Panel will ensure education systems from pre-school to ‘grade 20' are aligned

along Colorado's educational highway and meeting needs of employers

Gov. Bill Ritter and Lt. Gov. Barbara O'Brien today announced the formation of a new P-20 Education Council that will ensure Colorado's educational systems from pre-school to grade 20 are aligned along the state's "education highway" and also aligned with the needs of today's employers.

Ritter issued an executive order establishing the Governor's P-20 Education Coordinating Council, fulfilling a campaign promise to undertake systemwide reforms aimed at producing highly skilled employees who can meet the demands of a modern, 21st century workforce. (Click here to read the executive order.)

"A little over three months ago in my State of the State speech, I said we needed to address our high school dropout rate and the achievement gap," Ritter said at this morning's announcement at the state Capitol. "I proposed cutting the dropout rate and the achievement gap in half within 10 years. In the Colorado Promise policy book, we proposed doubling the number of post-secondary certificates and degrees by the year 2017.

"I believe it's important to set ambitious goals, to set the bar high, to be bold," Ritter said. "We should always aim high. Our goal should always be to create a world-class education system for our children.

"Today, we're taking an important step forward on the long road toward reaching those goals," the governor added. "From pre-school through ‘grade 20,' this council will help make sure our ‘education highway' provides a continuous path of knowledge and skills for our young people."

The P-20 Council also will ensure that Colorado's educational programs are aligned with the needs of employers across the state.

Ritter said that in the next few weeks he will name the co-chairs and members of the P-20 Council. The panel will then begin to hold meetings with educators, policy experts, business leaders and others. Proposed legislation for the 2008 session would be submitted by November, although the Council would continue to tackle the challenges facing Colorado's educational systems indefinitely.

Text of executive order establishing P-20 council.