Thompson: Can Colorado Afford "Reform?"

Last week, Todd Engdahl of Ed News Colorado  addressed in "School Funding Headed for Collapse" the prospect of Colorado’s school funding system hitting the wall in less than five years. This week, Engdahl reported on the costs of implementing the state's testing and educator evaluation "reforms."  The State Board of Education is requesting $25.9 million from General Fund to launch new assessments.  Over the next three years, the state is scheduled to spend $120 million on testing.  The state's new data-driven evaluations were were scheduled to cost $50 million, but now the governor is asking for an additional $7.7 million appropriation from the General Fund.  Without this new spending, it is argued, the validity of the data to be used for teacher evaluations will be suspect.  After two years of budgetary shortfalls, I wonder if there is some buyer's remorse regarding Colorado's gamble that weighing a hog more can somehow make it bigger.-JT (@drjohnthompson)Image via.