It is crunch time for an important teacher tenure reform bill in the state legislature, and we're troubled by the reception the bill has gotten thus far in the state House.
Rep. Michael Merrifield, House Education Committee chair, pushed back a hearing on Senate Bill 191 until Thursday. By doing so, state legislators are dangerously close to running out of time to pass the bill before the session ends next Wednesday, which may be part of the strategy.
Opponents, mainly leaders of Colorado's largest teachers union, are doing everything they can to kill the bill.
Democratic leaders cannot let that happen.
Senate Bill 191 would restructure the way teachers get and keep tenure, and would put an emphasis on student achievement. It is good education policy that would give teachers incentives to make sure that every child in their class progresses academically.
Democratic leaders must step up and move the measure forward.
Gov. Bill Ritter, whose endorsement of the bill came late and only after certain amendments were made to the bill,