On Thursday, December 6, a panel event co-sponsored by the Independence Institute packed a State Capitol committee room with 85 people to advance the discussion about how Colorado can embrace and implement backpack funding in future K-12 policy changes.
Addressing an audience of educators, policymakers, and other citizens, four panelists shared some “outside-the-box” ideas on Colorado funding reforms: State Senator Michael Johnston (D-Denver), State Senator Keith King (R-Colorado Springs), Colorado League of Charter Schools VP of Public Affairs Vinny Badolato, and the Independence Institute’s senior education policy analyst Ben DeGrow. Donnell-Kay Foundation executive director Tony Lewis moderated the “Financing Student Success” panel and took numerous audience questions. State Board of Education member Paul Lundeen provided closing remarks.
![Financing Student Success Panel](/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/CFSS-2.jpg)
Ben DeGrow (second from left on panel) addresses audience at Colorado State Capitol on December 6, with (left to right) Senator Michael Johnston , Vinny Badolato, Tony Lewis, and Senator Keith King
Sponsoring the event were the following groups (in alphabetical order):
- Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families
- Colorado League of Charter Schools
- Colorado Succeeds
- Donnell-Kay Foundation
- Independence Institute
- Parent Led Reform
- University of Colorado at Colorado Springs (special thanks to Professor Joshua Dunn)
You can watch a full 90-minute video of the event here.
For more information on the ideas presented by Ben DeGrow, read his 2012 issue paper Online Course-Level Funding: Toward Colorado Secondary Self-Blended Learning Options.