FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 26, 2022

Denver Classroom Teachers Association Opposes Senate Bill 22-197, Innovation School Zones With Alternative Governance

DENVER, CO -Today, the senate passed Senate Bill 22-197, Innovation School Zones With Alternative Governance. Next, it will go to the Colorado House of Representatives for a final vote. The following statement can be attributed to Rob Gould, special education teacher and president of the Denver Classroom Teachers Association (DCTA):

“We are disappointed in the State Senates decision to move forward in the process of passing Senate Bill 22-197. While the bill sponsors contacted DCTA in the middle of April to discuss this legislation, there has not been enough time to fully understand the ramifications and consequences that this bill will place on students and educators. Therefore, DCTA cannot support legislation that could potentially erode educators’ contractual rights that have been recently regained.

“We want to make it clear that DCTA supports innovation schools in the manner in which they were intended, as places of innovative teaching and learning. Families should feel confident that every school in the district has high quality schools that fit their child’s needs. However, we believe that deferring disputes between a duly elected school board and a management zone to the State Board of Education will only create more layers of bureaucracy within our system. This could ultimately hurt students and fall on the backs of our educators.” 

###

CONTACT

Angelina Ursetta

Denver Classroom Teachers Association 

aursetta@coloradoea.org

720-663-7618