Colorado Charter School Watch
@cocharterwatch.bsky.social
Follow for news about Colorado's charter school sector. If the state won't require transparency and accountability, we'll provide it here.
When charter schools seek to evade accountability, they switch from district oversight to CSI. #COpol #COleg
Montrose charter school seeks switch from MCSD to CSI
MONTROSE, Colo. (KREX) — On Saturday, Dec. 20, Vista Charter School (VCS) posted an open letter to the Montrose community regarding its decision to seek the release of authorization from the Montrose ...
www.yahoo.com
December 27, 2025 at 4:42 PM
"Lotus School of Excellence is a public charter school, meaning it's tuition-free and publicly funded. It also means employees typically have more protections under the Constitution than private schools or other private employers." #COpol #COleg
Colorado charter school coaches say school violated First Amendment rights in federal lawsuit
Two high school basketball coaches who were fired by a Colorado charter school are suing the school in federal court, saying their suspension and ultimate termination violated their constitutional rig...
www.cbsnews.com
December 20, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Opinion: Take note, Gov. Polis: Coloradans have repeatedly said no to school vouchers
Opinion: Take note, Gov. Polis: Coloradans have repeatedly said no to school vouchers
New federal program is a devil’s bargain and must not override the will of our people.
coloradosun.com
December 18, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Opinion: Take note, Gov. Polis: Coloradans have repeatedly said no to school vouchers
"A bill that aimed to create more accountability ... was killed in committee after public opposition by Gov. Jared Polis – who has launched his own charter schools – and intense lobbying by Americans for Prosperity, political arm of the right-wing network formed by the billionaire Koch brothers."
Report: Charter schools undermining Colorado’s public school system | KiowaCountyPress.net
Charter schools were originally launched with a promise to create nimble, teacher-led and community-driven laboratories of innovation.
kiowacountypress.net
December 16, 2025 at 1:16 AM
"A bill that aimed to create more accountability ... was killed in committee after public opposition by Gov. Jared Polis – who has launched his own charter schools – and intense lobbying by Americans for Prosperity, political arm of the right-wing network formed by the billionaire Koch brothers."
If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck ... @colorado.gov just forced an unwanted voucher program on Colorado residents.
'The program is, indeed, “voucher-like,” as critics and supporters have both pointed out. But it is not a voucher system. Polis is correct to draw that distinction'
sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/edit...
#EDcolo #SchoolChoice #COpolitics #COleg
sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/edit...
#EDcolo #SchoolChoice #COpolitics #COleg
EDITORIAL: Cringe and bear it. Polis right to OK federal school tax credits for state - Sentinel Colorado
The choice is simple. Policymakers can embrace an opportunity to bring more federal resources into Colorado classrooms or leave those dollars to flow elsewhere.
sentinelcolorado.com
December 15, 2025 at 9:20 PM
If it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck ... @colorado.gov just forced an unwanted voucher program on Colorado residents.
Reposted by Colorado Charter School Watch
"It’s also true that many of our public schools, well, suck." Really? Isn't school choice supposed to make all public schools better? Is it possible that draining tax $$$ to private schools/charter schools simply makes them worse? #COleg #COpol
Suddenly, Colorado has a private school choice program │ Vince Bzdek
By Vince Bzdek When I was a kid going to St. John’s Catholic grade school in Denver, I remember asking my mom if she and dad minded paying taxes for public schools since all her kids attended Catholic...
gazette.com
December 15, 2025 at 5:29 AM
"When asked in October by Chalkbeat if she’d known about Riverstone’s religious affiliation when she voted on it, Ochs first said no. The next day, she called back and said she knew the school planned to use Christian curriculum, but added, 'to me that doesn’t make it a religious school.'” #COpol
School board member resigns in wake of ‘public Christian school’ controversy
Pueblo 70 school board member Anne Ochs abruptly announced her resignation Tuesday evening after a district parent raised concerns about Ochs’ role in helping a "public Christian school" open.
www.chalkbeat.org
December 13, 2025 at 3:49 PM
"When asked in October by Chalkbeat if she’d known about Riverstone’s religious affiliation when she voted on it, Ochs first said no. The next day, she called back and said she knew the school planned to use Christian curriculum, but added, 'to me that doesn’t make it a religious school.'” #COpol
If you believe this money is going to flow to kids who need it, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. #COpol #COleg @colorado.gov @bennet.senate.gov @philweiser.bsky.social
The choice is simple. Policymakers can embrace an opportunity to bring more federal resources into Colorado classrooms or leave those dollars to flow elsewhere.
sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/edit...
#COleg #COpolitics #EDcolo
sentinelcolorado.com/opinion/edit...
#COleg #COpolitics #EDcolo
EDITORIAL: Cringe and bear it. Polis right to OK federal school tax credits for state - Sentinel Colorado
The choice is simple. Policymakers can embrace an opportunity to bring more federal resources into Colorado classrooms or leave those dollars to flow elsewhere.
sentinelcolorado.com
December 11, 2025 at 12:41 AM
If you believe this money is going to flow to kids who need it, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you. #COpol #COleg @colorado.gov @bennet.senate.gov @philweiser.bsky.social
"The Freedom From Religion Foundation vows to remain vigilant in the face of coordinated attempts in three states to establish the nation’s first religious charter school." #COleg #COpol
FFRF: New religious charter school attempts threaten public education nationwide
The Freedom From Religion Foundation vows to remain vigilant in the face of coordinated attempts in three states to establish the nation’s first religious charter school.
ffrf.org
December 10, 2025 at 3:28 AM
Charter schools get lots of love from the MAGA administration. #COleg #COpol @bennet.senate.gov @hickenlooper.bsky.social
Liberty Common School Expands Junior-High Campus With Federal Grant
Find out how Liberty Common School is transforming education with a major grant for its new junior-high campus expansion.
northfortynews.com
December 9, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Charter schools get lots of love from the MAGA administration. #COleg #COpol @bennet.senate.gov @hickenlooper.bsky.social
The Trump Administration Is Quietly Preparing to Bring Back School Segregation #COpol #COleg @michaelbennet.bsky.social @hickenlooper.bsky.social
The Trump Administration Is Quietly Preparing to Bring Back School Segregation - The American Prospect
It starts with vouchers and the destruction of the Office for Civil Rights.
prospect.org
December 9, 2025 at 6:39 PM
The Trump Administration Is Quietly Preparing to Bring Back School Segregation #COpol #COleg @michaelbennet.bsky.social @hickenlooper.bsky.social
Shameful groveling to the billionaire class, @colorado.gov #COpol
"to get the latest reporting from us, plus curated news from other Colorado outlets, delivered to your inbox." #coleg
Polis plans to opt Colorado into voucher-like federal tax credit scholarship program - ChalkbeatclockCST_
A coalition of 15 groups urged Gov. Jared Polis on Wednesday to reject a Trump federal voucher-like tax-credit scholarship. His office said the governor isn’t interested in leaving millions in federal money on the table for education.
www.chalkbeat.org
December 7, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Shameful groveling to the billionaire class, @colorado.gov #COpol
Let's elect a Colorado governor who stands strong against vouchers and other education privatization scams. @philweiser.bsky.social @philforcolorado.bsky.social @michaelbennet.bsky.social @bennet.senate.gov
While I welcome any support for education and investing in our kids’ future, I will never support vouchers. That includes any measures that siphon off scarce public K-12 school dollars to benefit private and parochial schools. That’s why I am a no here. coloradosun.com/2025/12/05/c...
Colorado governor plans to opt into Trump-endorsed initiative that some fear will lead to voucher program
The federal program would dole out scholarships to both public and private school students through donations from taxpayers in exchange for federal tax credits
coloradosun.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:12 AM
Let's elect a Colorado governor who stands strong against vouchers and other education privatization scams. @philweiser.bsky.social @philforcolorado.bsky.social @michaelbennet.bsky.social @bennet.senate.gov
Hey, look! Colorado's taxpayer-funded religious school is catching some national attention. This will please the MAGA faithful. #COleg #COpol @colorado.gov @philforcolorado.bsky.social @bennet.senate.gov
After 4-4 Supreme Court Case, More States Jump on Religious Charter Bandwagon
In addition to plans for a Jewish charter school in Oklahoma, Tennessee’s attorney general has argued in favor of a Christian charter there.
www.the74million.org
December 6, 2025 at 1:15 AM
Hey, look! Colorado's taxpayer-funded religious school is catching some national attention. This will please the MAGA faithful. #COleg #COpol @colorado.gov @philforcolorado.bsky.social @bennet.senate.gov
Here's the beginning of the end for Colorado's public schools. Don't think so? Just look at existing voucher states. #COleg #COpol
Colorado governor plans to opt into Trump-endorsed initiative that some fear will lead to voucher program
The federal program would dole out scholarships to both public and private school students through donations from taxpayers in exchange for federal tax credits
coloradosun.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Aspiration: Less regulation of charter schools will unleash innovation.
Reality: Less regulation has resulted in mismanagement, profiteering, and scams. #COpol #COleg
Reality: Less regulation has resulted in mismanagement, profiteering, and scams. #COpol #COleg
Part II: Charter School Reckoning: Disillusionment - Network For Public Education
In Decline, the first part of The National Center for Charter School Accountability’s three-part report, Charter School Reckoning: Decline, Disillusionment, and Cost, documented how charter school gro...
networkforpubliceducation.org
December 4, 2025 at 2:52 PM
A must-read: "In order to give SCOTUS the opportunity to rule in their favor, the advocates need a case which fits the bill; a case to drive home a parents’ rights interpretation of the due process clause. Here in Colorado, they think they have at least two." #COpol #COleg
DAVIS: The Plot to Take a Local School District to the Supreme Court
If you look at some of the most significant Supreme Court cases on cultural issues coming out in the last three terms, where have they come from?” the attorney quizzed...
coloradotimesrecorder.com
December 3, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Some families enrolled in the Idaho Home Learning Academy public virtual charter school used state funding to pay for hunting equipment, video games, paddleboards, smart watches, tickets to water parks and subscriptions to streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, according to the watchdog report.
New watchdog report reveals ‘loopholes,’ lack of oversight of Idaho virtual school finances • Idaho Capital Sun
New Idaho watchdog report finds some families used state education accounts to pay for video games, hunting equipment, smartwatches and more.
idahocapitalsun.com
December 3, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Here's how the classical charter school scam works in Florida, with a boost from MAGA Republicans ... #COleg #COpol
Florida charter school company run by GOP figure leaves parents frustrated: "They dropped the ball"
YouTube video by CBS Mornings
youtu.be
December 2, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Reposted by Colorado Charter School Watch
It was only a matter of time after SCOTUS split 4-4 on the constitutionality of religious charter schools in May until we got the next test case. Per this story, there are actually two cases in the works.
Barrett likely the deciding vote, so 1st Amend. church-public school separation in jeopardy.
Barrett likely the deciding vote, so 1st Amend. church-public school separation in jeopardy.
More Challenges To Church-State Wall Coming To Schools via @forbes www.forbes.com/sites/peterg...
More Challenges To Church-State Wall Coming To Schools
Two schools are poised to challenge the notion that a public charter school must be non-sectarian.
www.forbes.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:02 AM
It was only a matter of time after SCOTUS split 4-4 on the constitutionality of religious charter schools in May until we got the next test case. Per this story, there are actually two cases in the works.
Barrett likely the deciding vote, so 1st Amend. church-public school separation in jeopardy.
Barrett likely the deciding vote, so 1st Amend. church-public school separation in jeopardy.
Sterling Ranch parents wanted a school. They are about to get a "liberty-based charter school" with strong Christian nationalist vibes. #COleg #COpol
Controversial Colorado school land amendment passes with concessions
Douglas County commissioners approved an amendment to Sterling Ranch's school land dedication requirements. So many neighbors wanted to weigh in that public comment lasted for hours at the hearing.
www.cbsnews.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:49 AM
Investigation opened based on campaign finance complaint against Colorado lawmaker
Investigation opened based on campaign finance complaint against Colorado lawmaker | Colorado Newsline
A campaign finance complaint made against state Rep. Ron Weinberg moved into an investigation phase last week.
coloradonewsline.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Investigation opened based on campaign finance complaint against Colorado lawmaker
"Some will argue this is only one leader’s excess. That response ignores the incentives built into a model that ties school growth and charter renewal to political capital." #COleg #COpol
What the Success Academy Scandal Says About the Charter School Model
When I was running a school, I knew that every hour of my team’s day mattered. A well-prepared lesson, a timely phone call home to a parent, or a few extra minutes spent helping a struggling student w...
thefulcrum.us
November 25, 2025 at 4:52 PM