Legislation Archives

Advocates Join Stand for Day at the Capitol

Legislation | 04/27/2023

Vallerie Bustamante Digital Organizing Manager

This week a dozen parents, educators and community leaders joined our team for a day at the Capitol. These advocates were briefed on the latest on key policy moving through the Capitol, listened to Senate floor debate (and were even invited to sit on the Senate floor), got a tour of the Capitol and shared their policy priorities.

Here are some of the reflections that those that joined us shared about why it is important for them to be involved in advocacy at the state level.

“I am very fortunate to be here today with Stand. For many years, I have involved myself into the practices and policies of schools but I’ve never really had the opportunity to dive in and really make a difference at in the policies that are implemented at the state level. This is really what we need in order to be able to make the changes for our kids.” Flor Orozco, parent and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“I’ve been working with Stand as a fellow and it has invited me to take up space in politics that I never really thought I belonged in or never knew the right entry point. Now because of this I fee inspired to do more community organizing to find ways that I can advocate not only for students but also for members of the queer community, and BIPOC voices. I believe that Stand is doing some incredible work.” Lauren Kinney, educator and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“It was important for me to be here today to make sure that our representative know our priorities, take them seriously and address them in meaningful ways.” Tom Pipal, community advocate

If you don’t already, please follow us on Instagram (@standcolorado) to see more about Stand’s Day at the Capitol and for the latest updates on our policy priorities.

Capitol Week in review

Capitol Week in Review | 04/8/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Capitol Week in Review brings you news of bills we are tracking around our priorities of advancing educational equity and racial justice in Colorado and making our schools and communities safer and more supportive.

Legislative Update

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program. The hearing for this bill was rescheduled for April 13th.

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin, will be heard April 12 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, was postponed indefinitely, meaning it will not advance further this year, by a unanimous vote in the House Education Committee. This bill aimed to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as it pertained to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increased the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1168, Legal Representation And Students With Disabilities, which requires CDE to create and maintain a list of attorneys qualified to represent a parent in a due process complaint and creates a fund to pay attorneys defending parents against due process complaints filed by an education provider, is scheduled to be considered by the Senate April 10.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was postponed indefinitely by the House Judiciary Committee.

HB23-1231, Math in Pre-Kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, will be heard by the House Appropriations Committee April 10. This bill will support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services, and ensures policy is aligned to current state and federal standards and was passed 7-4 by the House Education Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide, was passed by the House Judiciary Committee 9-4 and referred to the House Appropriations Committee.

HB23-1263, Translating Individualized Education Programs, permits the multidisciplinary team that creates an individualized education program (IEP) for a child, who may be eligible for special education services, to translate the IEP draft documents into the dominant language spoken in the home of the child’s parent, guardian, or legal custodian. The bill is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee April 13th.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professionals, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee.

SB23-039, Reduce Child And Incarcerated Parent Separation, which requires the Department of Human Services to prioritize and facilitate communication and family time between children and their parents who are incarcerated, passed unanimously by the House Public & Behavior Health and Human Services Committee and was referred to the Appropriations Committee.

SB23-70, Mandatory School Resource Officer Training, is a bill that would require a law enforcement officer to complete a Safe2Tell training curriculum before working as a school resource officer; it was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee.

SB23-087, Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, which creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program as an alternative route to teacher licensure and helps to alleviate the educator shortage, was passed unanimously by the House Education Committee.

SB23-099, Special Education Funding, which increases special education funding by an additional $40,203, 671, is scheduled to be heard by the House Education Committee April 10.

SB23-258, Consolidate Colorado Educator Programs In Colorado Department of Education, which consolidates the review and approval process for educator preparation programs under the Department of Education and the State Board of Education is scheduled to be heard April 10 by the Senate Education Committee.

Our Take

After hours of compelling testimony, nine members of the House Judiciary Committee voted to pass HB23-1249, Reduce Justice-involvement For Young Children. This legislation will end the prosecution of children 12 years and younger and empower alternative child-serving systems, including mental health, education, and child welfare agencies, to address the behavior, deliver treatment and family supports instead of prosecution. We applaud the members that voted to advance this important legislation.

Take Action

Send a thank you note to the legislators that voted to pass HB23-1249 with one click!

What We’re Reading

Opinion: Families shouldn’t go into debt paying for prison calls

School district invites mental health co-responders to assist school resource officers

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/31/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Legislative Update

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program will be heard April 6 in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin, will be heard April 5 by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.

HB23-1089, Special Education Services For Students In Foster Care, which designates students in out-of-home placements as residents of the school district of their school of origin to increase stability and learning success, will be heard April 5 by Senate Education.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was rescheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee April 5.

HB23-1241, Task Force To Study K-12 Accountability System, which creates a task force to study academic opportunities, inequities, practices in schools, and improvements to the accountability and accreditation system, passed 10-0 by the House Education Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, which changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide, will be heard April 5 by the House Judiciary Committee.

SB23-004, Employment Of School Mental Health Professionals, which authorizes a school district to employ health professions, who are not licensed by the Colorado Department of Education but hold a Colorado license for their profession will be heard by the House Education Committee April 6.

SB23-039, Reduce Child And Incarcerated Parent Separation, which requires the Department of Human Services to prioritize and facilitate communication and family time between children and their parents who are incarcerated, is scheduled to be heard April 5 by the House Public & Behavior Health and Human Services Committee.

SB23-70, Mandatory School Resource Officer Training, is a bill that would require a law enforcement officer to complete a Safe2Tell training curriculum before working as a school resource officer; it is scheduled to be heard April 6 in the Senate Education Committee.

SB23-087, Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, which creates a teacher degree apprenticeship program as an alternative route to teacher licensure and helps to alleviate the educator shortage, is scheduled to be heard April 3 by the House Education Committee.

Our Take

Legislators are considering a policy that will help reduce recidivism by keeping families connected while a loved one is incarcerated. HB23-1133, Cost of Phone Calls for Persons in Custody, would make prison communication free across Colorado.

Every year, Colorado families –who are disproportionately Black, brown, and low-income – pay over $8.8 million to speak to their incarcerated loved ones. Over 50% of families with an incarcerated loved one struggle to meet basic housing and food needs. One out of three families with a loved one behind bars goes into debt just to stay in touch, and women carry 87% of the burden.

Research has repeatedly shown that when incarcerated people and their families are in regular communication, they do better both while they are behind bars serving their sentence and when they reenter the community, which improves safety for correctional officers and the public.

Take Action

Ask legislators to reduce recidivism and keep families connected!

Email your representative and ask them to support HB23-1133.

What We’re Reading

State budget clears Colorado Senate, school funding TBD

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/24/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce, was sent to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program was passed on third readings by the House.

HB22-1112, Earned Income And Child Tax Credits, which increases percentages of the federal credit that a resident individual can claim for the child tax credit on their state income tax and requires the Department of Revenue to adjust for inflation, is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance Committee on March 27.

HB23-1151, Clarifications To 48-hour Bond Hearing Requirement, passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Current law requires an individual who is in jail to be brought before a judge for a bond hearing within 48-hours of arriving at the jail. This bill builds off previous bail reform to further clarify that medical emergencies or addiction treatment is an exception to the 48-hour rule, that the hearing can be held remotely or even through a phone call.

HB23-1169, Limit Arrest For Low-level Offenses, which prohibits a peace officer from arresting a person based solely on the alleged commission of a petty offense, except for high level misdemeanors directly impacting victims (e.g. theft), was rescheduled to be heard by the House Judiciary Committee March 28.

HB23-1235, Technical Modification To Department Of Early Childhood, which makes technical changes HB22-1295, which created Colorado’s universal preschool program, is scheduled to be heard on March 29 in the House Education Committee. This bill would allow the Department of Early Childhood to enter into contracts for early literacy programming and whole-child services, and ensures policy is aligned to current state and federal standards was introduced in the House and assigned to the House Education Committee.

HB23-1249, Reduce Justice Involvement for Young Children, was introduced in the House. This bill changes the minimum age – from 10 to 13 – of children who are subject to prosecution in juvenile court; except in the case of homicide.

Our Take

As we shared in last week’s edition of Capitol Week in Review, increasing funding for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program is a top priority of Stand Colorado. 9th grade has come to be well known as the make-or-break year. How well students perform academically in 9th grade can predict their future success. The first year in high school has a huge impact on whether students graduate. In fact, students who end 9th grade on-track are three times more likely to graduate from high school than their off-track peers. (toandthrough.uchicago.edu)

In Colorado, the Center for High School Success (CHSS), a Stand for Children program, partners with four districts who receive funds through the Ninth Grade Success Grant Program. In the 2021-22 school year, On-Track Rates in schools that partner with CHSS in Colorado grew an average of 19 percentage points, drastically increasing the number of students who will graduate in 2025.

It’s clear that implementing a focused 9th grade success is changing the trajectory for Colorado students. By ensuring that students finish their 9th grade year on-track, we ensure students graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success.

Learn more here.

Take Action

The House Appropriations Committee is considering HB23-1231, a bill to support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. Ask the Appropriations Committee to support HB23-1231 with one click!

What We’re Reading

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

9th Grade Success: An Approach Worth Investing In

High School Success | 03/18/2023

Krista Spurgin Executive Director

Why 9th Grade Matters

9th grade has come to be well known as the make-or-break year. How well students perform academically in 9th grade can predict their future success. The first year in high school has a huge impact on whether students graduate. In fact, students who end 9th grade on-track are three times more likely to graduate from high school than their off-track peers. (toandthrough.uchicago.edu)

To be on-track means a 9th grade student has earned at least a quarter of the credits needed to graduate and received no more than one F in any course. Research shows that on-track status is a stronger predictor of high school graduation than race/ethnicity, level of poverty, and test scores combined!

At Stand Colorado, we prioritize policy solutions and implementation efforts to ensure that high schools across the state are implementing a 9th grade success approach, a proven strategy to improve graduation rates.

What’s happening in Colorado

In 2019, the Colorado state legislature created the Ninth Grade Success Grant Program. Informed by the research around 9th grade success, the grant supports schools to implement key components of a 9th grade success approach including establishing Ninth Grade Teams, implementing data systems and transition programs, and providing targeted instructional support for ninth grade students. Stand Colorado championed efforts to secure $800K for the Grant Program to maximize the number of Colorado students who finish 9th grade on-track.

There are currently nine Colorado school districts receiving funds through the grant. In Colorado, the Center for High School Success (CHSS), a Stand for Children program, partners with four of those districts, Denver Public Schools, Center Consolidated Schools 26JT, Poudre, and Pueblo 60, to increase 9th Grade On-Track Rates. Colorado’s Center for High School Success, which currently partners with eight total districts across Colorado provides coaching, training, collaboration, and data and technical support. In the 2021-22 school year, On-Track Rates in schools that partner with CHSS in Colorado grew an average of 19 percentage points, drastically increasing the number of students who will graduate in 2025.

Take Action

The House is considering HB23-1231, a bill to support math educators with evidence-based training and interventions to help K- 12th grade students struggling in math. The bill also includes $1.6 million for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program to help ensure that more Colorado students finish their 9th grade year on-track and graduate high school prepared for post-secondary success. Ask your representative to support HB23-1231 with one click!

EMAIL LAWMAKERS

Let’s Support Educators in Improving Math Outcomes for Students

High School Success | 03/17/2023

Krista Spurgin Executive Director

On Thursday, March 16 the House Education Committee heard HB23-1231: Math In Pre-kindergarten Through Twelfth Grade, which requires CDE to create and offer free, optional trainings in evidence-based practices in mathematics, including a training specifically designed for elementary school educators and a training specifically designed for secondary school mathematics educators. The bill also amends the ninth-grade success grant program and requires the CDE to prioritize applicants that propose programming focused on evidence-based mathematics skills and intervention strategies, including a focus on students who are below grade level or struggling in mathematics and have academic achievement levels in mathematics that are consistently ranked the lowest for public high schools in the state. Funding for the Ninth Grade Success Grant program is a top priority of Stand Colorado. Below is the testimony in support of HB23-1231 of Krista Spurgin, Stand Executive Director.

“Good afternoon Mr. Chair, House Education Committee Members, my name is Krista Spurgin and the Executive Director with Stand for Children Colorado. Stand for Children is an education advocacy and racial justice nonprofit that supports parents, teachers, and community members in their fight for excellent public schools and systems changes that directly impact all of Colorado’s kids.

We are very supportive of HB1231 as a whole and want to specifically speak to the section of this bill that increases funding for the 9^th Grade Success Grant program and prioritizes schools focused on math.

The 9^th Grade Year has been called the Make Or Break year because Students who are on track at the end of the 9^th grade year – meaning they are passing core class such as math and are meeting attendance expectations – are 3 times more likely graduate on time.

Research actually shows that on-track status is a stronger predictor of high school graduation than race/ethnicity, level of poverty, and test scores combined!

In School year 21-22 schools focused on 9^th grade success work increased 9^th grade on-track rates by an average of 19 percentage points putting 2,300 additional students on track to graduation.

We believe that prioritizing grantees that have a plan to focus on math is a great use of the funding and the program. I appreciate your time today and ask for your support of HB23-1231.”

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/11/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce, is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee on March 13.

HB23-1037, Department Of Corrections Earned Time For College Program Completion, which permits an inmate sentenced for a nonviolent felony offense to have earned time deducted from their sentence for each accredited degree or other credential awarded will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee March 13.

HB23-1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements, which increases funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, as well as improves the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded passed second reading in the House and a final vote is expected soon.

HB23-1064, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, which makes it easier for active-duty military spouses to transfer their teaching licenses without further testing, thereby allowing them to teach in Colorado classrooms faster, is headed to the Governor for signature.

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, passed out of the House. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to detain individuals for federal immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years. It passed the House and was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Judiciary Committee.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, is scheduled to be heard for action only by the House Education Committee March 29. This bill aims to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as pertains to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increases the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1145, Hearing Timelines Juveniles in Adult Facilities, which aligns Colorado law’s hearing timelines for juveniles held in an adult facility while awaiting trial with the timelines in the federal “Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act”, passed the Senate on third readings 35-0.

HB23-1198, Teacher Externship Program for Science Technology Engineering and Math Disciplines, which creates a statewide program to provide kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers work-based learning opportunities, passed House Education Committee and was referred to the Finance Committee.

HB23-1207, Stipends For National Board-certified Educators, which allows stipends (up to $3200) for educators serving in low-performing, rural or high-needs school districts, passed the House Education Committee and was referred to the Appropriations Committee.

HB23-1211, Collect Data Language Translation Services Special Education, which requires the Department of Education to track the provision of language translation services related to IEPs and include such data as part of its annual “SMART Act” was postponed indefinitely.

SB23-181, Concerning Screening of Dyslexia in Public Schools, builds on recommendations for further screening and training on how best to screen for individual literacy deficiencies was introduced in the Senate. The bill also establishes an independent ombudsman to represent parents of students with literacy needs.

Our Take

The House is expected to take a final vote soon on HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements.

In Colorado, children of color are one and a half to three times more likely to be arrested and interrogated than their white counterparts (CO Dept. of Public Safety, 2020). As a result, children of color are more often harmed by false confessions, directly contributing to the racial disparity in the criminal justice system.

Currently, law enforcement may use deception during interrogation of youth. As you would imagine, children are more susceptible to manipulation and more likely to provide inaccurate information and false confessions under such pressure. In the last twenty-five years, youth who were exonerated after being convicted of crimes, 38% gave false confessions.

HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements will:

Increase funding for interrogation training for law enforcement, and
Improve the general reliability of confessions by requiring all juvenile interrogations to be recorded, and
If law enforcement does use deceptive tactics during custodial, interrogation, the judge may discern whether the resulting confession was voluntary and therefore reliable and admissible in trial.

Read personal testimony in support of this legislation on our blog here, here, here, and here.

Take Action

Last week, members of the House Education Committee heard hours of testimony from students, educators, and legal experts asking them to support HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is legislation that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers

What We’re Reading

The ‘Science of Reading’ and English-Language Learners: What the Research Says

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Standing With You

Standing With You | 03/4/2023

Krista Spurgin Executive Director

Colorado’s 2023 Legislative Session is in Full Swing

At Stand for Children Colorado, we advocate for policy solutions in the areas of early literacy, high school success, diversifying and supporting the teacher workforce and safe and supportive schools and communities. This session we are proud to be championing and supporting key bills to support Colorado’s students, educators, and families.

This session, we are prioritizing policies to:

Expand funding for the Ninth Grade On-Track and Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant programs.
Expand and diversify the educator workforce.
Fight for equitable school funding.
Create protections for juveniles through interrogation and detention reforms.
Update probation and parole supervision to include remote check-in options and early release for education credits earned.
Create access to free phone calls from prison or jail.

Centering Parent, Educator and Community Voice at the Capitol

At Stand Colorado, we deeply believe that policy making is most effective when the voices of those impacted are at the center of decision making. That’s why we support parent, educator, and community advocates to share their testimonies with lawmakers during Senate and House committee meetings. We’re sharing a few of those testimonies here:

Let’s provide mental health assessments for students | parent and Stand Community Organizer, Natalie Perez, testifies in support of HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment.

Young people are especially vulnerable to falsely confessing under the pressure of deception | community leader, Lindsay Saunders-Velez, testifies in support of HB23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements. We cannot afford not to invest in our education workforce | Colorado educator, Anthony Abel-Pype testifies in support of HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs.

Expanding and Diversifying Colorado’s Educator Workforce

Stand Colorado has championed efforts to develop and pass, and now continue to advocate for, innovative policy solutions to address financial and other barriers to educators entering the workforce to ensure an expanded and more diverse educator workforce, which is critical for all of Colorado’s students to experience just and supportive schools.

In 2023, we are support three key bills to remove barriers and expand and diversify the teacher pipeline in Colorado – HB23-1001 Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, SB23-087 Teacher Degree Apprenticeship Program, and HB23-1064 Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. Learn more here.

The 9th Grade Approach: A CHSS Showcase

This January, we hosted a virtual event, The 9th Grade Approach: A CHSS Showcase in partnership with Colorado’s Center for High School Success (CHSS), a project of Stand for Children. Educators, lawmakers, and community members joined us to learn about the research driving the 9th Grade Success model, coaching and support CHSS provides in Colorado’s schools, and demonstrated student outcomes in the 2021-22 school year.

Yaeel Duarte, Stand Advocacy Fellow, testifies in support of HB23-1042

“I cannot imagine the powerlessness parents might feel to know that their children could be in a position where an adult in power could be using dishonest tactics to drive them into confessing something false. Nobody, including adults, can think clearly about future consequences under such pressure.”

Learn More

Anthony Abel-Pype, Colorado Educator, testifies in support of HB23-1001

“Bills that can offer incentives, financial and otherwise, for people in general, and people of color in particular, to choose a career path in education, and to stick with it, will go a long way to improving student outcomes in the state of Colorado.”

Learn More

Stand up for Language Justice

We are working to expand the practice of Language Justice in Colorado and we want to hear from you! Please take a few minutes to tell us about your experience with language justice in your school district. We will be sharing what we heard with district leadership. Complete our survey here.

Thank you for Standing

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 03/3/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisory

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

HB23-1024, Relative And Kin Placement Of A Child, which establishes measures to support reunification of a child or youth with their family when the child or youth has been temporarily placed with a relative or kin outside of the family home, passed unanimously in the House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

HB23-1100, Restrict Government Involvement In Immigration Detention, passed out of the House. For years, Colorado taxpayers have been picking up the bill of the federal government by allowing the state to contract a private company to house or detain individuals for federal civil immigration purposes. This bill would prevent any such further contracts and begins a review process of these contracts over the next two years. It passed out of the House on third readings, 41-22.

HB23-1109, School Policies and Student Conduct, was heard in the House Education Committee and laid over for a vote. This bill aims to strengthen due process rights for students, particularly as pertains to behavior off school grounds and outside of school hours. It also increases the training for expulsion hearing officers, including training around disabilities and trauma-informed care and interventions.

HB23-1172, Child Welfare And Juvenile Court Jurisdiction, a bill brought by Denver Area Human Services that seeks to provide improved care for children in foster care while maintaining parent rights, was introduced in the Senate.

HB23-1187, Alternatives In Criminal Justice System And Pregnant Persons, which requires the court to consider alternatives, such as probation, to pregnant or postpartum defendants if the risk of incarceration outweighs risk to the public, passed out of the House 44 – 19.

HB23-1188, Individualized Learning Schools And Programs, which authorizes a public or charter school to offer an individualized learning program or become an individualized learning school, was rescheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 23.

HB23-1198, Teacher Externship Program for Science Technology Engineering and Math Disciplines, which creates a statewide program to provide kindergarten through twelfth grade teachers work-based learning opportunities, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 8.

HB23-1207, Stipends For National Board-certified Educators, which allows cash stipends (up to $3200) for teachers, social workers, librarians and administrators serving in low-performing, rural or high needs school districts, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 8.

HB23-1211, Collect Data Language Translation Services Special Education, which requires the department of education to track the provision of language translation services related to IEPs and include such data as part of its annual “SMART Act” hearing, is scheduled to be heard in the House Education Committee on March 9.

Our Take

Hundreds of Colorado students are expelled from schools every year for low-level nonviolent conduct or based on mere allegations. This disproportionately impacts children of color and students with disabilities.

On Thursday, the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. After hours of testimony, the bill was laid over for a vote on March 16.

Expelling students exposes them to a greater likelihood of delinquency or criminal system involvement and is therefore more expensive and less effective than keeping students in school. We’re so grateful to the parents, educators, and community leaders who joined us to testify in support of this legislation. We stand for safe and supportive schools and communities for all students and are proud to advocate for this bill alongside so many students, educators, and legal experts.

Here’s what they had to say:

“If we don’t make the change now to have skillful and well-versed advocates making informed decisions for our students and their families then we are accepting a system that funnels students out of the classroom and into the juvenile and criminal legal system.” Tina Carroll, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“…young people will someday become adults and if we continue to treat them like marginalized members of society, we may pay a higher price in the end. If someone had taken the time to see me as more than a problem to get rid of, I might have had an easier road to get to where I am now.” Jesse Rula, educator, parent, and Stand Advocacy Fellow

“As a high school counselor, I am forced to witness and triage the fallout of failed exclusionary discipline on practically a daily basis. Our best, most obvious solution is to focus on… addressing the harm done to individual and community…while focusing heavily on the rehabilitation of the perpetrator.” Lauren Kinney, school counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow

Take Action

What We’re Reading

‘I spent over $6,763 on phone calls’: Colorado lawmakers debate bill to offer free phone calls to inmates

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Most of the time Students Need Services, Kindness, & Respect -Not Expulsion

Legislation | 03/2/2023

Lauren Kinney School Counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow

High School Students With Teacher In Class Using Laptops Smiling

Today the House Education Committee heard HB23-1109, School Policies And Student Conduct. This is a bill that promotes restorative practices, ensures reduced legal system involvement, fosters fairness in a system that otherwise considers students guilty until proven innocent, and creates accountability for unregulated and untrained expulsion hearing officers. Lauren Kinney, school counselor and Stand Advocacy Fellow prepared testimony in support of HB23-1109 that was read during the hearing by government affairs director, Bri Buentello. Below are those remarks.

“My name is Lauren Kinney and I am asking you to support HB23-1109. As a high school counselor, I am forced to witness and triage the fallout of failed exclusionary discipline on practically a daily basis. The amount of time I spend responding to frustrated teachers, admin hell-bent on maintaining the status quo of zero-tolerance policies, exhausted parents, and students that are starved for connection and struggling to cope with the trauma of a pandemic.

Students need services, kindness, respect, and to be taught the Colorado Essential Skills (Empowered Individual, Communicator, Problem Solver, and Community Member). We have local and national data warning us for decades about the unintended consequences of even a single failed class or suspension on graduation rates and the likelihood of entering the criminal justice system.

We know that one suspension in ninth grade doubles the risk of failing classes and increases the risk of dropping out by 20% (Mallett, 2016).
Students that fail one or more classes during their freshman year only have a 14% likelihood of graduating on time with their peers (ASCA, 2019).

If you explore the Education Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection website, you will see that regardless of the county in Colorado, our marginalized students are disproportionately impacted by these antiquated systems. 

Our best, most obvious solution is to focus on Restorative Justice Practices focused on addressing the harm done to individual and community stakeholders while focusing heavily on the rehabilitation of the perpetrator. There is significant evidence that RJP can improve student misbehavior, minimize exclusionary discipline, reduce discipline gaps related to race and disabilities, and have a positive impact on the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of the safety and pro-social climate of the schools.

Because you all have the advantage of using your fully-formed adult brains, I urge you to consider the long-term unintended consequences of our children’s behaviors that their underdeveloped brains cannot.” 