| As state leaders do important work in promoting Colorado's application for federal Race to the Top education reform dollars, Colorado itself continues to gain ground in its race to the bottom when it comes to K-12 funding. Education Week's annual Quality Counts state school finance data study is out, and the news isn't good for Colorado. We're continuing "the Colorado trajectory" -- falling farther behind the nation and other states that are competing with us for jobs, economic development opportunities and educators.
Here's a comparison of the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Quality Counts data (note that because of the lag in available data, the new statistics are based on 2007 expenditures -- that is, before the current recession):
Per pupil funding, adjusted for regional cost differences:
2008: 38th nationally
2009: 40th
2010: 42nd
Per pupil spending (adjusted for regional cost differences) compared to U.S. Average:
2008: $1,034 below the national average
2009: $1,449 below the national average
2010: $1,919 below the national average
Rank in percent of taxable income spent on K-12
2008: 43rd
2009: 43rd
2010: 43rd (Hallelujah!)
Rank in teacher pay parity (i.e., how teacher salaries compare to salaries in comparable professions)
2008: 43rd
2010: 50th
That's the context for the current legislative session -- where cuts of at least an average $440 per pupil are virtually certain for the coming school year.
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