Author: kdoran

Action Alert: Keeping Families Connected

Criminal Justice Reform | 01/17/2025
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Stand for Children

Facing a bleak budget environment, the Joint Budget Committee is considering cutting funding for the implementation of free prison phone calls to 50% of the cost this year, leaving Colorado families facing challenges staying connected. 

Email Joint Budget Committee Members

HB23-1133, Cost of Phone Calls for Persons in Custody, made prison communication free across Colorado in state and private facilities with funding phased in over three years. The bill cut call costs by 25% in the first year, 35% in the second year, and is supposed to make all calls free starting July 1, 2025. Slowing the implementation of HB23-1133 will have a negative impact on Colorado’s efforts to reduce recidivism and support families. 

Contact members of the Joint Budget Committee, and ask them to prioritize funding needed to bring free prison phone calls to families this year, as outlined in HB23-1133. 

Giving Tuesday: Give $15 for our 15th Anniversary

Uncategorized | 12/3/2024
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Stand for Children

15 years ago, Stand for Children launched in Colorado, focused on improving educational outcomes for children, particularly those most often overlooked and underserved. For the last decade and a half, we have championed efforts to improve early literacy, advance equitable school funding, develop community leaders and parent advocates, strengthen early childhood education, increase the number of students graduating on time, ready for college or career, and more.

Give Today

Now, 15 years after our work here began, we are asking you to join us in our mission to build a stronger Colorado by creating equitable opportunities for Coloradans, especially those historically furthest from privilege.

On this Giving Tuesday, we would be honored if you would help fund our future with a $15 donation.

Amendment 80 Fails

Elections | 11/8/2024
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Stand for Children

Great news: Amendment 80 was rejected by Colorado voters. Disguised as a measure seeking to protect school choice in the state constitution, which Colorado families already have, Amendment 80 would have taken a permanent first step toward creating a voucher system, which would use taxpayer dollars to bankroll elite private school tuition.  

“Our schools need more teachers, smaller classrooms, and resources for critical programs like mental health services, early literacy support, and workplace readiness, but Amendment 80 would have achieved the opposite,” said Stand for Children Executive Director Krista Spurgin. “We are thrilled to see Colorado voters reject this misleading measure because it is the last thing our children need. We need to stay focused on supporting schools that are open to all students, accountable to taxpayers, and preparing kids with the skills they need to succeed.”

“As a parent and a teacher, the education of my children and students is one of my top priorities, and Amendment 80 puts that at risk,” said Alysia Bellamy, a parent and educator in Pueblo. “I am a strong supporter of school choice, but Amendment 80 was not about school choice, which Colorado parents already have. It was a dangerous move toward vouchers which would have diverted money away from the public schools that are serving the majority of our kids. I am glad Amendment 80 was rejected by voters. Now we can return our focus to better supporting our public schools and teachers.”

Voucher programs divert critical resources from already-underfunded public schools and funnel them to unaccountable private schools that do not have to meet state education standards, or even teach scientifically sound curriculum. Often, vouchers primarily benefit families that can already afford private school tuition and may not address the needs of disadvantaged students.  

We thank everyone for their work getting out the vote to ensure we protected our already underfunded schools from this deceitful effort to open the door to public school funding being sent to private schools. 

Vote No on Amendment 80

Elections | 10/30/2024
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Stand for Children

We cannot allow funding for public schools to be sent to private schools. Disguised as a measure seeking to protect school choice in the state constitution, which Colorado families already have, Amendment 80 takes a permanent first step towards creating a voucher system, which would use taxpayer dollars to bankroll elite private school tuition.  

Voucher programs divert critical resources from already-underfunded public schools and funnel them to unaccountable private schools that do not have to meet state education standards, or even teach scientifically sound curriculum. Often, vouchers primarily benefit families that can already afford private school tuition and may not address the needs of disadvantaged students.  Together, we can protect our already underfunded schools from this deceitful effort to open the door to public school funding being sent to private schools. 

If you’ve already voted, please use this toolkit to ask your friends and neighbors to vote no on Amendment 80.

Be an education voter, November 5th 

Elections | 09/16/2024
Post author The Stand for Children Team
The Stand for Children Team

Election day isn’t until Tuesday, November 5th, but your inbox, mailbox and social media is probably starting to be filled with information about candidates and initiatives. With that in mind, we are sharing that Stand for Children endorses the Denver Public Schools Bond and opposes Amendment 80.   

Vote No: Amendment 80 

Amendment 80 would amend the Colorado Constitution to include the right to school choice. School choice is already protected by Colorado law.  Colorado families have exercised school choice for decades and there are no threats to their ability to continue, so this constitutional amendment is unnecessary.  It is a deceitful and misguided effort to open the door to harm our students with vouchers that WILL take money away from our already underfunded schools.  Colorado ranks in the bottom half of states for school funding, and vouchers will only exacerbate inequity and student outcomes.   

More Reading:  

Vote Yes: DPS Bond 

The $975 million bond for Denver Public Schools would not require a tax increase for Denver property owners and would include investments for schools including air conditioning and safety upgrades, construction and other capital improvements for Denver schools, and investments in technology and career and technical education and STEAM spaces. You can read about the specific projects that would be funded here.  

More reading:  

We will be sharing more information about these measures, but in the meantime, it’s a great time to make sure your voter registration is up-to-date! Here’s where you can get the latest information about your voter eligibility and ballot drop off and polling locations. 

Apply for Stand’s 2025 Advocacy Fellowship

Fellowship | 09/4/2024
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Stand for Children

Parents, educators, and community members who are interested in becoming effective advocates for equity in our schools and community are invited to apply for Stand Colorado’s annual Advocacy Fellowship.

The fellowship meets monthly for nine months beginning in October. Fellows engage in ongoing and meaningful leadership development through trainings covering advocacy basics, communications, government structures, campaign planning, power mapping, public speaking, and community outreach.

Apply!
Learn more and hear feedback from past fellows here!

Policy experts speak with fellows on various topics throughout the year. Fellows will also have numerous opportunities to use their advocacy skills at the Capitol and engage with policymakers. We’ve compiled answers to questions we have received over the years here.

FCC Ruling Will Keep Families Connected

Criminal Justice Reform | 07/23/2024
Post author
Stand for Children

The Federal Trade Commission announced their unanimous decision to ensure families can stay connected, via phone while a loved one is in prison. Starting in 2025, their decision will more than halve the existing per-minute rate caps for all prison and jail phone calls across the country.

According to our partners Worth Rises, this ruling will increase connection for 83 percent of incarcerated people and save American families at least $500 million per year. 

In Colorado, we passed legislation making prison phone calls free for all families, but this ruling means an overall savings for the state- and ultimately taxpayers- as predatory telecom providers will no longer be able to charge exorbitant fees. Stand championed the effort to pass HB23-1133, making prison communication free across Colorado in state and private facilities by 2025.

Our Primary Elections are Almost Here

Elections | 06/5/2024
Post author
Stand for Children

It may not feel like election season, but in 20 days we will decide who will be on our ballots this fall. 

June 25th is Colorado’s primary election for candidates running for federal, state, and local office. This is your opportunity to ensure someone that aligns with your values and vision for our state and community is on the ballot in November. 

Your ballot is probably in your mailbox or sitting on your kitchen counter, so as you sit down to fill it out, we’ve compiled some resources to help. 

LEARN ABOUT WHO IS RUNNING TO REPRESENT YOU:

  • Visit candidate websites, check out their social media, and run some internet searches of their name to see recent news coverage. 
  • Check out a Voter Guide. Here’s one from Colorado Public Radio. 
  • Pull information from organizations you trust to see who they have endorsed. 
  • If you don’t have your ballot yet, use this website to pull a sample ballot for your address.   

VOTE BY JUNE 25th:

Here’s where you can find locations to drop off your ballot. Just be sure you drop it off by 7pm, June 25th. If you mail it, be sure to send it by June 20th. 

Please let us know if you have any questions.

Legislative Wins for Colorado Kids and Families

Capitol Week in Review | 05/9/2024
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Stand for Children

Yesterday was sine die, the last day of the 2024 legislative session! After a busy four months, we are thrilled to update you on our policy successes for the year. Before we get started, we want to underscore the deep and lasting impact the policies we passed in partnership with parents, educators, and community leaders will have on Colorado students and our communities.

Together with advocates across the state, we sent nearly 6,000 emails to policymakers, 20 advocates shared their lived experience in testimony before Committee hearings, and 30 leaders attended Capitol Day of Action. Others spoke to the media, engaged with their community and supported advocacy on social media. We are grateful for these critical partnerships.

Now, on to the wins for Colorado students and communities!

Legislation We championed

Equitable funding & supportive schools

HB24-1448, New Public School Finance Formula, will update our 30-year-old school finance formula and dramatically increase the amount school districts get for: each student from a low-income household, each English Language Learner, and each student with a disability.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

HB24-1290, Student Educator Stipend Program, appropriates $3.6 million in funding for stipends for student teachers. This bill is part of a multi-year effort to remove barriers in educator preparation to increase educator diversity and address Colorado’s teacher shortage.

Status: awaiting signature by the Governor.

SB24-001, will continue the “I Matter” youth mental health services program, which provides up to six free therapy sessions and reimburses participating licensed therapists. Almost 11,000 children and teens have used the program already.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

High school success

HB24-1282, Ninth-Grade Success Grant & Performance Reporting, expands the 9th grade success grant program, allowing more Colorado schools to implement the 9th grade success approach changing the trajectory for high school students across Colorado.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

Justice Reform

HB 24-1445, Probation & Parole Reporting & Fee Conditions, increases opportunities for remote reporting via online platform or phone for individuals on parole or probation. The bill also requires the reporting of certain fees assessed by the state for probation and parole.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

HB24-1430, 2024-25 Long Appropriations Bill, funds state agencies for the upcoming year. Importantly, it includes the funding needed to implement HB23-1133, legislation we championed last year making prison communication free across Colorado in state and private facilities by 2025.

Status: Signed by the Governor.

Other Legislation We Worked On

HB24-1133, Criminal Record Sealing & Expungement Changes, addresses issues raised through the implementation of Colorado’s “Clean Slate” policy, which seals the criminal records of individuals who are convicted of a non-violent offense once certain conditions have been met.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

HB24-1311, Family Affordability Tax Credit, creates a family affordability tax credit and will distribute a portion of the state’s $1.8 billion TABOR surplus to families, to help cover the rising costs of housing, food, and childcare.

Status: awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB24-1368, Language Access Advisory Board, creates a language access advisory board to develop recommendations for improving access to the legislative process for populations with limited English proficiency.

Status: awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB24-1432, Repeal CBI Criminal Justice Record Sealing Fee, repeals the requirement for a defendant to pay the Colorado Bureau of Investigation any costs related to sealing the defendant’s criminal justice records in the bureau’s custody.

Status: awaiting signature by the Governor.

HB24-1462, Third-Party Audit Department of Corrections, requires the state auditor to engage a third party to evaluate the Department of Corrections’ budget practices.

Status: awaiting signature by the Governor.

SB24-188, Public School Finance, raises the base level of per-pupil funding by nearly $420 to $8,496 per-pupil and completely buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor.

Status: awaiting signature from the Governor.

We’re thrilled that these policies pivotal to Colorado’s collective future have passed and are on their way to becoming law.

Capitol Week In Review: Week 14

Capitol Week in Review | 04/27/2024
Post author Bri Buentello
Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Welcome to Capitol Week In Review, our newsletter keeping you informed about policy concerning educational equity and making our schools and communities more supportive.  You will also hear from us about opportunities to engage in advocacy on topics important to you. 

Legislation of Interest

SB24-188, Public School Finance, would raise the base level of per-pupil funding by nearly $420 to $8,496 per-pupil and completely buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor.  The bill passed the House of Representatives. 

HB24-1133, Criminal Record Sealing & Expungement Changes, addresses issues raised through the implementation of Colorado’s “Clean Slate” policy, which automatically seals the criminal records of individuals who are convicted of a non-violent offense once certain conditions have been met. The bill was passed by the House Appropriations Committee 9-2. 

HB24-1290, Student Educator Stipend Program, appropriates annual funding for stipends for student teachers. This bill is part of a multi-year effort to remove barriers in educator preparation to increase educator diversity and address Colorado’s teacher shortage. The bill was passed by the House Appropriation Committee.

HB24-1432, Repeal CBI Criminal Justice Record Sealing Fee, was passed by the House of Representatives. The bill repeals the requirement for a defendant to pay to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation any costs related to sealing the defendant’s criminal justice records in the bureau’s custody. 

HB 24-1445, Probation & Parole Reporting & Fee Conditions, will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee, April 29th. This bill increases opportunities for remote reporting (via online platform or phone) for individuals on parole or probation. The bill also requires the state to annually report on probation fees assessed in the previous year and the Department of Corrections to annually report on parole supervision fees assessed in the previous year. 

HB24-1448, New Public School Finance Formula, was passed by the House Appropriations Committee, unanimously. This bill will update our 30-year-old school finance formula and dramatically increases how much school districts get for: each student from a low-income household, each English Language Learner, and each student with a disability.

Take Action: Email Your Representative to Support School Funding Formula Update!

We need your help showing continued momentum for passing HB24-1448, New Public School Finance Formula. HB24-1448 updates our 30- year-old school finance formula with one that puts students at the center of how we fund schools.This week, the Rural Alliance, representing over 140 Colorado school districts, announced their support, bringing the total number of school districts supporting this bill to over 160. Please email your Representative to show your support today!  

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