Karla Esser

Education We need to revamp our system and make sure that the schools and kids who need the most support get adequate funding and resources to succeed. We need to reevaluate the effects of TABOR and the Negative Factor on school funding, and look at solutions to get our schools back on track compared to national averages. Education Teachers in Colorado receive 40% less than the average salary of any other Coloradan, with average starting pay at 33,483 for K-12 teachers. This is not a livable wage, and it has hurt our schools’ ability to recruit and retain the best and brightest teachers. We need to address this pay gap and give teachers a much-needed and well-deserved raise. Otherwise, we’re looking at more four-day school weeks and unfilled positions. Education Colorado’s academic standards provide measurable goals, while allowing for the flexibility needed for each child based upon their unique needs. We should encourage flexibility to improve each students’ chance of success in and out of the classroom. Education Colorado schools have been hindered by budget cuts and a lack of resources and investment by the state in recent decades. This has put our kids at a big disadvantage compared to other students across the nation and world. We need to step up our game in a modernized economy, and provide Colorado schools with the resources, equipment, and funding they need to excel. Education Our goal must always be to serve the changing needs of our students so that learning is equitable, especially those students who have been marginalized for so long.