Tag Archives: consumers

The school year is back underway in most places in Colorado, and that means it’s time for an important reminder: Just as parents ought to be informed consumers and make wise decisions concerning educational options that suit their children’s needs, so teachers ought to be informed consumers in choosing a membership organization that meets their professional needs. As far as membership organizations go, the new kid on the block in our state is the two-year-old, fast-growing Professional Association of Colorado Educators (PACE), “a Colorado-based, non-profit, professional educator association, dedicated to the academic and personal growth of every student.” Recently, PACE’s director of membership Megan Leatham explained what her organization is about with my Education Policy Center friend Ben DeGrow on an 8-minute iVoices podcast. For $180 a year, a full-time Colorado teacher has access to the following PACE membership benefits:

A new Education Sector report by Erin Dillon suggests that too many parents (especially the poorer ones) don’t know enough to make the right decisions when they have school choice options: Reformers working to improve banking and food services in the district’s low-income neighborhoods and around the nation have already learned these lessons. In recent years, they’ve moved aggressively to provide sophisticated market analysis to private sector firms, making the case that poor neighborhoods represent an untapped source of profits. They’ve forged strong connections with local community organizations that reach out to new consumers and help customize services to meet local needs. They’ve provided crucial start-up funds for small businesses and have encouraged these businesses to be flexible in how and where they serve residents. And they’ve worked hard to build knowledge and expertise among the consumers who drive demand. Joanne Jacobs agrees: School choice proponents should learn how to help low-income parents recognize high-quality schools and avoid the duds. Both Dillon and Jacobs should take a look at what’s going on in Colorado, and see what my friends in the Education Policy Center have created and marketed to many of the families and communities in the Denver area and […]