CCCF op-ed

Our public school system is in disarray and our children and their families are in distress.

At a national level, the implementation of Common Core has created rifts between state elected officials and the federal government. Common Core affects every aspect of education from what is being taught in the classroom to the funding schools receive.

Districts, schools and teachers are losing autonomy and families are losing options. David Coleman, President of the College Board, has promised that the SAT test will eventually align with Common Core standards, putting parents in a limited position as to what schools their children can attend, especially if they are college bound. 

There’s never the expected funding for students.  Instructional time and staff are focused on the increased requirements of assessments and documentation with less time in instruction. 

Too many students have slipped through the cracks of this crippled public school system and will start their future without the benefits of a quality education.

However, an organization of proactive parents advocating for public cyberschools and online learning in Colorado have taken matters into their own hands.

In October, the Colorado Coalition of Cyberschool Families (CCCF) surveyed the candidates running for Colorado Senate about their stance on public school choice.

The survey’s results were clear: across party lines, candidates support public school choice and a parent’s option to send their child to a school that best fits their student’s needs.

Nearly every candidate that responded said he or she supports equal funding for online education, traditional public schools and blended public schools.

A student’s learning environment plays a pivotal role in education, whether a student chooses to study in a traditional brick-and-mortar school, homeschooling, blended learning or anything in between.   

Most importantly, it is critical to the students of this state that their parents have the right and responsibility to select the school and the educational delivery method that best suits their students learning style and meets their family’ expectations.

In 2004 the CCCF formed, and our goal was and continues to be to help give parents a voice in the education arena. As parents, we value our choice in public education and as the REAL guarantors of our children’s education, we know how important it is to stand up for our right to choose.

The Coalition will continue to host events throughout the state so more than17,000 students enrolled in a Colorado online model can continue to come together within their schools and across other online schools.

We will continue to advocate for parents to support and defend this public school option in our state. We will continue to sponsor our Annual Day at the Capitol event that draws at least 1,200 passionate cyber school families.

This event held on the West Steps of our state capitol is a statement to our legislators that our cyber schools are working for our students and that all families should have access to the public school option that best serves their children’s learning needs. Together, we are a powerful voice.

by Lori Cooney, CCCF President
Teressa Henderson, Board Member
Judith Stokes, Colorado Cyberschools Association

http://www.coloradocyberfamilies.org/
http://www.coloradocyberschools.org/