To his credit, State Rep. Cory Gardner is spearheading a grassroots effort to support public charter schools and the families they serve. Recently the Adams 12 school board unanimously decided to support legislation unfriendly to charter schools (see Resolution 1.3). Adams 12 effectively wants to beef up its own authority to deny charters, to limit parents’ authority to appeal rejected charter school applications, and to undercut charter schools’ already sub-par funding.

But Cory Gardner (R-Yuma), a rising star in the GOP, took the initiative to craft a letter alerting charter school parents and supporters to the attack and urging them to get involved in the fight. In all, 17 Republican state representatives and 9 Republican state senators signed their names to the letter. I know there are Democratic charter school supporters out there, too. Let’s see how many of them get involved as well.

Meanwhile, charter school parents and friends need to step up and make their voices heard. A year and a half ago I wrote that State Senator Nancy Spence deserves to win Colorado’s Charter School Champion Award. It’s time to add Cory Gardner to that category, too.