Jamita Horton
Posted November 13, 2025
As a child, I have memories of driving down Milwaukee’s streets in my mom’s white Dodge Shadow and listening to the best 90s music on our way to school. Every few years, the route would change along with my school, teachers and friends, because my mother was determined to find the perfect school for her only daughter.
For her, perfection meant a place that challenged me academically, where teachers saw me as more than just a test score. She wanted a school that would put me on the path to college while letting me explore my changing dreams for the future. Some of my schools had a few of the qualities she was looking for, but no one school quite measured up.
Those years in Milwaukee taught me what it feels like to chase quality education within a system that never quite delivers on its promise. My mother’s determination planted in me a lifelong belief that every child deserves access to an excellent education without their parents having to soul search whether the school they found is worth the long commute, complex enrollment processes, and competition with other families.
As the executive director of Teach Plus Colorado, I’m lucky to work with outstanding educators to ensure every child has access to high-quality schools, no matter where they live. Our teachers have advocated for policies that expand these opportunities for students, including a new school finance formula, universal preschool, and robust postsecondary workforce readiness programs. Beyond legislation, they serve on state committees, present at conferences, and publish research that informs policy — all to expand their students’ opportunities.
But even the best ideas can wither and die for lack of funding.
Now, as Gov. Jared Polis unveils his next state budget, his commitment to fully fund education, including kindergarten, carries real weight. After years of hard work to eliminate the budget stabilization factor and to create a new school finance formula, Colorado’s students finally have a chance to experience an education system with consistent investment. We can’t afford to turn back.
Yes, the state faces tough choices in the months ahead. With economic uncertainty at the state and federal levels, every dollar in the budget will be scrutinized. But the measure of leadership isn’t just how we manage in times of plenty; it’s how we protect our values when resources are scarce. Education is one of those values.
That’s why Colorado must invest in policies that expand access to opportunity for students and support the educators who make learning possible. This means ensuring that every student can participate in college and career pathways, such as in-demand industry credentials, college credit, and work-based learning, so they graduate with real options for the future. It means closing foundational literacy and math gaps with the interventions, supports and innovations students need to succeed. And it means building and sustaining a high-quality educator workforce by investing in preparation, professional growth, and the working conditions that allow excellent teachers to thrive and stay in the classroom.
When I think about what’s possible for Colorado’s kids, I picture my mom behind the wheel of that Dodge Shadow, doing everything she could to find the right school for me. Thirty years later, families shouldn’t have to work that hard — especially after all the progress we’ve made.
Colorado’s children need classrooms with teachers who stay, programs that support their growth, and schools that reflect the promise of opportunity this state was built on. Polis and the state Legislature have shown that they believe in that promise. Now is the time to prove it again by standing firm, not wavering, on the commitment to education funding, even in uncertain times.
Jamita Horton, Ed.D., is the executive director of Teach Plus Colorado. This commentary is republished from Colorado Newsline under a Creative Commons license.
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