Deferred Retirement Compensation for Career K-12 Employees: Understanding the Need for Reform
To improve understanding of public K-12 retirement compensation, this Issue Paper provides historical estimates using a substantial sample of retiree characteristics and salary histories. Deferred retirement compensation from a hybrid defined benefit plan is defined as the difference between an employee’s estimated retirement account balance and the greater pension value she expects to receive. When accounting for K-12 employee compensation, large amounts of deferred compensation should be included. For the 846 Denver Public Schools retirees in the sample, average lump sum deferred compensation is $627,570.
School Choice Alive and Well in Colorado
The 2008 election was largely a success for Democrats in Colorado, but not nearly so much for traditional Democrat allies who oppose school choice reforms. Listen to Amy Oliver and Ben DeGrow discuss Ben’s Denver Post column on the new leadership in the state legislature and the results of key ballot races.
Douglas County’s Locally Licensed Teachers
Are there better ways to train and license public school teachers than the current system set up through the state? A waiver from the State Board of Education allows Douglas County School District (DCSD) to creatively fill its instructional needs in areas like math, science, and special education with a streamlined process at the local level. Tune in to hear DCSD Learning Center executive director Mike Lynch explain how the program works with Ben DeGrow, author of a new Independence Institute report on the topic.
Teacher Explains How CEA Members Can Get Their Political Refunds Before December 15
Jefferson County public school teacher Michael Alcorn narrates a 2-minute YouTube video explaining how members of the Colorado Education Association can get political refunds before the December 15 deadline.
Transparency in the Jeffco School District
Ever wonder what Jefferson County teachers and administrators spend your money on? Natalie Menten was curious enough to dig up the credit card receipts to see just where the Jeffco school district was spending your money. The results will surprise you. Tune in as Natalie and Amy Oliver discuss the importance of transparency and accountability in government spending.
Putting Education – Not Unions – First
This year brought the biggest electoral Democratic wave in more than three decades. Yet Colorado teachers union officials may have lost, rather than gained, political ground.
Assessing Colorado Rural Public School Performance
How do Colorado’s rural school districts stack up in the area of academic performance? Research associate Paul Mueller joins Education Policy Center director Pam Benigno to discuss his new Issue Backgrounder Assessing Colorado Rural Public School Performance. Two school districts in particular are highlighted as examples of “beating the odds” when it comes to effectively educating a high-minority or high-poverty student population.
Assessing Colorado Rural Public School Performance
Author Paul Mueller analyzes performance data from the School Accountability Reports for all 86 rural Colorado school districts, and compared them to demographic factors traditionally associated with lower achievement. Two school districts – Sargent and La Veta – are cited as examples of “beating the odds” with effective instruction despite a high-poverty or high-minority student population.
Amendment 49 and Government Payroll Reform
Amendment 49 on the November 2008 Colorado ballot proposes to limit government payroll deductions to specified items. The amendment effectively prohibits the collection and transfer of funds to private non-charitable groups that lobby government officials and fund campaigns including such groups as political parties, professional associations, and labor unions. Current Colorado law allows government payroll systems to administer and deliver money to these groups.
Independent Thinking: Joe Williams and Democrats for Education Reform
Watch this 3-part YouTube replay of the October 9 episode of Independent Thinking with host Jon Caldara. Democrats for Education Reform executive director Joe Williams and Education Policy Center director Pamela Benigno discuss the movement within the Democratic Party to reform education and how it might play out here in Colorado.
Democrats for Education Reform?
A small but growing contingent of Democrats is looking for some change in the current educational system. One of the leaders of this charge for change is Joe Williams of the Democrats for Education Reform – a NYC based group. Joe sat down with Ben DeGrow to discuss what his group is all about and why Democrats can be the catalyst for education reform.
Independent Thinking: What Is Amendment 49?
Watch this 3-part YouTube replay of the October 3 edition of Independent Thinking with host Jon Caldara. Jeffco teacher Michael Alcorn and our own policy analyst Ben DeGrow discuss the merits of Amendment 49 on the statewide ballot, which would prohibit school districts and other government agencies from collecting dues money for unions and other special interest groups.
