CAG Thrift Shop & Food Pantry

Golden Opportunity Scholarship

CAG operates exclusively for charitable and civic purposes for residents of Golden, Colorado. We provide food, financial assistance, and referrals to other community services to residents in crisis and/or experiencing hardship.

We value our community with integrity, empathy, teamwork, and volunteerism. We offer this Golden Opportunity Scholarship with the aspiration to continue these values. If you are a senior at Golden High School and share these values, and will be attending college in Colorado in the fields of medicine, education, social services, psychology, criminal justice, or nonprofit management, then this scholarship may be for you.

Under the new “Golden Opportunity Scholarships” program, CAG offers four scholarships of $5000 to Golden High School seniors each year.

Requirement is that the students plan to further their education in the fields of medicine, education, social services, psychology, criminal justice, or nonprofit management.

Criteria:

• Plan on attending college in Colorado

• Plan on studying in the fields of medicine, education, social services, psychology, criminal justice, or nonprofit management

• Minimum 3.0 GPA

• Submit 3 Letters of Recommendation

• Personal essay: Please tell us about yourself and your future aspirations.

• Application due by March 31, 2023 school district leadership will punish them. Many teachers like him are within their rst few years of teaching and on a probationary period. e bill would help teachers feel like they can use their voice.

“A lot of teachers just keep their head down,” Walek said. “It’s a tough environment.” e Colorado Education Association and other advocacy groups say the bill grants rights and protections that were skipped over in last year’s collective bargaining bill for many public employees.

In addition to K-12 and higher education workers, the bill would cover a large group of workers, such as county, city, re, library and public health workers.

“employers know that.”

By extending the federal rights for private workers to public workers statewide, the bill would ensure the Colorado Department of Labor & Employment enforces these rights and step in when violations happen, mediate any issues, and take action.

Democrats in the state legislature have been pushing for more rights for public sector workers. e legislation lawmakers passed last year grants county employees the right to organize and bargain collectively over pay and working conditions. at law also prohibits strikes, work stoppages, and work slowdowns.

But facing sti opposition from school district administrators, school boards, higher education o cials, and Democratic Gov. Jared Polis, education workers were excluded from last year’s bill.

Senate Bill 111 is sponsored by state Sen. Robert Rodriguez and state Rep. Steven Woodrow, both Denver Democrats. e bill passed the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee on Tuesday with a partisan 4-3 vote.

Many large Colorado school districts voluntarily recognize employee unions and have contracts that include collective bargaining rights, but there is no requirement that they do so. Union members say that leaves many teachers vulnerable.

Mountain Valley School District teacher Kevin Walek, a San Luis Valley teacher union vice president, said teachers worry if they speak out that

Multiple groups want to amend the bill, including the Colorado League of Charter Schools, the Colorado Association of School Executives, and the Colorado Charter School Institute. e committee approved amendments related to unintended consequences the groups identi ed, such as those related to State Board of Education powers and to ensure management positions wouldn’t be included.

Michelle Murphy, Colorado Rural Schools Alliance executive director, said the bill would substantially disrupt schools. e organization also wants to amend the bill.

“ is bill expands employee rights while dialing back and restricting employer rights,” she said.

Opponents include many county and city organizations and governments. Kevin Bommer, Colorado Municipal League executive director, said employers are already required to give employees substantial protections under federal law.

Others also argued there aren’t widespread complaints about improper employer practices. And any such issues can be handled by federal law, they said.

But Kelly said the public ultimately gets hurt when unhappy workers can’t resolve issues quickly with their employers.

“Workers end up leaving or they get to the point where they hate their jobs,” Kelly said. “ at creates an adverse e ect on anyone who uses public services.” is story was originally published by Chalkbeat. Sign up for their newsletters at ckbe.at/newsletters