December Legislative Update: Latest News and Updates

Dear Legislative Update followers,

As we approach the end of 2023, it's a time to both reflect on the year that was and look forward to the coming year. For the charter school sector here in Colorado, 2023 brought its share of many legislative wins (and a few challenges) that will shape the educational landscape for years to come for Colorado charter schools and the 137,000 students they serve. There is a lot to be proud of and celebrate!

Most importantly, these wins wouldn’t have happened without the League’s members. As a sector, we’re strongest when we stand together and speak with one voice. Your engagement and advocacy have been crucial in navigating an ever-evolving legislative environment. As we head into the 2024 legislative session, we invite you to stay informed and involved as we work together to ensure the success and strength of our charter schools in 2024 and beyond.

2024 Legislative Agenda 

The League remains steadfast in our commitment to championing policies that empower charter schools by cultivating educational excellence and affording families the opportunity to choose a public school that best suits their children’s unique needs.

Our agenda for the 2024 legislative session comes from the priorities that our members identified: funding equity, facilities access and affordability, authorizing consistency, and autonomy and flexibility. Your insights are the cornerstone of our advocacy, ensuring that our priorities align with the aspirations of our students, teachers, and communities. Thank you to everyone who sent us feedback and helped contribute to our agenda. The League board of directors unanimously adopted our agenda early last week.

With the formal approval of this policy agenda, we now focus on the strategic execution of its priorities. As the first day of the 120-day legislative session approaches on Wednesday, January 10th, the League is gearing up to actively engage with lawmakers, the Governor’s office, stakeholders, and the broader community to advocate for the policies and priorities outlined in our agenda. 

State and Federal Policy Updates (Members Only) 

Exclusively for members, we offer weekly State and Federal Policy Update calls every Friday from 12:00-12:30 PM during the legislative session. If you desire real-time updates and discussions, these calls are an excellent opportunity to stay informed and engaged! The first update is set for January 12, 2024.

Charter School Substitute Teacher Hiring Practices Feedback Survey

As you may be aware, the PERA board recently took a preliminary step towards requiring districts and charter schools to pay into PERA for substitute teachers and other temporary support staff employed by third-party staffing agencies. We are concerned about the financial burden this would impose on charter schools and are working with our allies and a group of legislators to address this issue. In order to more effectively advocate on your behalf, we need to be able to share how many charter schools use third-party staffing agencies and how many substitutes they provide.  

If you haven’t already, please complete the "Charter School Substitute Teacher Hiring Practices Feedback Survey." It should only take a couple of minutes to fill out this short eight-question survey, and it will provide us with urgently needed data.

ACT Network: Act for Charters Today

The League's Act for Charters Today (ACT) Advocacy Network is the group and process through which we activate and engage our public charter school families, parents, students, and staff for the common good. This action-oriented network strives to build knowledge, skills, and power to strengthen and support charter schools throughout the state.

Our advocacy efforts are focused on state policies and district initiatives that ensure all Colorado children deserve access to high-quality public school options, including charter schools. Build your charter school knowledge and advocacy skills while taking part in a powerful and influential community statewide that intercedes on behalf of our schools and, more importantly, our students. We’ll give you everything you need to make taking action for charters quick and easy!

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a prosperous start to the new year!

Angelina Sierra-Sandoval, MPA
Director of Government Affairs, Colorado League of Charter Schools 
[email protected]