What better person to write a case study of SB 191 – Colorado’s groundbreaking teacher evaluation legislation – than the legislative director for Mike Johnston, the state senator who shepherded it through to passage? Scott Laband describes the political, policy, and messaging elements that were essential for the legislation’s ultimate success:
- “Finding strong and credible leadership.” Sen. Johnston, a former Teach for America teacher and principal, had the credentials to lead the charge. Selecting the right co-sponsors with enough expertise to ward off amendments to the bill’s key provisions was also crucial.
- “Getting the policy right.” SB 191 started by “identifying the flaws of the existing teacher and school leader evaluation system.” It was a pro-teacher piece of legislation that overhauled several things at once rather than in piecemeal fashion (evaluations, tenure, placement, and reductions in force – with the former informing the latter three). Laband also points out the importance of compromises on non-vital amendments, and “rotating political cover” so that no single lawmakers had to go against his/her own caucus too many times.
- “Building a powerful coalition.” To rally the support necessary to upend a deeply entrenched teacher personnel system, proponents crafted a concept paper early on in the process, identified any and all potential partners (including the civil rights community), and garnered support especially among teachers themselves. The process for creating the coalition sounds arduous, but the brief is compelling in describing its necessity.
- “Coordinating broad based advocacy.” Chief among advocacy strategies was raising money, maintaining a strong web presence, and implementing a sophisticated lobbying plan.
- “Controlling the message.” The campaign around SB 191 was unwaveringly pro-teacher, and framed the legislation as helping solve the problem of the achievement gap (rather than portraying ineffective teachers as the main obstruction). Key components of messaging included: polling data, success stories of students and teachers, dispelling “myths,” and “rewarding champions,” (DFER raised $500k alone for Democrats who voted for the bill).
That Democrats led the charge to pass Colorado’s SB 191 certainly “defies conventional political wisdom.” That reality alone holds lessons for the Buckeye State, as lawmakers typically have a hard time breaching the partisan divide – especially when it comes to K-12 education policy.
Creating a Winning Legislative Campaign: The Colorado Story
Democrats for Education Reform
Scott Laband