DENVER — Thursday, June 22, 2017 — Gov. Hickenlooper signed an executive order this week to redesign the state’s Education Leadership Council (ELC). The ELC was first established in 2011 to provide a forum to discuss statewide education issues.
“We’re pulling together many of the best minds in education, government and workforce to create a broad strategic vision that includes all levels of education - from preschool through college and beyond - in the state of Colorado,” said Governor John Hickenlooper.
The ELC will develop a vision, strategic plan and recommendations for consideration by the Governor and General Assembly. It will utilize existing work from the Colorado Department of Education and Colorado Department of Higher Education; will benchmark Colorado’s performance against other states and countries; will create a structure to gather feedback from a broad array of stakeholders, including parents, teachers, students, special needs populations, community leaders and education interest groups; and develop potential legislative and budgetary recommendations for consideration by the Governor and General Assembly.
The ELC will be housed under the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.
“Children are our greatest resource. We owe it to them to ensure they have every chance to succeed and that means closing our education attainment gaps which will improve graduation rates and ensure we have a highly trained workforce,” said Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne.