About Us

WHO WE ARE

Created in 2016, the Great Schools, Thriving Communities Coalition, created in 2016, is the first and only ongoing education coalition that encompasses practitioner, advocacy, and social justice organizations.  GSTC pursues inclusively created policies that promote an adequate, equitable and sustainable school finance system that meets the needs of every Colorado student.

WHAT WE’VE ACCOMPLISHED

  • In 2021-2022, developed Initiative 63 to increase funding for teachers and students support professsionals without increasing tax rates.
  • Actively supported Proposition CC in 2019, the Fair Tax Colorado initiative and Amendment B (property tax reform) in 2020, and developed Initiative 63 to increase funding for teachers without increasing tax rates in 2021-22.
  • Developed Amendment 73, a 2018 citizens initiative to add $1.6 billion to Colorado’s school finance system, to be distributed in a way that would better meet the individual needs of students. GSTC partners gathered more than 100,000 volunteer signatures to qualify Amendment 73 for the ballot, where the measure came closer to success than any previous statewide school funding tax increase, despite the campaign being outspent 3:1 in the fall. 
  • Meets monthly to discuss and advance ballot and legislative issues; co-create communication and outreach strategies; and learn together about ways to make the Coalition and our own organizations more inclusive and responsive to the needs of individuals and populations that have been underserved traditionally.

WANT TO BE A PART OF THIS DIVERSE, INCLUSIVE, ACTION-ORIENTED COALITION?   Please email Ben Robinson (ben@greateducation.org) to learn more and find out how.

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Advocates for Public Education Policya4pep.org
AFT Colorado co.aft.org
The Arc of Arapahoe & Douglas Countiesarc-ad.org
The Arc of Coloradowww.thearcofco.org
Colorado Association of Bilingual Education www.cocabe.org
CLLARO www.thearcofco.org 
Colorado Association of Gifted and Talented www.coloradogifted.org
Colorado Association of School Boards www.casb.org
Colorado Association of School Executives www.co-case.org
Colorado BOCES Association www.coloradoboces.org
Colorado Children’s Campaign www.coloradokids.org
Colorado Council of Churches www.cochurches.org
Colorado Education Association www.coloradoea.org
Colorado PTA copta.org
Colorado Rural Schools Alliance www.coruralalliance.org
Colorado School Finance Project cosfp.org
Denver Families for Public Education https://www.denverfamilies.org/
Great Education Coloradowww.greateducation.org
Mile High United Way unitedwaydenver.org
NAACP www.naacpstateconference.org
National Center for Learning Disabilities www.ncld.org
Northeast Colorado BOCES www.neboces.org/o/ne-colorado-boces
Pinnacle Partners
Project VOYCE www.projectvoyce.org
Public Education Business Coalition www.pebc.org
Stand for Children stand.org/colorado
Support Jeffco Kidswww.supportjeffcokids.org