The story of how the school finance system broke in Colorado, and of the people who got caught in the middle.
by Alejandra Wilcox, Riley Krumpholz and Greg Ramirez
"People will say, 'well, we just need to let the system fail,' but educators aren't going to let the system fail..." —Kathy Gebhardt
New teachers in some districts get paid just below $30,000 per year. In fact, overall, teachers in Colorado are in front of only Oklahoma, Missouri and Montana in terms of average starting teacher pay.
"I feel like if any amendment should have passed, it should have been something regarding education. It speaks to the bigger picture of what's going on as well, because if the state doesn't want to pass something about funding for education, then it seems like we're not valued. I don't feel valued...." —Brooke Jones
T R A N S C R I P T
KS: Good morning. It is time to go to school.
AW: That’s 5-year-old Kristen Scott. Well, that’s not actually her real name. But she is a real kindergartener at one of the 98 elementary schools within Denver Public Schools. And she’s doing something that, truthfully, a lot of kindergartners were probably doing that day. Learning how to read.
KS: [SOUNDBITE OF READING FROM BOOK]
AW: And reading is like an important skill, right? You need to read for most jobs, to pick something to eat on the menu, to know which street to turn on — in essence, just function in everyday life. And the place where a lot people start learning that fundamental skill, among other important ones, is in kindergarten. Kindergarten is an essential part of our lives and our education, the place where we learn to share, stand in line...be in school. It’s a right of passage, right?
BJ: Kindergarten is not required. Which is just…it baffles me.
AW: That’s Brooke Jones — also not her real name. She, along with another teacher you’ll hear from later, asked that we give her a pseudonym to protect her job. Brooke met with us at her house one Sunday. As for that clacking and occasional barking you’ll hear in the background?
[SOUNDBITE OF FINN CLACKING AND BARKING]
AW: That’s Finn — a pretty anxious dog. It took us 23 minutes just to calm him down enough to get through the interview.
"It is always painful to tell somebody that you're cutting their job because the funding isn't available. To say it doesn't have anything to do with their performance, or the value that they're providing to the organization. But to say, sorry, we don't have the money for you any longer, that's always the most difficult thing." —Bill Sutter
Source: Colorado Fiscal Institute
Alejandra Wilcox doesn’t have a true hometown. Before settling in the Rocky Mountains, she wrote stories all over the country and briefly, on a different continent. Alejandra holds a B.A. in English and Creative Writing from CU Boulder, where she is now pursuing a master’s degree in journalism. Her short fiction has appeared in several literary magazines, including American Athenaeum.
Working for an independent academic publisher gave Alejandra the opportunity to witness how impactful nonfiction can be — and how important it is to tell difficult stories. As an aspiring journalist, Alejandra is interested in telling those stories through radio and podcasts. She also enjoys true crime, musical theater, books of all genres, and craft beer.
You can reach her on Twitter at @alejawrites, or at alejandra.wilcox@colorado.edu.
Host // Reporter
ALEJANDRA WILCOX
Riley Krumpholz is a born and raised Colorado native, making her more rare than a Texan’s steak. A graduate of The University of Northern Colorado, Riley obtained her bachelor’s degree in English with a license and endorsement in secondary education, TEFL and ESL. During her time north of the capitol, Riley wrote for her university’s newspaper, The Mirror, and The Johnstown Breeze.
Inquisitive and chatting by nature, Riley developed a passion for writing and news and has decided to pursue a master’s degree in journalism. Her interests include international journalism, specifically European affairs, politics, art and culture, and everything pink.
Producer // Reporter
RILEY KRUMPHOLZ
Greg Ramirez approaches the craft and study of journalism with relentless curiosity.
His professional career, which spans multiple industries and cities, started in public relations, where he served in the National Hockey League for both the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators. In those roles, he worked closely with front-office executives and athletes to promote the on and off-ice endeavors of each club. Later, in Seattle, he helped an architecture firm shape a new identity as they repositioned themselves in the Puget Sound region. It’s his time as an educator, though, guiding at-risk students at a Dallas-area high school, that he found most edifying. That’s where he learned the somber responsibility of citizenship and the devastating effects of its absence.
A freelance journalist, he can be reached via email at gregory.ramirez@colorado.edu. You can also follow him on Twitter, @GregoryKRamirez.
Producer // Reporter