2026 Actions & Advocacy
2026 Actions
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Presented a webinar on Unpacking the New Federal Voucher Scheme and What It Means for Colorado - Jan. 21, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
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Sent messages on the federal voucher tax credit as follows:
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There’s No Such Thing as Free Money. Only Defunded Public Schools.
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The Federal Voucher Program Is Law. What Happens Next Is a Choice.
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A Major Education Decision. No Public Vote.
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A Constitutional Test for Colorado’s Public Schools.
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Public Dollars, Private Control
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Voters reject vouchers. Billionaires keep pushing them anyway.
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“Free Money” or Public School Heist? The Truth About Federal School Vouchers
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Presented a webinar on The Billionaire Playbook: How Vouchers Threaten Public Education - Mar. 18, 2026, 6:30 p.m.
2026 Advocacy
A4PEP supports these bills:
HB26-1292, Scholarship Granting Organizations
A4PEP is very concerned about the federal tax credit voucher program, a provision of H.R. 1, which Congress passed in July 2025 and subsequently Governor Polis opted Colorado into in December 2025. HB26-1292 puts "guardrails" in place for the state implementation of this program to prevent discrimination and possible misuse of taxpayer resources. It does this by requiring schools that enroll students receiving any or all of their education-related expenses from a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) to comply with non-discrimination protections and laws. It requires that the state include all eligible SGOs on its list identifying eligible organizations to the federal government.
SM26-001, High-Stakes Standardized Testing
Since its inception, A4PEP has advocated for the elimination of high-stakes standardized testing and a redesign of the state's accountability system so it is meaningful, relevant, and equitable, and uses support, resources, and community-based solutions to improve student achievement. This resolution (called a "memorial" because it calls in Congress to make changes) urges Congress to end the federal mandate that ties statewide standardized tests to accountability determinations and sanctions. ​​
SB26-135, State Public K-12 Education Funding
One of A4PEP's key beliefs is that Colorado's education system is woefully underfunded. Colorado has one of the lowest per-pupil expenditures and teacher salaries in the nation. This bill will allow the voters to approve a new mechanism to inject additional funding for K-12 education without raising taxes, utilizing tax revenue that has already been collected. It will be distributed to every school district based on their enrollment.
A4PEP supported this bill:
HB26-1291, Educator Performance Evaluations
(the bill was lost in the House Education Committee)
A4PEP supported this bill to reduce the evaluations of nonprobationary teachers from every year to every 3 years. A4PEP has long respected and supported the profession of teaching. We believe every child deserves a well-qualified licensed teacher. We also acknowledge the importance of teacher evaluations for the purpose of improving the craft, skills, and methods of teaching. The art of teaching generally improves with practice to reach a level of comfort and proficiency in the classroom. Some say it takes approximately 3 years for newly hired teachers to feel comfortable with classroom management and instructional skills.
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Effective teaching requires practice and experience, and guidance from seasoned peers and supportive principals during those probationary years. Our organization recognizes the importance of yearly evaluations during this learning period. However, requiring yearly evaluations for non-probationary teachers is overly burdensome and time-consuming for administrators, and unnecessary for those teachers who have reached a level of effective teaching proficiency. A 3 year evaluation for these teachers is more appropriate.