Schaffer, Middleton for state ed board
Published October 16, 2006 at midnight
In January the State Board of Education will once again shrink to seven members, bringing to an end, we hope, a period of divisive and inconclusive 4-4 splits. While ultimately the legislature tells the board what to do, clear guidance from board members can shape legislation in productive ways.
•
Incumbent Republican Bob Schaffer is our clear choice to continue to represent the 4th Congressional District. Schaffer, who was appointed to the board in December to fill a vacancy, represented the district in Congress from 1997 to 2003, and understands the increasing role the federal government plays in education, however much he may deplore it.
Schaffer is a strong supporter of charter schools, and more generally of parental choice in education. He thinks schools are burdened by too much bureaucracy and too many mandates, and believes the state board should work with the legislature to identify those that can be eliminated or streamlined so more money will reach the classroom. We're not sure how far he'll get, but it's a job worth tackling.
•
In the 7th Congressional District, in a close call, we favor incumbent Democrat Karen Middleton, who was appointed to fill a vacancy in 2004, over Republican challenger Lee Kunz. This election is for the final two years of the term.
Kunz is a strong candidate in his own right, a teacher and coach for many years who is an advocate for more parental choice, early education and higher and more specific state standards. He described himself as "a huge fan of Core Knowledge," a demanding curriculum that is popular with many parents.
There is, however, no compelling reason to dump Middleton, who also has a strong background in education.
•
Incumbent Democrat Evie Hudak is unopposed in the 2nd Congressional District.
Featured
-
2008 Voter’s Guide
Use our Ballot Builder tool to compare your viewpoints to the candidates.
-
A Dozen on Denver
Sandra Dallas wrote 'Lennie's tavern' for our ongoing fiction series. Check it out!
-
Rocky Multimedia
The news comes alive in our videos and slide shows. Catch up on today's events.
-
Bronco Dean's rant
Listen to Bronco Dean's totally biased pregame rant about the Broncos-Jaguars game.
-
Presidential Elections
See how Colorado counties have voted through the years.
-
County election profiles
A look at how residents in each Colorado county may vote.
-
A dream fulfilled
A Rocky Mountain News and MediaStorm production
-
Latest from Dove Valley
Click for more broncos videos.
-
Sam Adams' Open Mic
No. 44 means a lot to Floyd Little
Post your comment
Registration is required. Click here to create your free user account, or login below.
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.