Colorado and Denver are very friendly territory for corporate reformers. They have poured big money into state and local school board races. It has one of the nation’s most extreme teacher-evaluation laws, with 50% of teachers’ rating based on test scores. The law was written by State Senator Michael Johnston (ex-TFA). U.S. Senator Michael Bennett is a stalwart of corporate reform. In recent elections, “reformers” swept the Denver school board and the Douglas school. Board
Now the corporate reformers have decided to pick up a seat on the state school board. Their candidate taught for two years in TFA. He is getting generous support from Democrats for Education Reform (DFER), the hedge fund managers; from Stand for Children, which is funded by the Waltons and various equity investors; and others from the corporate reform crowd.
His opponent, Valentina Flores, is a veteran educator, with 43 years in the field. On her website, she says: “I oppose big money and corporatization in our public education system. I oppose high stakes testing that takes away valuable classroom learning time. I oppose a “reform” model that is slowly privatizing our public education system. We cannot allow free public education to be traded on NASDAQ and sold to the highest bidder.” You can see why the people with big money could not support a candidate like Flores.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Gee, maybe Covington will head back to CO from MI.
In which case he’ll raise the mean IQ in both States.
Thank you for helping us spread the word about the differences between these two candidates. Val Flores is an educator. Her opponent’s teaching experience is two years as a TFA. His children attend charter schools. He has had 8-10 flyers mailed on his behalf by the organizations Diane mentions above. He has had at least 4 robo calls made on his behalf, from the mayor of Denver to an unnamed voice just listing his political endorsers, all of whom are the usual “Colorado reformers.” Reformers obviously view Dr. Flores as a real threat to their failing agenda. She would be because she would question the results and effects “reform” has wrought on our state. If you are in Colorado’s first Congressional District and you are a registered democrat, please vote for Dr. Val Flores. This is the only contested democratic race. Ballots must be in by 7 pm Tuesday, June 24. Spread the word.
Jeannie Kaplan
“We cannot allow free public education to be traded on NASDAQ and sold to the highest bidder.”
A powerful summary statement about the greatest challenge public schools are facing.
May Valentina Flores prevail!
How sad for Colorado that it has fallen into the “teaching to the test” mode! I taught in the Jefferson County Schools for 13 years and education at that time (1968 to 1981) was between student and teacher. We used standards as a guideline, but didn’t have to wear them as one might wear a girdle (remember those?). Standardized testing was used to inform our teaching, but not to evaluate us or our students. We had the freedom to help our students develop higher thinking skills and assist them in operating at the highest levels of which they were capable at a particular stage of their development. I suppose I would be fired were I still there today.
Talk about money trying to buy an election, check out the State Superintendent race in Oklahoma. We currently have the most inept super in history, but she has money running out her ears. She has spent millions making ridiculous and untrue attack ads tearing apart her challenger. She…and her money have to be stopped for the sake of the kids of Oklahoma.
Big money lost recently in Colorado when the voters resoundingly rejected efforts backed by Bill Gates and Michael Bloomberg to increase tax rates in order to fund K-12 education.
Here is the NYT article on the election results: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/07/us/politics/loss-on-school-tax-stings-colorado-democrats.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0