In the last 15 years, educators in Colorado have had their pay cut by more than 17% when adjusting for inflation. This number doesn’t even take into account the amount of money educators spend out of pocket every year for things like paper, pencils and books, which is an average of over $650 per Colorado educator according a recent study. At the same time, the cost of living has skyrocketed - especially for housing. Too many educators can’t afford to live in the communities where they teach. During the same time frame, corporations in Colorado have received over $1.6 billion in tax breaks, while every year, educators are asked to do more with less.

We have an educator shortage in Colorado and legislators are uniquely positioned to do something about it, primarily through passing policies that support and value educators and our students.

The Colorado Legislature must focus on solutions that will attract quality educators to our state rather than on ideological solutions driven by well-funded out of state interests. SB 18-200 to change PERA in its current form is an attack on education professions and the ability of educators to support their families and contribute to our communities and will further exacerbate the educator shortage in Colorado.

We call on Colorado legislators to prioritize classrooms over corporations. Funding for Colorado’s students should be prioritized over corporate tax subsidies and the security of educators’ pensions should take priority over the interests of hedge fund managers and wealth advisors.