Mark Sass, a teacher since 1994, teaches at Legacy High School in the Adams Five Star School District.
Who is Step Up Colorado and why do they hate public education so much?
That’s what I would ask the person or persons behind the group Step Up Colorado. Their commercials, running frequently on local television, paint such a bleak picture of public education that one has to wonder who they are and what they want.
We know they believe current education reforms are not adequate nor are they expedient enough. I’d love to see their solutions but they do not mention any in their commercials nor do they offer any on their web site. Know what else they don’t mention? They don’t mention who they are. Not a single person is listed on their web site. Nor is any organization. Who are you?
Are you interested in having a conversation? Or are you just interested in throwing bombs?
Popularity: 26% [?]
An update to my post. There is an organization listed on the web site:
“Step Up Colorado is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by members of the Colorado community who are committed to education reform. Funded by philanthropies, businesses, and the general public, Step Up Colorado is dedicated to educating our state’s citizens about the challenges facing Colorado’s public school system.
A project of the Employment Policies Institute (EPI) – a nonprofit research organization dedicated to studying public policy issues surrounding employment growth – Step Up Colorado has an especially tight focus on the benefits education reform will bring Colorado’s economy.”
EPI was founded by uber lobbyist Ric Berman whose main source of funding comes from the food, alcoholic beverage, and tobacco industries. EPI’s site says that hey seek to “broaden public debate about strategies to achieve progress and a fair economy.”
I am not sure how slinging mud at public education broadens public debate.
Their website says they are a project of the Employment Policies Institute: http://epionline.org/aboutepi.cfm
It is curious that this group’s information is not available on either the Colorado Secretary of State’s website or Guidestar.org. However, they do note that they are connected with Economics Policies Institute. The EPI is considered a “front group” for conservative cause lobbying: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Employment_Policies_Institute and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Employment_Policies_Institute.
I had not seen this before (clearly not watching enough local TV commercials). However it is worth pointing out that it is not isolated, but part of a trend that has been part of the local education debate for some time.
The anonymous website and social media (although without the local TV buy) was a prominent part of the SaveLakeIB / Anti DPS reform movement, and most recently has been taken up in a similar vein by DeFENSE, with a similar no-author web site and social media campaign.
This is apparently not a tactic that belongs to either side of the ideological debate.