Press Release - Education Bills Signed
OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008
CONTACT:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370, evan.dreyer@state.co.us
GOV. RITTER RETURNS TO GATEWAY HIGH IN AURORA TO SIGN FIVE EDUCATION BILLS INTO LAW
Gov. Bill Ritter today returned to his high school alma mater, Gateway High School in Aurora, to sign five education bills into law.
"These bills will improve education statewide for Colorado students, Colorado teachers and Colorado principals," said Gov. Ritter, a member of Gateway High School's first graduating class in 1974. "Together, these pieces of legislation provide pragmatic solutions to challenging problems. They are student-centered and they focus on improving student achievement for all students, regardless of their station in life or their personal circumstances."
House Bill 1204 (Peniston/Williams) creates a new board and state division to oversee instructional and administrative services for students in day-treatment centers, residential child-care facilities and hospitals.
HB 1223 (Merrifield/Williams) allows the Departments of Education and Higher Education to create technical assistance programs to help teachers intervene early with children who have literacy challenges such as dyslexia.
"Effectively addressing dyslexia is one of the keys to reaching Gov. Ritter's goals of increasing the literacy rate and cutting our drop-out rate in half in the next 10 years," Rep. Mike Merrifield said. "If we are serious about developing a well-educated workforce in Colorado for strong economic development in the 21st century, we must attend to the needs of our many dyslexic students."
HB 1370 (Middleton/Bacon) creates a Colorado Counselor Corps that will deploy about 70 guidance counselors into targeted middle and high schools to help guide students through the complicated college application and enrollment process. Colorado's student-to-counselor ratio currently is among the highest in the nation at more than 500:1, more than twice the recommended ratio.
HB 1384 (Todd/Bacon) creates a study of teacher working conditions and a pilot program to reward national board certified teachers. Colorado teachers who earn certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards will be eligible for stipends of $1,600. If they teach in a "low" or "unsatisfactory" school, their stipends increase to $4,800 per year.
"Top flight teachers do more than teach -- they inspire, they inform, they set the bar high, and they coach our kids to go further than anyone thought possible," Rep. Nancy Todd said.
HB 1386 (Merrifield/Spence) creates a "Principal Leadership Academy" to identify, recruit and train educators who have the potential to become gifted school leaders.
Here are the other bills Gov. Ritter signed into law today:
| Bill # | Short Title | Sponsors | Date Action | Action |
| HB08-1167 | Health Care For Vulnerable Populations | FRANGAS / BOYD | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1203 | Material Change Hospital Transactions | CARROLL M. / BOYD | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1204 | Educ Services For Students In Facilities | PENISTON / WILLIAMS | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1223 | Training Around Literacy Challenges K-12 | MERRIFIELD / WILLIAMS | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1234 | Deemed Status Ambulatory Surgical Center | PRIMAVERA / GORDON | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1253 | Judicial Department IT Cash Fund | WHITE / MORSE | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1268 | DHS Authority To Rent Lands | WHITE / JOHNSON | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1342 | Child Support Enforcement Procedures | KEFALAS / WARD | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1349 | Collection Prop Tax & TIF | GAGLIARDI / WINDELS | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1350 | Facilitate Fin Renewable Energy Projects | MADDEN / ROMER | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1368 | Tax Prop Used To Prod Renewable Energy | BUESCHER / BROPHY | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1370 | School Counselor Corps Grant Program | MIDDLETON / BACON | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1378 | Ranked Voting Methods | KEFALAS / GORDON | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1384 | Teacher Quality Recruitment Retention | TODD & ... / BACON | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1386 | School Leadership Academy Program | MERRIFIELD / SPENCE | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1387 | Low-income Energy Assistance Funding | BUESCHER / VEIGA | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1390 | CoverColorado Long-term Funding | MCGIHON / ISGAR | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1393 | Consumer Health Care Transparency Act | STEPHENS & ... / MORSE & ... | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| HB08-1394 | General Assembly Reporting Requirements | WEISSMANN / TAPIA | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-029 | Continuing Education Architects | GROFF / BALMER | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-054 | Judicial Performance Evaluations | SHAFFER / CARROLL T. | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-143 | Special License Plate Fees | TUPA / FRANGAS | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-147 | Increase Energy Efficiency State Bldgs | GORDON / HODGE | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-184 | Colorado Clean Energy Finance Program | ROMER / LEVY | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
| SB08-231 | Transfer Work Force Development To DOLE | VEIGA / VAAD | 5/27/2008 | Signed |
For a complete list of 2008 legislation Gov. Ritter has signed into law, click here.