Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet released the following statement on the announcement that Colorado is participating in a three-year pilot program to expand and redesign the school calendars of select public schools to improve learning for thousands of students. Bennet is the former superintendent of Denver Public Schools and a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and has advocated for more quality time in the classroom.
“Colorado continues to stay ahead of the curve and lead on education reform and innovation. More quality time in the classroom will allow our kids to explore new areas of learning and strengthen their skills to compete in the 21st century global economy,” said Bennet. “We wouldn’t be able to take these steps without the help and leadership of the Ford Foundation and the National Center on Time & Learning.”
The TIME (Time for Innovation Matters in Education) Collaborative is a partnership between the Ford Foundation and the National Center on Time & Learning (NCTL) to develop high-quality and sustainable expanded learning time schools in five states—Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Tennessee. Through the TIME Collaborative, the Ford Foundation and NCTL are investing in and supporting these states because of their shared commitment to closing academic achievement gaps and to prioritizing the use of newly flexible federal funds—afforded by the ESEA waiver process—to add at least 300 hours of more learning time for all students in participating schools.