Parents & Education | Chris Richardson | Colorado House District 56 

"Parents are a child's first teachers, their lifelong advocates, and should always remain the primary decision-makers in their children's education." 

Learn how Representative Chris Richardson supports parental rights, educational excellence, school choice, career and technical education, local control, and preparing every Colorado student for success. 

Great Schools Begin with Strong Families

Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed. Every parent deserves a meaningful voice in that child's education. Those two principles are not in conflict, they depend on one another.

As a father, former school board member, and now your State Representative, I have seen education from several perspectives. I have worked with teachers, administrators, parents, students, taxpayers, and community leaders. I know firsthand the dedication of the professionals who educate our children, and I also understand the importance of keeping parents at the center of every educational decision.

Schools exist to educate children. Parents exist to raise them. When schools and families work together, students thrive.

When government places unnecessary barriers between parents and their children, everyone loses.

Education should prepare young people not only for college, but for careers, military service, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and responsible citizenship.

Every student deserves the opportunity to pursue the future that best fits their talents and aspirations.

Why Education Matters to House District 56

Education is the foundation upon which rural communities build their future.  

Our district is home to 32 school districts, and they are the hearts of our small towns. Friday night football games. FFA competitions. School concerts. Graduation ceremonies. Community meetings. These events bring neighbors together and strengthen the fabric of rural Colorado.

But rural schools also face challenges different from those in metropolitan districts. Many serve geographically large areas. Students spend long hours riding school buses. Teacher recruitment can be difficult. Career and technical programs require specialized equipment. Small schools often offer fewer electives despite outstanding educators. Funding formulas sometimes fail to recognize the unique costs of rural education.

Colorado's education system should reflect these realities rather than assuming every district looks the same.

Policies developed for large urban districts may not fit schools in Burlington, Limon, Hugo, Kiowa, Deer Trail, or Karval.

The Challenge

Colorado's schools are filled with dedicated teachers, hardworking students, and supportive families. Yet too many conversations about education have become dominated by politics rather than student achievement. Parents have expressed concerns about:

• declining academic performance;

• literacy and mathematics outcomes;

• classroom distractions;

• transparency;

• school safety;

• workforce preparation;

• and whether their voices are still respected.

Teachers have expressed concerns about:

• increasing administrative burdens;

• classroom discipline;

• staffing shortages;

• mental health needs;

• and growing expectations unrelated to academic instruction.

Students deserve better than adults arguing past one another. Colorado should refocus education on academic excellence, strong partnerships with families, and preparing young people for successful lives.

My Principles

Parents Are the Primary Decision-Makers

Parents know their children better than any government agency. They should have meaningful access to:

• curriculum information;

• academic progress;

• school records;

• health information as permitted by law;

• and significant decisions affecting their children.

Schools should never treat parents as obstacles to be managed. They are partners in education. Respecting parents strengthens trust. Trust strengthens schools.

Every Child Learns Differently

No two students are identical. Some thrive in traditional classrooms. Others excel through career and technical education. Some pursue four-year universities. Others become welders, nurses, mechanics, electricians, farmers, business owners, or members of our Armed Forces.

Colorado should support multiple pathways to success rather than assuming one educational model fits every student. Success should be measured by preparation for life, not simply by standardized test scores.

Excellence Must Remain the Goal

Every student deserves:

• strong reading instruction;

• solid mathematics education;

• science grounded in evidence;

• civics that teaches our constitutional system;

• history presented honestly;

• financial literacy;

• and opportunities to develop critical thinking.

Schools should challenge students academically while preparing them to become informed, responsible citizens. High expectations demonstrate confidence in students' potential.

Teachers Deserve Our Respect

Teachers entered education because they care about children. Most work long hours far beyond the school day. They deserve:

• safe classrooms;

• professional respect;

• reasonable expectations;

• competitive compensation;

• and freedom to focus on teaching.

Reducing unnecessary administrative burdens allows educators to spend more time doing what they do best: Teaching.

The State Must Respect the Local Control of School Boards

The families and students of House District 56 are served by 32 different school boards.  Student populations in these districts range from 28 to 59,000.  Local school boards, elected by parents and community members who vote in the district, know their needs best.  They know what works for their students.  They know what dows not.   

The role of the legislature is not to tell boards how to manage their districts.  The role is to create an environment where local excellence can be achieved and all student can thrive.

School Choice Strengthens Education

Parents should have meaningful educational options. Educational opportunity should not depend entirely upon a family's ZIP code or financial resources. Colorado should continue supporting:

• neighborhood public schools;

• charter schools;

• homeschool families;

• career academies;

• innovation schools;

• and other high-quality educational opportunities.

School choice does not weaken public education. It encourages continuous improvement while recognizing that different students have different needs. The goal should never be protecting systems. The goal should always be serving children.

Career and Technical Education

One of Colorado's greatest educational opportunities is Career and Technical Education. House District 56 depends upon:

• agriculture;

• construction;

• healthcare;

• manufacturing;

• transportation;

• public safety;

• welding;

• diesel mechanics;

• information technology;

• and skilled trades.

These careers require talent, discipline, and education. They also provide excellent wages and long-term opportunities. We should celebrate vocational excellence with the same enthusiasm we celebrate university acceptance.

Colorado needs more electricians. More nurses. More mechanics. More agricultural professionals. More first responders. More entrepreneurs. Preparing students for those careers benefits our entire economy.

Keeping Politics Out of the Classroom

Public schools should unite communities, not divide them. Students come to school to learn.

Parents expect schools to focus on academic achievement, character development, citizenship, and preparing young people for adulthood. Political disagreements will always exist. Schools should encourage respectful discussion, critical thinking, and civil discourse, not ideological conformity.

Students should be free to ask questions, evaluate evidence, and develop their own informed opinions. Education should teach how to think, not what to think.

School Safety

Nothing matters more than protecting children. Students cannot learn if they do not feel safe. Colorado should continue strengthening:

• school security;

• emergency planning;

• mental health resources;

• threat assessment;

• partnerships with local law enforcement;

• and violence prevention programs.

School safety requires both physical security and healthy school climates. Every child deserves to return home safely each day.

My Record

Education has been central throughout my public service. Before serving in the legislature, I served on the Elizabeth School District Board of Education. That experience taught me that educational decisions are best made close to students, parents, teachers, and local communities. As your State Representative, I have consistently supported:

• parental rights;

• local school governance;

• educational transparency;

• school choice;

• career and technical education;

• workforce development;

• school safety;

• and policies that strengthen partnerships between schools and families.

I have also opposed legislation that unnecessarily limits parental involvement or shifts important educational decisions away from families and locally elected school boards. Every education proposal should answer one simple question: Will this help students succeed?

If not, we better reconsider it.

A Better Direction for Colorado

Colorado should pursue an educational system built upon:

• strong families;

• excellent teachers;

• local decision-making;

• academic achievement;

• educational choice;

• workforce preparation;

• school safety;

• career and technical education;

• transparency;

• and respect for parents.

We should prepare students for college. We should prepare students for careers. We should prepare students for military service. Most importantly, we should prepare students for life. Education should expand opportunity, not limit it.

Key Facts

My Priorities

• Protect parental rights

• Improve academic achievement

• Strengthen local control

• Expand Career & Technical Education

• Support school choice

• Recruit and retain outstanding teachers

• Improve school safety

• Increase curriculum transparency

• Prepare students for successful careers

• Strengthen workforce development

Related Issues

• Businesses & Jobs

• Public Safety

• Local Control

• Affordable Health Care

• Cost of Living & Affordability

Closing

Every generation hopes to leave the next one better prepared than the last. Education is how we fulfill that hope. It begins in the home, is strengthened in the classroom, and is reinforced throughout the community.

Our responsibility as elected officials is not to replace parents or dictate every educational decision. It is to ensure that families have excellent schools, dedicated teachers, meaningful choices, safe learning environments, and the freedom to help their children become the very best versions of themselves.

That is the future I will continue working toward for every student in House District 56 and throughout Colorado.