Dear Friend,
As thousands of Colorado families send their kids off for the first day of school, we are reminded of the importance of a good education -- which Nelson Mandela once called "the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world."
That's why, as Lieutenant Governor, I remain focused on improving education here in Colorado -- from pre-school to graduate school. It's also why Bill Ritter "has made education a priority as governor," as Teacher Magazine recently observed.
In fact, just last month the National Governors Association recognized our innovative education reforms by electing Bill Ritter to chair its Education Committee.
President Obama and the U.S. Department of Education have pledged to support states that are pioneering education reforms by establishing the $4.35 Billion "Race to the Top" grant program.
Colorado is working hard to receive a piece of this funding, which will allow us to provide tens of millions of additional dollars directly to Colorado schools -- and significantly accelerate the strong educational reforms we have already put in place.
Urge the U.S. Department of Education to recognize and support Colorado's innovative education reforms! Sign our petition today.
Governor Ritter has asked me to spearhead the effort to secure this important funding, and I am confident that we will succeed. Education Week's analysis concluded that Colorado is one of the best-positioned states to win some of this money, due to the forward-thinking reforms the Ritter administration has put in place.
We have enacted some of the nation's most robust data-measurement policies so that students and teachers can determine what works -- and what doesn't.
We fulfilled our promise to get young children off to a smart start by expanding high-quality preschool programs and full-day kindergarten.
We have implemented the Colorado Achievement Plan For Kids -- a complete 21st century review and alignment of what we teach and how we assess student knowledge from pre-school to graduate school.
And we have initiated Colorado ASCENT, a groundbreaking statewide fifth-year program that allows students to earn a high school and associates degree simultaneously.
These are just a handful of the future-oriented education reforms we have brought to Colorado. Imagine how much more our schools, teachers, and students can accomplish with additional federal funding.
Make sure the U.S. Department of Education knows just how deserving Colorado is of its "Race to the Top" grant. Sign our petition today.
With your help, I am confident that we can secure some of this federal funding and build upon our early successes. Working together we will continue to expand opportunities so that all of our state's children and young adults can live up to their God-given potential and compete in a 21st century global economy.
Thank you for speaking up.
Sincerely,
Barbara O'Brien
Lieutenant Governor
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