Tuesday, May 27, 2008

GOV. RITTER RETURNS TO HIGH SCHOOL TO SIGN BILLS


 
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 Coloradofor 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