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