Editor’s note: Colorado Politics presents “Which way to better Colorado schools?” We’re offering seven perspectives on upgrading education in the state.

As the 2019 legislative session kicks off, policymakers are gearing up to tackle perennial K-12 education policy questions about funding, parent and student choice, early childhood education, and school accountability, among many others.

Looming large over this discussion is the defeat of Amendment 73, a poorly-written measure that would have dramatically raised taxes but would have done very little to improve schools. Voters soundly rejected the proposal.

A large, diverse coalition of leaders opposed Amendment 73, from liberal luminaries like former Democratic Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst to dozens of civic and business groups across the state.

Ready Colorado was part of that coalition, and when we talked with people about the ballot measure, one question would inevitably arise: “If Amendment 73 isn’t the answer to our education challenges, then what is?”

The answer is that Colorado should focus on empowering local school leaders and parents, and support our educators to help them unleash every kid’s potential. That starts with a few fundamental principles that undergird Ready Colorado’s vision for the future of Colorado education policy:

? All kids can learn. We cannot and should not accept excuses that seek to blame children for failing schools.

? Parents, regardless of income, should have the right to decide where their children attend school.

? Learning is a highly individualized process, and no single, top-down model of schooling can address the varied needs of our students.

Colorado can put these principles into action by taking some concrete steps this year.

First, legislators should jump on the bipartisan agreement that Colorado’s school funding formula needs revamped after 25 years. The state should eliminate or greatly decrease the “cost of living” factor in the school finance formula, which deliberately takes money from low-income areas and gives it to wealthy areas. These dollars should be reallocated to better serve students with unique needs, like special education and reading deficiencies.

Second, Colorado should embrace education models that empower parents and educators who know our children best. This means eliminating regulations that limit the autonomy of a local school leader and breaking down barriers – like lack of transportation and confusing paperwork – that prevent some families from choosing the school that is best for their child. The astounding success of Colorado’s public charter school sector provides a compelling example of the power of parent choice and educator autonomy.

Third, at the local level, school district administrators must begin prioritizing teacher pay. For the last seven years, schools have seen state and local funding increases that tally into the billions, but almost none of that has gone to raise teacher salaries. In fact, from 1992 to 2014, overall education spending in Colorado adjusted for inflation increased 15 percent, but teacher pay decreased 11 percent.

Teachers are the most important in-school factor for student success, and school districts need to make sure their budgets prioritize paying our teachers more, particularly the highest-performing ones.

From expanding and strengthening school choice to boosting merit pay, these ideas enjoy widespread and overwhelming support from the general public in Colorado, but they are hard to implement because entrenched special interests opposed to these reforms hold a great deal of power.

Status quo groups like the teachers unions, the state school board association, and the state administrators association usually claim that the answer to all the ills of public education can be solved by raising taxes and increasing funding. But to what end? Increased funding in and of itself will do very little to change student outcomes if it doesn’t reward and incentivize great educators and come with increased autonomy that allows high-performing schools to flourish.

While voters resoundingly rejected Amendment 73, there is also an overwhelming consensus that our state’s K-12 education system is not serving our kids as well as it could and should. In the 2019 legislative session, policymakers and stakeholders should focus on implementing reforms that not only enjoy widespread public support but will go a long way toward improving our education system.

In 2019, we need to work together to empower great teachers and innovative school leaders who will unleash the potential of all of Colorado’s kids.

Luke Ragland is the president of Ready Colorado, a center-right organization that advocates for student and family-centered education reforms.