Support Judy Amabile for State Senate District 18

I’ve known Judy Amabile for many years. Long before she thought about entering politics, we were regulars on Sanitas for early morning hikes before work. We shared our life stories and I heard about her challenges with raising three kids while running the company she co-founded manufacturing water bottles. She was a hard worker, built a successful company and treated her employees fairly. Always an advocate of small business and a fair living wage for her employees, she helped start Good Business Colorado while also advocating at the state legislature for Paid Family Leave, Pay Equity, Local Control of Minimum Wage and more.

We also talked about her struggles finding care for her son with mental illness. I saw how she channeled her love for him, and her frustration with the lack of care options, into passionate advocacy. She helped start the Parents of Adults with Serious Mental Illness group at Mental Health Colorado. She gave public testimony to the Governor’s Task Force on Mental Illness and testified on the Red Flag Gun Law.

When she sold her business after running it for 25 years, she realized that she wanted a greater voice to advocate for the issues she believed in, so she ran for State Representative. After just four years in office, she’s earned the respect and endorsements of all the top politicians in the state.

Judy Amabile has worked her way up and is ready to bring her hard-won experience to the State Senate representing District 18. I hope that you join me in supporting Judy so she can continue to champion the issues we all care about.

— Amy Cleveland, Boulder

Creating a more equal educational environment

I am writing to draw attention to an important educational equity gap that needs to be addressed immediately on a national scale: the significant advantage wealthy private school students have over their public school friends when applying to prominent colleges.

Although there are many reasons for this unequal playing field, three stand out in particular: networks, resources and readiness. Smaller class sizes, which are typical at private schools, enable advanced coursework, specialized instruction, state-of-the-art facilities, and a wide range of extracurricular activities all of which greatly increase college applications.

Furthermore, children who attend private schools typically receive more thorough college preparation. They gain from specialized test preparation essential for admission processes, as well as comprehensive counseling on college selection and applications, providing them with a significant edge in competitive settings.

Moreover, it is impossible to overlook the networking effect. Strong alumni networks and the connections between private schools and selective institutions can present critical chances like internships and mentorships that have the power to influence admissions choices.

Initiatives that provide comparable resources to ones of private institutions to public schools are necessary to help close this disparity. Better financing for public education, better college counseling and easier access to advanced courses are all great examples of this. Collaboration between educators, legislators and community leaders is essential to establishing a more equal educational environment.

— Dara Odugbesan, CU Boulder