Apr 19, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 19, 2021
Colorado Education Association Delegates Re-Elect President/Vice President to Another Term
DENVER – Colorado Education Association (CEA) President Amie Baca-Oehlert was re-elected on Saturday, Apr. 17 at the CEA’s 95th Annual (and second virtual) Delegate Assembly.
During the opening night of the Delegate Assembly, Baca-Oehlert was chosen to lead CEA as president for a second and final three-year term.
“It has been such an honor to represent my fellow 39,000 educators across Colorado for the past three years,” Baca-Oehlert said.“In the last three years, we’ve accomplished so much for educators and students across Colorado, but as we move forward leading the way in supporting teaching and learning beyond COVID-19, addressing racial and social inequities that exist within Colorado’s public schools, and stemming an unprecedented educator shortage, there is much work ahead of us.
“Our students and fellow educators deserve better and we will not stop until our collective voices, the voices of those who do the critical job of educating Colorado’ students day in and day out, are heard.”
Baca-Oehlert, a high school counselor from Adams 12 Five Star Schools, was first elected to CEA office as vice president from 2012 through 2018 and president since 2018. She will begin her new term in July.
CEA Vice President Kevin Vick, a high school social studies teacher out of Colorado Springs School District 11, was also re-elected by the delegates to his second term.
Delegate Assembly is CEA’s top policy-making body, composed of several hundred members across the state who are elected by their fellow members.
CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert and CEA Vice President Kevin Vick
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 26, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 26, 2021
CEA President Baca-Oehlert:
Colorado’s Largest Union Pleased by Standardized Testing Waiver
U.S. Department of Education grants Colorado’s waiver with one addition
DENVER, CO – Today, the U.S. Department of Education granted Colorado’s assessment waiver request to scale down CMAS testing this year to language arts tests for students in grades three, five and seven and math in grades four, six and eight – and added the requirement of the science test for 8th grade. Waivers for science testing for grades five and eleven were granted.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“Educators across Colorado are pleased that the U.S. Department of Education recognized that full-scale standardized testing this year would be not only completely unnecessary, but also harmful to students struggling to survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Students and educators have been bouncing between in-person, virtual and hybrid learning depending on the COVID-19 conditions in their community for a year now. The last thing students need is to have the brakes slammed on learning to accommodate several weeks of standardized testing.
“We are grateful to Rep. Emily Sirota, Rep. Barbara McLachlan, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, and Sen. Don Coram for sponsoring the legislation to apply for this partial pause that will provide some much-needed relief for students and educators this spring. Our voices matter, and we thank CEA members, parents and community allies who signed petitions, made phone calls and took action in support of the assessment waiver.
“We care deeply about making sure all our students are learning during the pandemic. The wisest thing to do is to focus every single second on instruction so our students are able to concentrate on learning and maintaining their mental health until the pandemic subsides.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 23, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 23, 2021
CEA President Baca-Oehlert:
CEA Reaction to the Mass Shooting in Boulder, CO
Ten lives lost in a senseless act of violence
DENVER, CO – Yesterday, ten people were senselessly murdered as they went about their business at a King Soopers grocery store in Boulder, CO.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“Sadly, once again, our Colorado community is hurting after another senseless and tragic mass shooting. The CEA sends our support to the brave members of UFCW Local 7 who not only have been serving our communities during a pandemic, but who took swift action to usher people to safety during this senseless act of violence. Ten lives, including that of a Boulder Police Officer, were lost yesterday and we stand with all Coloradans in mourning. In the days ahead we will come together to support our students, families and community members who are impacted by this tragedy, but we also must come together to act. Enough is enough.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 16, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 16, 2021
Colorado Education Association (CEA) lauds House Bill 21-1161 becoming law
Bill gives some relief to students and educators in 2021; more work to do
DENVER – On Tuesday, Gov. Jared Polis signed House Bill (HB) 21-1161, Suspend Statewide Assessments For Select Grades, into law. Spearheaded by the Colorado Education Association, the bill will allow educators to focus their limited time and resources on instruction and interventions to put students’ learning and mental health needs first. Specifically, the bill will direct the Colorado Department of Education (CDE) to formally request a waiver from the US Department of Education to suspend standardized testing for certain subjects and grades for 2020-21. It also prohibits a school district from using student academic growth measures or student performance measures when evaluating licensed personnel or for school accountability for the 2020-21 school year.
The 39,000 educators of the CEA along with 15,000 Coloradans who signed a petition were clear in their desire to cancel CMAS this year, but ultimately fought for a bill that would meet the federal guidance and preserve as much as possible instructional time for students.
“HB 21-1161 is the direct result of our elected officials listening to our members and taking action to provide relief to our students and members during a school year that has been anything but ‚Äòstandard’,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, president of the Colorado Education Association.“CEA members have been clear that we need to ease the burden that CMAS testing will put on students, educators, schools and districts, and we want to thank bill sponsors Rep. Emily Sirota, Rep. Barbara McLachlan, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, and Sen. Don Coram for standing with Colorado students and educators.”
“Students, parents and teachers have been through a lot this year,” said Rep. Alec Garnett, Colorado Speaker of the House.“I’m proud of the way everyone in the education community came together for our students to lessen the testing burden while still complying with federal requirements. Reps. Sirota and McLachlan led the charge to find a meaningful and responsible solution that will allow teachers to focus on teaching, and I am grateful for their efforts.”
The need for Colorado to prioritize direct instruction time over standardized testing this year has been clear for some time. After two recent CEA public polls showed just 4% of Colorado parents favored standardized testing, the Colorado Education Association and Colorado legislature worked together to prioritize student learning in a year of pandemic turmoil.
“I applaud the Colorado Education Association and the Colorado State Legislature for working together and putting the needs of students first,” said Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association.“All students deserve to have the ability to demonstrate knowledge in many ways that are measurable by those who know them best – their educators. I hope Sec. Cardona and the Department of Education will work with Colorado to tailor assessments that can actually determine where students are and help design an educational experience that fully supports their academic, social and emotional needs.”
While the Colorado Education Association lauds the passage of HB 21-1161, the work of providing Colorado students and educators with relief during the pandemic is not over.
“Our goals are unchanged: Protect the precious remaining classroom time to focus on instruction and intervention, meet students’ social-emotional and mental health needs, and use existing data that educators use every day to assess and meet the current needs of our students in ways that help them thrive,” said Baca-Oehlert.
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 10, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 10, 2021
CEA President Baca-Oehlert:
The American Rescue Plan Passes Congress, Awaits Pres. Biden’s Signature
Legislation will provide much needed financial relief to schools
DENVER, CO – Today, the United States Congress passed the American Rescue Plan COVID-19 relief package, which will next head to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“Today’s passage of the American Rescue Plan means Colorado students, educators and schools will have the additional financial support they have desperately needed since last year. The projected $1.7 billion dollars earmarked for Colorado schools and higher education will help school districts keep our students and educators safe, enable us to meet the needs of students, and will also help lift thousands of the most vulnerable Colorado families out of poverty. The rescue dollars will also provide much needed support and resources for higher education in Colorado.
“Colorado educators advocated for this historic legislation, and we applaud its passage. This financial relief will go a long way in supporting families and keeping students and educators safe as we continue to educate students in a pandemic and build a better future for all students in Colorado, especially our most vulnerable students and students of color.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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Mar 5, 2021 | Press
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 5, 2021
CEA President Baca-Oehlert:
Colorado’s Largest Union Applauds the Colorado House Education Committee for Standing with Students and Educators
Committee passes Standardized Testing Relief to Full House
DENVER, CO – Today, the House Education Committee passed House Bill (HB) 21-1161, Suspend Statewide Assessments for Select Grades, out of committee to the full House. The bill will give Colorado the ability to scale down CMAS testing this year, providing some necessary relief for students and educators from standardized testing this spring.
The following statement can be attributed to Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association:
“CEA members have been clear that we need to ease the burden that CMAS testing will be on students, educators, schools and districts, and we want to thank Rep. Emily Sirota, Rep. Barbara McLachlan, Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, and Sen. Don Coram for standing with Colorado students and educators.
“It is incredibly disappointing that the federal government usurped our work with Colorado legislators on finding a solution that works for Colorado students. Our goals are unchanged: protect the precious remaining classroom time to focus on instruction and intervention, meet students’ social-emotional and mental health needs, and use existing data to reduce the logistical burden of CMAS.
“Recognizing this, we now call on all Colorado legislators and the governor to do what’s best for our students and enact HB 21-1161 into law so that our students can get the instruction time they need and deserve.”
About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.
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CEA President Amie Baca-Oehlert and CEA Vice President Kevin Vick