Let’s look at the facts. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2024, only 36 percent of Colorado’s fourth-graders read at a proficient level, and just 42 percent are proficient in math.

These numbers should alarm every parent, educator, policymaker and taxpayer. Beneath the surface of annual graduation celebrations lies a troubling reality: Many students are not prepared for life after high school. Colleges are restructuring their curricula to accommodate lower proficiency levels, and remedial classes are becoming the norm, not the exception.

As an educator with 25 years of experience in Mesa County Valley School District 51 and a Realtor who works closely with families across our community, I’ve seen firsthand the growing frustration and concern from parents, teachers and community members alike. And I share in it.

For the first time, I’ve seriously considered moving my family out of Colorado, something I never thought I’d contemplate in the state I’ve called home my whole life.

While many, including our superintendent and board of education, are grappling with the impending doom of closing schools and cutting more from the already meager budget, our Colorado House Representatives and governor are busy funding pet projects. Gov. Jared Polis said there was not enough money for schools. I have news for him: Public schools in Colorado have NEVER been adequately funded in my 25 years.

However, now Colorado is not only NOT funding schools, state lawmakers are ready and poised to fund new atrocious initiatives or bills.

When school districts and governments prioritize policies around gender-affirming care, inclusive curriculum or access to reproductive services, they often frame it as caring for student well-being, especially for marginalized or vulnerable groups. The idea being that if all students feel safe and supported, the more likely it is that they will succeed.

Here is where it gets messy: If those policies feel like they are being pushed at the expense of academic excellence, parental rights or shared community values, it starts to feel like ideology and less like academics.

It is fair to ask: Are these policies going to help ALL students, or is it just checking boxes? Are they going to improve education or distract from it?

This is a powerful and deeply personal question and one that speaks to the heart of the ongoing debate. What role should government play in raising or educating a student? Who is looking at the mass population of students and their needs?

One side of the argument is that a few should not dictate abortion and gender-affirming care, especially the egregious Colorado House Bill 25-1312. They feel this is an unjust way to spend hard-working dollars, and it places human beings in a totally unfair position between their faith and belief systems.

On the flip side, our government believes they should be making decisions for all, even at the expense of shattering families, regardless of implications and faith or belief systems.

Some would say the answer is the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. How many of you would willingly keep giving money to people who have proven time and time again that they are not effective and good stewards of such funds?

Education at its heart is where all other careers come from. Are we, as a society OK with failing the masses with such devastating impacts in the long run?

At a certain point, it is natural to ask: Why am I funding this? What am I getting for my money? Where is the accountability? Here it is:

1. Teach students to read critically, write clearly and think logically.
2. Ensure students understand math, science, history and civics at a high level.
3. Promote discipline, accountability and personal responsibility.
4. Raise the bar, not lower it in the name of “equity” or social pressure.
5. Let families raise their children.

It is time to hold state leaders accountable for how education is funded to ensure a stronger future for the next generation.

Christy Anderson is a K–3 elementary educator with 25 years of experience in Mesa County Valley School District 51. She was formerly an active member of the local teachers’ union, and she now serves as an ambassador for the Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE). In addition to being an advocate for students and teachers, she is a parent and a local Realtor for Bray and Co. Real Estate.