants who have attended Colorado high schools for at least three years. Five Democrats, including Sen. Jim Isgar of Hesperus, sealed the bill's fate by voting "no." It lost 18-16. Monday's four-hour debate was an unusually heated one, in which senators:*Invoked the Nazi Holocaust.
Click DH4/7edu to read the story.
*3/31/09 School Reform SB09-256
A bipartisan group of Senators, led by President Peter Groff (D-Denver), have called for Colorado to take bold steps on school reform. First, the Senate introduced the School Finance Act today (SB 09-256) which will lay the foundation for a companion bill (to be introduced soon) that will position Colorado to receive federal Race to the top dollars (more details on each bill below).
In the same way the Obama administration has chosen to incentive rather than mandate education reform, Colorado has chosen to follow their lead. Colorado will:
1. Making progress toward rigorous college and career- ready standards and high-quality assessments that are valid and reliable for all students, including English language learners and students and disabilities.
2. Establishing pre-K to college and career data systems that track progress and foster continuous improvement.
3. Making improvements in teacher effectiveness and in the equitable distribution of qualified teachers for all students, particularly students who are most in need.
4. Providing intensive support and effective interventions for the lowest-performing schools.
School Finance Act will look at these important developments:
1. At-Risk Funding: For the first time in state history, at-risk funding will be tied to achievement and performance, not just socio-economic position.
This will include a pilot to establish an at-risk boarding school based on positive results seen in Chicago and Washington, DC. This would be the first of its kind in Colorado.
2. College in Colorado: Every student in Colorado will be required in 9th grade to create an account with College in Colorado: a system which helps students plan for college academically and financially.
Many of our young people particularly those at-risk of dropping out begin thinking about college way too late and thereby are unaware of college entrance requirements. This disqualifies them for scholarships by not responding timely to these necessary steps.
3. Additional Dollars to School Districts: Schools will be allowed to spend TABOR reserves to help mitigate cuts caused by the current economic downturn and they can use buildings as a TABOR reserve: Allow school districts to place buildings into 3% TABOR reserve. This will free up monies that districts can use and would trigger a 90-day notice to the Treasurer requesting that the school district be able to effectively borrow an amount equivalent to the 3% reserve.
Additional monies now required to be spent on textbooks and capital reserve would be freed up for school districts to spend as they see fit.
Refinancing of COP's: allow districts to refinance high interest COP's for the next 36 months.
Districts will also have the right to increase the mill levy cap from 20% to 25%. They must file a plan for how the additional movies would help to close the achievement gap in their district.
The School Finance Act (SB 256) will be heard in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday upon adjournment.
*3/10/09: The Higher Education Access Alliance (HEAA), now SB 170, is focused to increasing the opportunities for all students regardless of their legal or economic status. We are trying to lower the high costs of tuition for undocumented students. We have succesfully passed the bill from the Senate to the house with a vote of 5-3. Now the real work has began as the bill will be introduced to the House of Representatives.
Click HEAA tuition to read an executive summary of SB 170.
Click HEAA supporters to see a list of SB 170 endorsers.
*1/26/09 2009 Colorado Education Association Bill Summary
La Plata County Actions 2007-2009
*8/11/09: click La Plata County Comprehensive Plan to view community progress on the on-going update of the 2001 plan. You can get involved by filling out a survey for adults and youth. Click visioning schedule to attend a community meeting near you.
*5/28/09 Durango Herald: 9-R teachers, staff to receive raises
by Chuck Slothower
Teachers, administrators and support personnel will get significant raises in Durango School District 9-R next school year in a move district officials hope will reduce gaps between local salaries and those in other school systems.
Under a plan approved by the school board Tuesday, support personnel will see 7 percent raises, teachers and technical employees will get 5 percent and administrators will get 4 percent on average.
LWVUS Positions
LWVUS Reference Materials
Colorado and US News 2007-2009
*11/7/09 Durango Herald: 9-R earns state health award
by Dale Rodebaugh
Herald Staff Writer
The Colorado Department of Education has recognized Durango School District 9-R for its effort to improve health education, nutrition and physical activity. Awards to Durango 9-R and 10 other school districts, made in Denver on Thursday, coincided with the release of the Colorado Legacy Foundation's new online 2009 Health and Wellness Best Practices Guide...
*10/14/09 Durango Herald: Schools look at budget issues
District 9-R revenue declines seen from state, gas leases
by Chuck Slothower
Durango School District 9-R faces what one board member called a "perfect storm" of declining revenue that may force further cuts before the 2010-11 school year. Laine Gibson, chief financial officer, said 9-R has enough funding to cover the declines this year. But next year could be different...
*10/9/09 New York Times" Note: the following article content is not necessarily supported by LWVLPC The Uneducated American by Paul Krugman
If you had to explain America's economic success with one word, that word would be "education." In the 19th century, America led the way in universal basic education. Then, as other nations followed suit, the "high school revolution" of the early 20th century took us to a whole new level. And in the years after World War II, America established a commanding position in higher education. But that was then. The rise of American education was, overwhelmingly, the rise of public education -- and for the past 30 years our political scene has been dominated by the view that any and all government spending is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Education, as one of the largest components of public spending, has inevitably suffered...
*10/2/09 Durango Herald: Amdt. 23 may cut school budgets by Joe Hanel
Herald Staff Writer
DENVER -- Colorado school districts should brace for cuts because of Amendment 23, the same law that has insulated public schools from previous recessions, lawmakers are warning. The amendment, which voters adopted in 2000, requires school spending to grow each year by inflation plus 1 percent for a decade. However, this year economists are expecting a rarity -- a negative inflation rate, or deflation. That hasn't happened since 1955, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer Price Index...
*9/2/09 Durango Herald:SCCC's West campus starts anew
Merged colleges see improvements
Herald Staff Report
The Southwest Colorado Community College campus in Mancos started the fall semester with a list of upgrades valued at $1 million. Improvements include information-technology infrastructure, bathrooms remodeled to accommodate people with handicaps, full-service bookstore, an interior and exterior paint job, installation of 165 new computers for classroom and administrative offices and a new learning center and new nursing classroom...
* 6/29/09 NY Times: New Plan Ties Reduced College Loan Payments to Income By JONATHAN D. GLATER
For the first time in years, there is good news for college students who borrow to pay for their education. Starting Wednesday, the federal Education Department will begin offering a repayment plan that lets graduates reduce their loan payments, based on their income.
* 6/17/09 Durango Herald: More Colo. kids live in poverty but Southwest shows improvement
by Joe Hanel Herald Denver Bureau
DENVER - Southwest Colorado counties bucked a statewide trend and slightly reduced the number of children living in poverty in 2007, according to a report released Tuesday by the Colorado Children's Campaign. Statewide, though, the annual KidsCount report showed more children slipping into poverty, a trend that was first noticed in the 2006 numbers, said Chris Watney, interim president of the Colorado Children's Campaign.
*6/16/09 Durango Herald: Bartel to step down as FLC president
Peter Decker of Board of Trustees will lead the search for successor
by Chuck Slothower
Brad Bartel will step down as Fort Lewis College president by mid-2010, the college announced Monday. Bartel, who has served as president of the state college since 2004, said he asked not to have his contract renewed so he could pursue other jobs.
*5/13/09 USA Today: Website estimates education's effect on health, crime, income by Greg Toppo
Researchers have known for decades that rising education levels positively influence a host of social factors: income, health, voting rates and even the likelihood that a person will stay out of prison. Education matters. A new website seeks to quantify just how much.
*3/26/09 Durango Herald:State education may get boost
Ritter to use federal stimulus to sustain 2009 funding levels by Steven K. Paulson Associated Press Writer
DENVER - Gov. Bill Ritter has proposed spending $487 million to shore up public education and another $135 million to support higher education using the state's portion of federal stimulus funds, according to a letter to state budget officials obtained by The Associated Press.
Click dh3/26/06edu to read the story.
*3/11/09 http://www.Whitehouse.gov :President Obama Announces White House Council on Women and Girls
The mission of the Council will be to provide a coordinated federal response to the challenges confronted by women and girls and to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies consider how their policies and programs impact women and families.
Click council 3/11/09 to read more.
Letters from our Members 2007-2009
Past Events 2007-2009
*La Plata County will host a series of workshops from December 5 through December 10 on the Comprehensive Plan Draft Goal statements. Click LPC plan review
for complete information.
*11/29/09 Durango Herald:Volunteers ring in the holidays
by Chuck Slothower
Herald Staff Writer
Salvation Army bell ringers are scheduled to be at North City Market, South City Market, Wal-Mart, the Durango Mall, Ignacio Shur Value and the Bayfield Grocery Store...
*10/2/09: Rich Jones, director of policy and research at the Bell, will be the featured speaker at a community discussion in Durango on Friday, Oct. 2.
The topic will be Promoting Opportunity in Colorado: How Are We Doing? Sponsors of the event are the Women's Foundation of Colorado, the Durango Steering Committee and the Women's Resource Center.
The discussion will be at the Durango Recreation Center, 2700 Main Ave. in Durango. A light brunch will be served. The discussion is open to all. Please register at http://www.blacktie-colorado.com (RSVP code: WFC10/2)...
*10/15/09 LWVLPC will sponsor a candidate forum for the upcoming District 9R officer candidates to be held on Thursday, October 15 from 7 to 9pm in the Durango City Council Chambers. Click 9R Candidate Forum flier to view the flier.
*On Wednesday, August 26, The US will celebrate Women's Equality Day
Formerly known as Woman Suffrage Day, this day marks the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (1920), granting women the right to vote. Ratification came in Tennessee, where suffragist (Anitia) Lili Pollitzer, age 25, persuaded Tennessee state legislator Harry T. Burn, age 24, to cast the deciding vote. I know that a mother's advice is always safest for a boy to follow, he said, and my mother wanted me to vote for ratification. The country's 26 million voting-age women were enfranchised by this change in the Constitution. Longtime suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt summed up her experiences in the battle this way: Never in the history of politics has there been such a nefarious lobby as labored to block the ratification. Upon ratification, Catt founded the League of Women Voters, an organization now dedicated to providing impartial, in-depth information about candidates, platforms, and ballot issues.
*7/21/09 You are invited to participate in the La Plata County Visioning process on Saturday, July 25. What will our county look like in the future? What do we want our county to look like? The Land Use plans should reflect our goals. The Board of County Commissioners and the staff are committed to adopting a new Comprehensive Plan this time around so it would be great to have your involvement and input. Lunch will be provided. Click vision flier
for more details.
* Don't miss Kids Day at the La Plata County Courthouse on Tuesday, July 14 from 10am to noon
The purpose of the event is to promote educational, recreational, cultural and civic opportunities for youth, and will provide children aged five and above with the experience of participating in the governmental process by making a formal presentation to the La Plata County Commissioners regarding their event or activity and petitioning the County Commissioners for a letter of recognition for their youth or family-oriented educational, recreational, cultural or civic activity.
Other activities will include: meeting with the County Commissioners, participating in mock voting using the County's voting machines, visiting a courtroom and speaking to County Court Judge Martha Minot, touring the County Courthouse, and meeting County Sheriff's Deputies.
Click kids day to read more
* 3/21/09 Program Room 1 Durango Public Library: Building a Community for Children and Youth in La Plata County a panel discussion, sponsored by the LWV of La Plata County,and hosted by Vickie Coe. Come Join us from 9:30 to 11:30 am.
Click panel 3/21/09 for an information flier and psa 3/21/09 to view the public service announcement.
References 2007-2009
*October 2009 COLORADO CHILDREN'S CAMPAIGN
LEAVING CHILDREN BEHIND
HOW COLORADO'S FISCAL POLICIES
HURT OUR MOST VULNERABLE CITIZENS
Prepared for the Colorado Children's Campaign
by the Center for Education Policy Analysis
School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver
Child poverty increased at an astonishing rate from 2000 to 2007 in Colorado. Although Colorado holds an unimpressive
middle rank (22) nationally in the percentage of children in poverty, the KidsCount Data Center reports that the number of
poor children in our state grew from 104,000 in 2000 to 192,000 poor children in 2007, an increase of 85 percent and the
highest increase in the country. Only seven other states saw an increase in their child poverty rates during this period...
*4/14/09 Bell Policy Center: Behind the headlines
Here's a roadmap for following the debate on higher ed budget
*Action for Healthy Kids- Colorado
We are a national nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the epidemic of overweight, undernourished and sedentary youth by focusing on changes in schools. We work in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to improve children's nutrition and increase physical activity, which will in turn improve their readiness to learn
*Colorado Childrens Campaign
With passion for kids, commitment to data, and a strategic combination of advocacy skills, the Colorado Children's Campaign's leaders, staff and volunteers make up a powerful force for improving the lives of the state's more than one million children.
*Colorado Works
Colorado's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, also known as Colorado Works, provides public assistance to families in need. Under Colorado Works, applicants who are either pregnant or have at least one child, and who meet other eligibility requirements, can receive monthly basic cash assistance (BCA) payments, help with emergency household expenses, and/or services such as counseling and training. All aspects of the Colorado Works Program are designed to assist customers in becoming self-sufficient and terminating their dependence on government benefits by promoting job readiness, marriage, and work.
*Early Childhood Council of La Plata County
The Early Childhood Council of La Plata County evolved from the Consolidated Child Care Pilots established by the Colorado General Assembly in 1997. The program was designed to help meet the need for full-day, full-year, quality early childhood services as a partner to welfare reform.
*Its About Kids
It's About Kids is a statewide initiative that stimulates dialogue on children's issues through a diverse child advocacy network across Colorado. It's About Kids brings local communities together to develop a legislative agenda for kids and increase the voice of those communities in the legislative process
*Search Institute
Search Institute is an independent nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide leadership, knowledge, and resources to promote healthy children, youth, and communities.
*Tri-County Head Start and Quality Early Childhood Programs
The Tri-County Head Start/ Quality Early Childhood Programs are free or low cost for qualifying children and families.
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Last revised: September 5, 2010 12:48 PDT.
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League of Women Voters of La Plata County, Colorado. All rights reserved.
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