The problem Boulder County identified was a huge achievement gap between low income kids and their peers from middle or upper income homes. “Not everyone gets an even start in life,” said the foundation’s Chris Barge. “Children show up to kindergarten with folks who aren’t prepared, who even at kindergarten are so far behind that they are not likely to go to college.” Research showed that Boulder County, despite having one of the most competitive school districts in the state, was failing kids from low income families.
The foundation identified two problems: no public awareness of the issue, and no public funding capacity to address it. Kindergarten is not compulsory and underfunded in Colorado, said Barge. So the foundation did more research to find out what would motivate the public to act. Women in a focus group felt this was a moral issue. Men wanted a business case for why they should invest in this issue, especially when it came to having to raise taxes to address the problem.
With Knight’s help, the foundation got the community’s attention, educated them and galvanized public support. Early childhood education is a matter of personal, economic and national security, the campaign said at festivals, fairs and on the radio across Colorado. The group brought in a national expert and convened state leaders to help drive home the issue.
Ultimately, the community, once it learned about the gap, got the school board to take action. The School Board agreed to donate millions from an upcoming levy (if passed) to help increase pre-school and kindergarten classes for low-income schools. The levy won in a landslide — 60% of voters ulimately supported it. “Our initiative was successful because a community organization got behind it. Community organizations are trusted sources,” Barge said.
Wow and Doable: Chris Barge from Knight Foundation on Vimeo.
