By Erica Breunlin | The Colorado Sun
New charter schools authorized by the Colorado Charter School Institute would be allowed to open in communities with low-performing schools — possibly without approval from local school boards — under legislation that Colorado Senate President James Coleman is considering introducing at the Capitol this year.
Coleman, a Denver Democrat, is also exploring the prospect of giving Colorado school districts “the option to solicit proposals from their communities for new quality schools,” including traditional public schools, charter schools, magnet schools, innovation schools or “other innovative education models.”
The key factor in opening new schools in areas with struggling schools, Coleman said, would be “demonstrated community demand from across students, families and teachers.”
Those solutions, still in the works, are Coleman’s attempt to help about 123,000 students who live in what he calls “education deserts” — parts of Colorado where fewer than 1 in 3 students attend a school designated by the state education department as “meets expectations.” Last year, 46 zip codes contained education deserts, Coleman said, adding that students of color are twice as likely to attend schools in education deserts.