Becker lacks support for periodic review of school programs

    A bill that melds two of Rep. Jon Becker’s passions — K-12 education and getting rid of regulatory waste — met resistance from not only Democrats on the House Education Committee but Republicans, too.
    Becker, a Fort Morgan Republican, had hoped to persuade the committee to greenlight House Bill 1222, which would have required the state auditor to set up a regular review of programs in preschool through high school.
    Becker told the committee on March 12 it would allow the Legislature to make informed decisions on future education policy and legislation.
    Becker first addressed the elephant in the room: the bill’s cost, more than $331,000 in 2018-19 and $344,000 the following year. It would eventually add three employees to the auditor’s office and another to the state Department of Education.
    Under the bill, the audit would determine whether programs meet the objectives and intended outcomes of the General Assembly. The reviews may also include performance and fiscal audits. “We spend $6 billion on education. This is not even 1 percent to review the programs you spend $6 billion on,” Becker said.
    Any program mandated by the General Assembly and in effect for at least six years would be under review. No program mandated by the General Assembly would be off limits, he told the committee. He didn’t list the programs because of fears that lawmakers would feel the bill would go after lawmakers’ favorites. There is no “going after my favorite program — every program would have to stand on its own,” he said.
    The bill won early support from organizations that don’t always stand with Becker, such as two teachers’ unions: the Colorado Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers. It also was backed by the state superintendent’s organization, the Colorado Association of School Executives; and the Colorado Association of School Boards.
 

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