This story by Erica Meltzer originally appeared on Chalkbeat Colorado on October 17, 2022. It has been edited for length.
Colorado’s State Board of Education is growing from seven to nine seats, and political control of the body that sets education policy could be at stake in November’s election.
The State Board of Education hires the education commissioner, oversees the school accountability and teacher evaluation systems, hears charter school appeals of district decisions, and sets state standards that guide what students should learn and what schools should teach.
The State Board doesn’t set school funding — that job belongs to the legislature.
State Board of Education members are elected from each of the state’s congressional districts. The board is getting two new seats due to redistricting. Those include one seat representing a new 8th Congressional District that includes Adams and Weld counties and a new statewide at-large seat to maintain an odd number of board members.
State Board members serve six-year terms and earn no salary. There are four open seats, including one held by incumbent Rebecca McClellan, a Littleton Democrat, and one by incumbent Steve Durham, a Colorado Springs Republican. Both are running for reelection.
Democrats hold four of the current seven board seats. This election has the potential to shift political control back to the Republicans, who controlled the board for decades.
Mail ballots were sent out yesterday, and must be returned by November 8.
The State Board faces a number of challenging issues.
The State Board this year ordered the reorganization of the Adams 14 district, in part for persistently low test scores. This could lead to dissolution of the district, school closures, or new district boundaries.
An audit of the school accountability system to determine how well state oversight of school performance is working is expected shortly after the election, and could lead to calls for changes. The legislature will make those decisions, but the State Board’s position will be significant in that process.
With fewer than 40% of Colorado third-graders reading at grade level, the State Board of Education has cracked down on teacher preparation programs that promote outdated methods and pushed schools to adopt evidence-backed reading curriculums. But Colorado’s system of local control means the State Board has limited authority.
The State Board is also in the midst of a contentious update to the state’s social studies standards. A 2019 law calls for lessons to include more perspectives of people of color and LGBTQ Americans. Draft changes have drawn thousands of comments in support and in opposition, and many references to race and LGBTQ issues have already been removed from the draft version.
The debates mirror those happening around the country about how to teach history, race, gender, and sexuality. A final vote is expected in November, after the election but before the new members are seated. Some candidates told Chalkbeat they would like to revisit that decision after the election, depending on the outcome.
We asked the candidates about these issues and more. The questions you see below come from our readers and from reporters in our newsroom. Answers are lightly edited for style, grammar, and length.
Q: Why are you running for this office and what are your top priorities?
Ryan Van Gundy
I am running for this office because education is important. We stand no chance with our future if we don’t have strong meaningful education. We need school choice options, teacher retention, a modern public education structure for the 21st century, school safety.
Kathy Plomer
I am running for the State Board of Education because I care deeply about creating a public education system that works for all students. I will prioritize: 21st century classrooms to prepare students to compete in the global economy and become the next generation of innovators, entrepreneurs, and leaders; elevating the teaching profession and paying teachers a living wage to attract and retain the best educators; and promoting accountability and transparency through partnerships of students, parents, and the community to create the best outcomes for all students by using student achievement data, budget priorities and shared goals.
Dan Maloit
Today there are zero parents of school-age children on our board of education. As a single father of three school-age children I have a front-row seat to the good and bad of our public education system. I am running to be the voice for parents and children.
My top priorities are:
- Facilitate an education at the peak of academic excellence focused on literacy, math, science, and history.
- Ensure our teachers are well compensated and given the resources to be successful.
- Protect and expand choices for parents to get their children the education they need today instead of waiting for the promises of tomorrow.
Q: In an effort to improve alarmingly low levels of reading proficiency, the state has cracked down on how teachers are trained to teach reading and what curriculums they use. Do you agree with these changes? What additional measures are needed?
Ryan Van Gundy
No matter what rules and restrictions you put in place, if children aren’t interested in what they are reading you will get nowhere. We need to engage children more and get them excited to read.
Kathy Plomer
Teachers need to leave higher education with the skills needed to teach reading. It is appropriate to look at the skills and training provided in higher education to make sure they match with what is needed in the field. Many teachers report that they did not explicitly learn how to teach reading as part of their training. Schools and districts should be using evidence-based curriculum and practices so all students get to reading proficiency. We need to widen our focus to make sure that older students who are behind in reading get the help they need to get to proficiency.
Dan Maloit
The results our old system was producing were unacceptable. All schools ought to use the kind of structured, phonics-based reading curriculum that has been proven to produce excellent results for our kids. I think the changes are a step in the right direction, but more is needed. We need to hold schools accountable and make sure every kid gets a quality education. The latest CMAS scores show we have a long way to go.
Q: What will you do to ensure our students have the basic skills to go to college or have productive careers?
Ryan Van Gundy
If it’s up to me we will work to get to school choice and fix the failing public education system. STEAM-style curriculum [science, technology, engineering, arts, math] would put Colorado in the forefront of education for the entire country and get our students to a 21st century education system.
Kathy Plomer
As a State Board of Education member, I will ensure academic standards reflect the skills and knowledge most important to preparing students for the future of their choosing. If our academic standards are clear and we keep our students on track, they will graduate ready for any path. I will support students having a wide variety of courses, programs, and funding that helps struggling students get caught up before graduating and will support career and technical education opportunities along with programs that prepare students for college.
Dan Maloit
The State Board of Education must ensure schools are held accountable to give our students the skills they need, that districts foster diverse educational options, and that teachers have the tools they need to succeed and earn the respect of the communities they serve. All students deserve to have an education at the peak of academic excellence that gives them the tools for future success. The board must respect that the critical job of educating our children is carried out by hardworking teachers in our local schools, not the nine members of the board of education.
Q: The State Board hears appeals when local school districts deny a proposed charter school the authorization to open. What is your opinion of charter schools? What criteria would you use to judge an appeal?
Ryan Van Gundy
School choice should always be an option. No child should be denied an opportunity to a quality education. More competition in the education system will only prompt a lift in standards for all.
Kathy Plomer
Every student deserves a school that parents can feel confident sending their child to. Charter schools are part of a menu of publicly funded choice options that include neighborhood, magnet, and innovation schools. We know that kids don’t all learn the same. It’s important that our children’s different needs and wants are met, and it’s particularly important that we have schools focused on ensuring that our most marginalized students have access to a great education.On charter appeals, I would use information presented by both parties and the standards set forth in the law to judge an appeal.
Dan Maloit
All students deserve access to a great education today, be that public, private, charter, or home school. Many charter schools do a fantastic job educating their students and remain popular with parents and students. Charter schools are, and should remain, subject to the State Board’s appeal process. Charter schools must be held to the same standards as any other school to provide an excellent and rigorous education for all their students.
Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.