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ACTION ALERT: Ask Your Senator to Support Youth Mental Health Program

Legislation | 01/31/2024

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

The need for mental health supports for Colorado children is greater than ever before, and the legislature is considering legislation to help.

SB24-001, will continue indefinitely, the “I Matter” youth mental health services program which provides up to six free therapy sessions and reimburses participating licensed therapists. SB24-001 was just passed by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and will be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee soon.

At a time when there are many things competing for limited resources, Senators need to hear that supporting our children’s mental health is a top priority for you. Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a “state of emergency” in youth mental health in May 2021 due to striking increases in the number of Colorado kids and teens arriving in emergency rooms seeking support in a mental health crisis.

Email your Senator and ask them to support SB24-001.

Email Your Senator

Almost 11,000 children and teens have used the program already. If SB24-001 is not passed, the “I Matter” program will end this summer.

Please weigh in today.

Policy Priority: Help Us Increase Graduation Rates & Change the Trajectory for Colorado Students!

High School Success | 12/21/2023

Stand for Children

Colorado has expanded the number of schools implementing a 9th grade success approach. One of our top priorities for next year is to work with the legislature to expand funding for the 9th Grade Success Grant Program.

How well students perform academically in 9th grade can predict their future success.

Last week, the State Board of Education named 27 schools across Colorado recipients of 9th Grade Success Grants. Let’s ensure that even more students are finishing 9th grade on-track by expanding funding for more Colorado schools.

JOIN US

Decades of research has shown that supporting students by implementing a 9th Grade Success approach improves graduation rates. In fact, students who are “on-track” (meaning they have no more than one F) at the end of their 9th grade year are three times more likely to graduate from high school than their off-track peers. On-track status is a stronger predictor of high school graduation than race/ethnicity, level of poverty, and test scores combined!

Join us and stay in engaged in this work when the legislature convenes in January. Sign up, and we will email you when there are opportunities to advocate for our high school students.

The Consequences For Untruthful Tactics During Interrogation Are Life-Altering

Legislation | 02/1/2023

Tom Pipal Community Member

HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements was heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, January 31. Below is the prepared testimony of Tom Pipal. Learn more about HB23-1042 and why we are supporting it.

Chairperson Weissman and Members of the Committee, thank you for allowing me to speak to you today about this very important issue.

My name is Tom Pipal, and I am a resident of Parker, CO. I am here today to urge your support of HB23-1042.

I am a former university professor of management at the University of Tulsa. For twelve years I worked as the head of corporate training and development at MCI-WorldCom. Also, I served as a board member and board chair of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Tulsa for thirteen years.

As a professor, I taught a course on research methods including the creation of interview protocols and interviewing skills. As head of Corporate Training for MCI-WorldCom, I developed an interviewing skills course that was required of all managers, directors and vice-presidents (almost 7000 people). This addressed the specific context of conducting selection interviews and performance appraisals. And each year, Tulsa CASA (which represents children in cases of alleged abuse and/or neglect) conducts a 50-hour training program required for new volunteers; approximately 10 hours of that training addresses interviewing of both children and adults in this very emotional situation.

There are a number of similarities among these three settings, but one of the most important is this. It is a fundamental psychological principle that has been formally recognized for over 70 years. When a power differential exists between the person asking the questions and the person answering them, the interviewee will unconsciously (and sometimes consciously) try to give the answer the interviewer wants or expects. The greater the power differential, the stronger this effect. Therefore, to get accurate/true results, interviewers must exert a conscious effort to minimize the cues they are giving to the interviewee.

Further, we are all susceptible to this effect. But children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable in large part because their prefrontal cortex is only partially developed. This part of the brain controls decision-making, impulse control, and our ability to anticipate future events and appreciate the consequences of our actions.

When law enforcement officers use untruthful tactics during interrogation, far too often, the consequences are life-altering. It seems to me that this has three significant negative consequences: 1) an innocent may be punished; 2) the true guilty party may still be at large; and 3) the credibility of our law enforcement process may be damaged with both the child and the larger community. Trust is hard won but easily lost. A child who loses trust in the inherent fairness of the system, who is punished even as they are trying to do what they perceive to be the right thing (i.e., telling the officer what he or she wants to hear), is a life potentially lost. And that is simply too high a price.

Thank you for your time. And I fully support passage of HR 23-1042, Admissibility Standards for Juvenile Statements.

Legislation Would Protect Children and Prevent Wrongful Convictions

Legislation | 01/31/2023

Noah Stout An attorney who has worked on multiple wrongful conviction exonerations

At the age of 14, Lawrence Montoya was coerced into a confession that cost him more than 13 years of freedom. A cognitively impaired teenager residing in Denver, Montoya was subjected to hours of law enforcement techniques including “false evidence ploy, manipulation, minimization, threats, false promises.” Finally under immense pressure Montoya succumbed to these techniques and confessed falsely, resulting in a wrongful conviction. This tragic case is sadly just a single reminder of many of the urgency of protecting truth and trust in juvenile interrogations, and the importance of passing HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements.

Currently in Colorado, law enforcement may use deception during interrogation of youth. The methods used during these interrogations can also be harmful. Juveniles may be subjected to physical and psychological pressure, such as being held in isolation, being threatened with harsher punishment, or being presented with fake evidence. These tactics can lead to false confessions and can also cause long-term psychological damage. Children are more susceptible to manipulation and more likely to provide inaccurate information and false confessions under such pressure. According to an analysis published by the Bluhm Legal Clinic at Northwestern University “There can be no doubt about it: Young people are simply more likely to be wrongfully convicted than adults.” “They are less able to weigh risks and consequences; less likely to understand their legal rights; and less likely to understand what attorneys do or how attorneys can help them.”

Colorado now has an opportunity to follow states such as Oregon, Illinois and pass safeguards for kids with HB 23- 1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements which 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.

The University of Michigan’s National Registry of Exonerations examined the prevalence of false confessions in wrongful convictions of juveniles and found “Forty percent of exonerees who were under 18 at the time of the crime falsely confessed, including 53 percent of 14- and 15-year olds, and 86 percent of the few who were 13 years old or younger. By comparison, only 7 percent of adult exonerees without reported mental disabilities falsely confessed.”

Under interrogation for two and a half hours Lawrence Montoya denied 65 times being involved in the murder that he was ultimately coerced into confessing to using deceptive tactics. This confession was used in the absence of a shred of physical evidence to convict a 14 year old child. Unjust convictions such as Lawrence Montoya’s undermines the integrity of the justice system and can be prevented by HB 23-1042. Unfortunately, we cannot give back the countless years that have been taken from wrongly convicted children such as Lawrence Montoya, but this important legislation can be a first step in building trust within the criminal justice system and preventing future unjust convictions.

https://www.ca10.uscourts.gov/sites/ca10/files/opinions/010110692520.pdf

Noah Stout, of Denver, is an attorney who has worked on multiple wrongful conviction exonerations.

Capitol Week in Review

Capitol Week in Review | 01/30/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Advisor

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

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce was heard by the House Education Committee on January 26th. It was passed on a unanimous vote and now goes to the Committee of the Whole.

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program was rescheduled to be heard by the House Public and Behavior Health and Human Services

Committee on February 7th.

HB23-1064, Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact, which will make it easier for active-duty military spouses to transfer their teaching licenses without further testing, will be heard by the House Education Committee on February 1st.

SB23-029, Disproportionate Discipline In Public Schools, which requires each school district board of education, institute charter school board for a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute, or governing board of a board of cooperative services (BOCES) to adopt a policy to address disproportionate disciplinary practices in public schools will be heard by the Senate Education Committee January 30th. SB23-043, Continue School Access For Emergency Response Grant Program, extends the SAFER grant program for 5 years, until July 1, 2029, and clarifies when the state treasurer is required to transfer unexpended money from the SAFER grant program’s cash fund when the grant program is repealed passed out of the Senate Education Committee on a vote of 7-0 and was referred to the Committee on Appropriations.

Our Take

We are encouraged by the unanimous vote in support of HB23-1001 Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs in this week’s House Education Committee hearing.

This bill is a top priority for Stand this legislative session and is a continuation of HB22-1220, Removing Barriers to Educator Preparation a bill we championed last session that paid for teacher exam fees, expanded pathways to licensure by allowing multiple ways to demonstrate competency and paid teacher candidates for student teaching work.

Colorado educator, Anthony Abel-Pype, joined us in support of the bill, submitting written testimony saying, “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.” You can read Anthony’s full testimony here.

Take Action

ASK HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE MEMBERS TO SUPPORT HB23-1042!

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

HB23-1042, Admissibility Standards For Juvenile Statements, which will be heard by the Senate Judiciary Committee on January 30th 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.   Tell House Judiciary Committee members to vote yes on HB23-1042 to protect truth and trust in interrogations!

What We’re Reading

Colorado would expand financial aid, loan forgiveness for student teachers

Chalkbeat’s Education Bill Tracker

Action Alert: Support HB23-1042 to Build Trust in the System and Safety for the Community

Legislation | 01/27/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Legislative session is picking up speed and the first hearing on one of our priority bills is Monday in the House Judiciary Committee. There is an opportunity for you to weigh in on a bill designed to help ensure every child grows up in a safe and supportive community.

First let me give you some more information. 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.

Email House Judiciary Committee Members

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.

Contact members of the House Judiciary Committee and ask them to vote yes on HB23-1042 to help ensure that law enforcement officers receive training for interrogation of youth and prioritize securing confessions that are voluntary and reliable. This will help build trust in the system and safety for the community.

Capitol Week in Review

Legislation | 01/13/2023

Bri Buentello Government Affairs Director

Welcome to a Special Edition of Capitol Week in Review! The First Session of the 74th General Assembly kicked off this week with mostly pomp and circumstance. Members were sworn in, leadership elections took place, committee assignments were made, and legislation started being introduced. Capital Week in Review is back to bring 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. This week we are sharing key information about leadership in the general assembly, updates from the State Board of Education and Governor’s office as well as a rundown on our priorities for this session.

Legislative update

HB23-1001, Expanding Assistance For Educator Programs, which supports student teachers toward the goal of diversifying the teacher workforce was introduced in the House.

HB23-1003, School Mental Health Assessment, which creates the sixth through twelfth grade mental health assessment program was introduced in the House.

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 was introduced in the House and assigned to the Judiciary Committee.

SB23-029, Disproportionate Discipline In Public Schools, which requires each school district board of education, institute charter school board for a charter school authorized by the state charter school institute, or governing board of a board of cooperative services (BOCES) to adopt a policy to address disproportionate disciplinary practices in public schools was introduced in the Senate and assigned to the Education Committee.

SB23-043, Continue School Access For Emergency Response Grant Program, extends the SAFER grant program for 5 years, until July 1, 2029. The SAFER Grant Program provides funding to encourage and provide training for seamless communivations between schools and first responders.

Senate and House Leadership Elected

Senate
President
Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder)
Minority Leader Paul Lundeen (R-El Paso)

House of Representatives
Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie
(D-Summit) Minority Leader Mike Lynch (R-Larimer)

Education Committee Members NaMED

Senate Education Committee Members

Chair: Janet Buckner

Vice-Chair: Janice Marchman

House Education Committee Members

Chair: Barbara McLachlan

Vice-Chair: Matthew Martinez

Governor Polis Sworn in for Second Term

Governor Jared Polis was sworn in for a second term on January 10, 2023 in front of the State Capitol in Denver. During his inaugural address he highlighted some of his accomplishments such as free full-day kindergarten. While education was not a centerpiece of his speech, he did mention implementation of universal preschool. He also called for unity as Coloradans and acceptance of differences throughout his remarks, “No matter what part of Colorado you call home, who you are, or who you love. No matter your race, or your gender, or how you worship, or how you vote. Colorado belongs to all of us and we will all help shape our future.”

*Stand Government Affairs Director, Bri Buentello joins our partners at Healthier Colorado at inaugration this week.*

Members of State Board of Education Sworn In

This week, recently elected members Kathy Plomer, Steve Durham, Rebecca McClellan, and Rhonda Solis were sworn in to the State Board of Education. Rebecca McClellan was named chair and Lisa Escárcega was named vice-chair of the State Board. Read more about the roles and responsibilities of the State Board of Education.

Members of our team attended the swearing in ceremony for the new State Board of Education members.

Our Take: Priorities this Session

Stand advocates for educational equity and racial justice in Colorado through meaningful partnerships with families, educators, schools, and policymakers by prioritizing early literacy, high school success, and safe and supportive schools and communities. During legislative session this year our team will be advocating alongside our partners for a variety of policies aligned to our mission.

Our top priorities include:

Expanding funding for the Ninth Grade On- Track and Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant programs.
Repealing deceptive interrogation tactics for juveniles, updating expulsion policies, eliminating cash bail, and raising the age for detention from 10 to 13.
Finalizing the updated school funding formula to include a new proxy for poverty, ensure a dedicated English Language Learner (ELL) weight, create a better balance for cost-of-living adjustment amounts, and fully fund special education services across districts.

Continuing work towards diversifying the teacher workforce.

What We’re Reading

2023 Colorado General Assembly: The people’s guide to following education issues, Chalkbeat

First day: Colorado lawmakers pledge ‘thoughtful’ school funding debate amid budget constraints, Chalkbeat

CSU’s teacher preparation program wins state approval, gets kudos for science of reading shift Colorado voters may be asked to forgo their future, Chalkbeat

TABOR refunds so the state can boost school funding, Colorado Sun

State Board of ed passes inclusive social studies standards

Safe and Supportive Schools and Communities | 11/16/2022

Krista Spurgin Executive Director

Efforts, fueled by misinformation, to omit teaching complete history and censure teachers will not happen in Colorado after the State Board of Education voted this week to approve social studies standards for students that include ” the experiences and contributions of diverse groups: Latino, Indigenous, African American, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, religious minorities, and LGBTQ people.”

Together with our supporters and other partners we raised our voices in favor of students learning accurate, fact-based accounts of history that describe the contributions and persecution of certain groups.

Tell the State board: Students Need Accurate account of History

Safe and Supportive Schools and Communities | 10/3/2022

Krista Spurgin Executive Director

The State Board of Education is poised to vote on updates to Colorado’s social studies standards in November. A committee of educators, professors, and other experts revised the standards to align to new Colorado legislation and public feedback.

That committee faced pushback from some in the public – and some on the State Board of Education – over the number of times various groups are referenced. A 2019 law  called for more inclusive social studies standards and lists the inclusion of information about the contributions and persecution of American Indians, Latinos, African Americans, and Asian Americans, the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender individuals within these groups. A commission of experts (the 1192 Commission) was formed as a result of this law and they made recommend updates to the standards. Now, it’s time for the State Board to accept those recommendations!

We must ensure that efforts, fueled by misinformation, to omit teaching complete history and censure teachers do not happen in Colorado!

Email the State Board with One Click!

When students have the opportunity to learn an accurate, fact-based account of history, it enables them to avoid repeating mistakes of the past, succeed in diverse workplaces and communities, and work toward creating a better and just society. Schools need to be safe and supportive environments for ALL students. Email State Board Chair Angelika Schroeder and ask her to accept the final revisions to the social studies standards by the 1192 Commission.

Action Alert: Teacher Diversity

Legislation | 04/27/2022

Stand for Children

We are on step closer to House Bill 22-1220 becoming a reality!

House Bill 22-1220, which will remove barriers to support teacher candidates entering the workforce, passed the House and is being heard in the Senate Education Committee TOMORROW. We need to show Senators how much support there is for this policy, so will you send an email with one click?

EMAIL SENATE EDUCATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS

HB22-1220 will:

support teacher candidates by paying them for their student teaching work,
remove financial barriers by paying for teacher exam fees, and
expand pathways to licensure by allowing multiple ways to demonstrate competency.

Read more about HB22-1220 in this Colorado Sun article. We are proud to champion HB22-1220 because we see this policy as a pathway to increasing teacher diversity in Colorado. We know that removing financial barriers and increasing pathways to licensure will ensure a more diverse educator workforce, which is critical for all of Colorado’s students to experience just and supportive schools.