§ 22-30.5-102 — Legislative declaration

Colorado § 22-30.5-102

• Jurisdiction: Colorado
• Title 22: Education
• Art.: Charter Schools

Text

(1) The general assembly hereby finds
and declares that:

(a) It is the obligation of all Coloradans to provide all children with schools
that reflect high expectations and create conditions in all schools where these
expectations can be met;

(b) Education reform is in the best interests of the state in order to
strengthen the performance of elementary and secondary public school pupils, that
the best education decisions are made by those who know the students best and
who are responsible for implementing the decisions, and, therefore, that educators
and parents have a right and a responsibility to participate in the education
institutions which serve them;

(c) Different pupils learn differently and public school programs should be
designed to fit the needs of individual pupils and that there are educators, citizens,
and parents in Colorado who are willing and able to offer innovative programs,
educational techniques, and environments but who lack a channel through which
they can direct their innovative efforts.

(2) The general assembly further finds and declares that this part 1 is
enacted for the following purposes:

(a) To improve pupil learning by creating schools with high, rigorous
standards for pupil performance;

(b) To increase learning opportunities for all pupils, with special emphasis on
expanded learning experiences for pupils who are identified as academically low-achieving;

(c) To encourage diverse approaches to learning and education and the use
of different, innovative, research-based, or proven teaching methods;

(d) To promote the development of longitudinal analysis of student progress,
in addition to participation in the Colorado student assessment program, to
measure pupil learning and achievement;

(e) To create new employment options and professional opportunities for
teachers and principals, including the opportunity to be responsible for the
achievement results of students at the school site;

(f) To provide parents and pupils with expanded choices in the types of
education opportunities that are available within the public school system;

(g) To encourage parental and community involvement with public schools;

(g.5) To address the formation of research-based charter schools that use
programs that are proven to be effective;

(h) To hold charter schools accountable for performance through the
Education Accountability Act of 2009, including but not limited to meeting state,
school district, and school targets for the measures used to determine the levels of
attainment of the performance indicators;

(i) To provide an avenue for citizens to participate in the educational process
and environment;

(j) To provide citizens with multiple avenues by which they can obtain
authorization for a charter school.

(3) In authorizing charter schools, it is the intent of the general assembly to
create a legitimate avenue for parents, teachers, and community members to
implement new and innovative methods of educating children that are proven to be
effective and to take responsible risks and create new and innovative, research-based ways of educating all children within the public education system. The
general assembly seeks to create an atmosphere in Colorado's public education
system where research and development in developing different learning
opportunities is actively pursued. As such, the provisions of this part 1 should be
interpreted liberally to support the findings and goals of this section and to
advance a renewed commitment by the state of Colorado to the mission, goals, and
diversity of public education.

Legislative History

Source: L. 93: Entire article added, p. 1051, � 1, effective June 3. L. 94: (2)(g.5) added, p. 1378, � 1, effective May 25. L. 96: IP(2) and (3) amended, p. 668, � 4, effective May 2; (2)(c) amended, p. 752, � 1, effective May 22. L. 2004: (2)(c), (2)(d), (2)(e), (2)(g.5), (2)(h), and (3) amended and (2)(i) and (2)(j) added, p. 1569, � 1, effective June 3. L. 2009: (2)(h) amended, (SB 09-163), ch. 293, p. 1534, � 25, effective May 21.