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.
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.
