Friday, January 10, 2014

2014 Colorado Legislative Session Has Begun




2014 Colorado Legislative Session Has Begun
Happy New Year and welcome to the 2014 Colorado Legislative Session! 
The Colorado League of Charter Schools has been gearing up for the 2014 legislative session over the past few months. We are excited to share with you our policy agenda and priorities for the upcoming months, as well as our plan to keep you in the loop as events unfold at the Capitol. 
Last fall, the League restructured its Advocacy Department into a Policy and Advocacy Team which consists of myself as Director of Advocacy, Jessica Johnson as Director of Policy & Legal Initiatives and Stacy Rader as Director of Communications. The team also consists of a contract lobbyist firm,Nexus Policy Group. We are confident that this new, team approach will allow the League to be more involved in conversations regarding legislation impacting charters, and will enable us to provide you with legislative updates on a regular basis. 
Governmental Affairs Committee 
This year, the League convened a new Governmental Affairs Committee made up of representatives from Colorado charter schools and local policy partners. This group helped craft our 2014 policy priorities (see below). Click here to view the member roster for the Governmental Affairs Committee. 
League Policy Priorities
Working in close conjunction with our Governmental Affairs Committee, we developed a 2014 policy agenda that is focused on five primary areas: Quality, Equity, Transparency, Autonomy, and Choice & Innovation. Click here to view the detailed policy agenda. These priorities will guide our work at the Capitol over the coming months.
Legislative Updates 
Throughout the 2014 session, we will provide you with the following legislative updates to keep you up to speed on events at the Capitol:
  • Bi-Weekly Emails  
    We will email legislative updates to you twice a month (every other week), unless something more urgent happens, in which case we may send an Action Alert. If you are not currently receiving our emails, click here to subscribe, or email srader@coloradoleague.org
  • Monthly Webinars   
    Each month we will email you a link to a recorded legislative update webinar that you can watch at your convenience. 
  • Capitol Watch
    If you prefer more frequent updates, you can visit the League's Capitol Watch webpage, which will include information about K-12 education bills as well as the League's position on each piece of legislation. We will provide you a link to the League's Capitol Watch page in our next legislative update email.  
  • Action Alerts
    If something arises at the Capitol that needs immediate action, we will use the Charter Advocacy Network (Colorado CAN) to send Action Alerts asking you to contact your legislator to make your voice heard about charter related issues. Colorado CAN makes it easy for you to contact your legislator, using a pre-formatted message crafted by the League, with only a few mouse clicks. If you are not signed up to receive Colorado CAN emails, please register today at www.coloradoleague.org/take-action   
More Information
If you have any questions about legislative issues, proposed bills, etc., feel free to email me atdschaller@coloradoleague.org.  
Here's to a productive 2014 legislative year! 
Sincerely,
Dan Schaller, Director of Advocacy
Colorado League of Charter Schools