WHEREAS education is the foundation of our civilized and free society and is the best investment that we can make to help ensure a prosperous future, and
WHEREAS providing our youth a quality education is absolutely essential to enable our state and nation to compete globally, and
WHEREAS Colorado has the most educated populace in the nation, but one of the lowest high-school graduation rates, and the greatest minority achievement gap in the nation, and
WHEREAS Colorado has increased its funding for K-12 education since 2000 without seeing a corresponding increase in academic performance;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that CLUB 20:
- Supports state and local education reforms to ensure quality outcomes focused on developing workforce-ready and post-secondary-ready graduates.
- Maintain rigorous education standards that are competitive with education standards of the most successful states and nations.
- Promote both content knowledge (i.e. math, science, literacy) and learning & behavior skills (i.e. critical thinking, work ethic).
- Advance students at any level only when education standards have been mastered.
- Increase the competency of High School graduates and thus reduce the need for remedial education for college freshmen.
- Provide a career path for all High School graduates – from Career Tech programs, to Community College, to 4-year degree – and ensure that these graduates are postsecondary- and/or workforce-ready.
- Believes that education funding levels should be evaluated to ensure that adequate resources are available to achieve P-12 education goals, and continually monitor this investment to ensure the most efficient and effective use of those dollars.
- Increase investment in preschool education.
- Improve the evaluation process for both school teachers and administrators in order to further the development of excellent teachers and remove ineffective teachers, including but not limited to merit based pay and awarding tenure based on proven performance.
- Believes that individual schools should have the option to apply appropriate student disciplinary practices (with parental approval and in compliance with all applicable local, state and federal child protection laws).
- Believes that we should encourage and reward active parental involvement and community involvement to support kids and to collaborate with our school systems in these important endeavors.
Adopted 9/10/10
Renewed 4/1/2016