Hill. I thank you very much for the time to be with us today. A. It is a pleasure to see you virtually. I cant wait until we can see you in person sometime. I look forward to updating you. Good. I look forward to that as well. Let me jump right into it with may be the most obvious question you can give all of us the lay of the land for so many things happening where are you right now in response to the pandemic and can you give a quick overview and we will jump into the thoughts and the analysis. Relief from the start we prioritized the safe return to school even during the period last spring when School Districts were closed for instruction across the country we encouraged districts to open their buildings and safeway is meaning each was deciding what to do and we encouraged them to do the necessary special work in small groups, to work with thirdparty providers. Now most of our schools are back across the country in a safe way i visited schools and many schools in the denver area, Colorado Springs they are doing it right one is local communication between the superintendent and teachers and families the state is stepping up. We passed medical grade masks weve given to teachers across the state one per week for every teacher in the state. We also prioritized the cares act money for the districts and schools in two ways. One we will talk about a little bit later. The larger went right out the door for the districts and Charter Schools in colorado. Obviously you have responsibility so these organizations are subsidized to do the things they need to do to provide basic service in your communities, but i did want to note the fund i saw the announcement recently it jumped out at me and how do you recognize the need to do some of the basics while at the same time knowing the world is changing and probably need to do some things. We are always looking at the pandemic for what is the silverlining en and the new norl thats better in other sectors. Its about what can we solve that has perplexed us for decades and has only been accentuated during the crisis. Its about who has been affected disproportionately because the truth is covid both from the Health Perspective and Economic Perspective do not affect everybody equally. We have communities with higher unemployment and higher death rate along the same chasms of achievement that we have and risk making them worse. If so, we want to use that opportunity to do things differently. Encourage over School Districts, Charter Schools deserve the highest need students including partnerships and School Districts and finding those best practices and expanding now is the time to double down on innovation. First i want to commend you with that. To solve social problems i think is critical. It makes everything seem like it has controversy surrounding it. Youve seen it through the lens of Charter Schools and colorado. What from your perspective is the state of education politics nationally and from my perspective its changed. I wonder if you can talk about it with the election coming up. A. Of the federal role has exacerbated the gap and the single Biggest Program was it enough, no, but we have seen the impact of that. Literally in the low income schools smaller class sizes. Absolutely title i, the existence and to support. Its not enough to close the gap, but ive been grateful for that and i would like to see state governments, federal districts all doing more to close the achievement gap because as a country we want to make sure that no matter where you live, you dont fall behind or not have access to opportunities because you live in poverty or you are in an area failing school. We needed the data and the accountability. I am confident that our National Dialogue will shift back to that in many ways. There have been concern withers kneejerk reactions one way or the other. Im confident President Joe Biden will help unite us and recognize the high quality schools with a critical focus on the achievement gap. You outlined a student agenda that is not ideological and it is different. Its different from so much of the ideology on both sides of the aisle however one hears the secretarys comments but let me jump to a couple of things you are doing physically and to commend colorado has been a National Leader and i wondered especially now where is that work in its evolution. We have leaned into this realizing the needs of the workplace isnt the same that led to the evolution of the Current System with High School Diploma or the college diploma. It means we need to blur the lines between k12 and what skills are needed and how do we match to to kids at the High School Level or Community Level where our School Districts were in the lead. We have many programs where they can graduate with an associatess degree from high school and even weve really leaned into apprenticeships and other models. We broke the secretary of labor out of that movement and we are looking to deconstruct what speed it and look at the skillsbased hiring with a lot of Companies Leading in and if theres not enough to say back down from that, how do we deconstruct. A key part is making sure they get the College Credit and credential while they are in high school and i am laser focused on helping everything we do in education, public, private, School District, all of that to me to the needs of students to get good jobs as they complete whatever little level of education. Colorado has seen a lot of expansion. Is your focus a result of that or a driver about that and its all of the above. Vocational education, high school, first of all it still exists. We need people to do auto shop in the programs. In fact one of the School District is a great new program i think it is the first vocational education. But we are also looking at the growth sectors people were going into to be veterinary technicians or work in nursing or they want to become teachers themselves. How do we open up those emerging career traps. Its not in competition with already exists. Its about expanding on it and i think you for leaving on that. Lets go back to the other end of the spectrum. The last couple of years its, kids are a lot younger and i know that it sounds great but youve got to make the case to the taxpayers end investing in prekindergarten which is front and center of the agenda as an important thing. It comes at a cost so i wondered if you can talk about why you are doing it. If we can accomplish one thing during the governorship in colorado it is to a leader in Early Childhood education and empowering women and a Single Parents to be able to enter the workforce on their own terms. Look at where colorado was. We have halfday kindergarten. A few spots for very low income but by and large, many families can only afford two or three hours a day. We know the benefits of fullday kindergarten. Weasel it in first, second and third grade. One of the first calls after i got elected was representative jim wilson who had been working on fullday kindergarten for years and i said we are going to figure it out and we got it done in a bipartisan way unanimously in the senate. Closing the achievement gap the next step is preschool. We have no separate preschool funding statewide in colorado it would be like other Nicotine Products that would provide funding for the universal program in colorado so that is the next big piece and we are also to say we are looking to continue our investment with all of those. Its the right thing to do and saves money and it prepares colorado not just now but long after my governorship is over. You talk about all of these. You have a leadership position. We are going to unmute the program audio. It is thought of as a local issue and not a state issue. Im wondering built off of the comments made earlier, what is the role of the state when you have School Boards and all the workforce agencies they are all out there and have their own different priorities. What is the role for the state in the American Education system and what do you want for your state . Very few people would disagree the decisions that are made from daytoday by superintendents and School Boards and we are responsible for those of the state level, federal government is responsible for those of the federal leveling and making sure that the rules dont just convey more advantage onto those that are already advantaged. And of the rules allow everybody to get a strong start and had good chance for success. We want to blur the lines between Early Childhood education and k12. I know the public once accountability and transparency. They of course the value of the schools to be administered locally and need the freedom to make the changes and take the steps they need to innovate and close the achievement gap but it also means that comes the responsibility and accountability so the brokers and state and federal government to make sure that accountability and transparency exists. If you were to say looking back on your time in office that the state achieves something under your leadership, looking back on it, what would you like to be able to say flax. In Early Childhood education is is preparing kids for success, whatever the route is. If they finish in high school, what is that a skilled and if they drop out of high school, what is that route for them. Is it a ged or skill that they can do without a High School Degree if they go to Community College or college. Both ends and of course the quality of what comes at the middle. We want colorado to be the best place to raise a family. A. Governor, governor, i can tei sometimes think this is the best time to be in public service. Its an even harder time to lead on these issues and in a pragmatic way for the people in any given place or state and i want to thank you for that and your whole team and know many of us out here are bulging with a great admiration. Thank you, john and to the institute it is an honor to join you today. And i look forward to working with of the coalitions who prepare our kids for the bright future. Likewise. Good luck with everything you are doing. Thank you. Traveling across the country especially to smaller towns to learn about those parts of the american story. Conversations of the future travel to rural areas and small towns ceo of airbnb thank you for joining us