Category: Elections

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. 

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.

Election day isn’t until Tuesday, November 5^th, 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:  

• Colorado Public Radio: Opponents of Amendment 80, including teachers and public school advocates, rally against proposed constitutional change 
  
• Colorado Sun: Could a potential school choice ballot measure lead to a voucher program in Colorado?  
  
• State Board of Education Members: Don’t be fooled, Amendment 80 not just about school choice 

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:  

• DPS Bond Website 
  
• Chalkbeat Colorado: 2024 Denver schools bond: $975 million measure will be on the November ballot 
  
• Colorado Public Radio: $975 million bond for DPS schools is headed to Denver voters 

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. 

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.

En nuestro hermoso estado de Colorado, la educación siempre ha sido una prioridad importante para Stand, los legisladores y, lo que es más importante, las familias de Colorado y su futuro. Somos firmes respaldadores de la Proposición II porque prioriza la educación y el futuro de nuestros hijos. 

Es importante tener en cuenta que la Propuesta II es una extensión de la Propuesta EE bipartidista de 2020. La Propuesta EE generó más ingresos de los estimados, por lo que TABOR requiere que los votantes aprueben la retención del exceso de ingresos por parte del estado. Es por eso que es importante que usted vote SÍ a la Propuesta II. Esta medida electoral estatal nos permitió generar aproximadamente $275 millones por año para prioridades de salud pública y educación a través del aumento de impuestos sobre los productos de tabaco y nicotina. Fue una invercion en la preparación para K-12 al proporcionar acceso a preescolar para los niños de Colorado. 

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¡Tener acceso a preescolar es vital para el futuro de Colorado! Los estudiantes que asisten a pre-kínder se inician en la lectura y desarrollan habilidades sociales, emocionales y habilidades en su comportamiento. Esto, a su vez, preparará a nuestros hijos para una experiencia exitosa de K-12 y los preparará para una mejor oportunidad de vida en su viaje postsecundario como adultos.    

Entendemos que cuando las familias atraviesan momentos difíciles, esto puede afectar negativamente el bienestar y la experiencia educativa de un estudiante. Por lo tanto, además de las inversiones que continuaremos viendo en nuestra educación de la primera infancia, esta propuesta continuará invirtiendo en nuestras familias al financiar viviendas, asistencia para el alquiler y asistencia para el desalojo.   

¡Estamos emocionados de respaldar la Propuesta II y esperamos que usted también lo esté con su voto en noviembre! 

Complete nuestro formulario y comprométase a votar para recibir más información sobre la Proposición II, y recordatorios a medida que nos acercamos al día de las elecciones y si cree que todos los niños de Colorado merecen la oportunidad de asistir al preescolar!

Promete en votar

In our beautiful state of Colorado, education has always been an important priority for Stand, policymakers, and most importantly Colorado families and their future. We are strong supporters of Prop II because it prioritizes our children’s education and future.

It is important to note that Prop II is an extension of the bipartisan Prop EE of 2020. Prop EE brought in more revenue than was estimated, so TABOR requires that voters approve the state’s retention of the excess revenue. This is why it is important for you to vote YES on Prop II. This statewide ballot measure allowed us to generate approximately $275 million per year for public health and education priorities through the tax increase on tobacco and nicotine products. It invested in K-12 readiness by providing access to preschool for Colorado kids

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Having access to preschool is vital for Colorado’s future! Students that attend pre-k get a jump start on reading and develop critical social – emotional and behavioral skills. This will in turn prepare our children for a successful K-12 experience and set them up for a better chance at life in their post-secondary journey as adults.  

We understand that when families are going through difficult times — it can negatively impact a student’s well-being and educational experience. Therefore, in addition to the investments we will continue to see in our early childhood education, this proposition will continue to invest in our families by funding affordable housing, rental assistance, and eviction assistance.  

We are excited to be endorsing Prop II and hope you are too with your vote in November! 

Complete our Pledge to Vote form, to receive more information about Proposition II, reminders as we get closer to Election day, and if you believe all children in Colorado deserve an opportunity to attend pre-school!

Pledge to vote