Amendment 80 states that parents have the right to direct their children's education. On Election Day, Colorado voters will vote on an amendment that would add a "right to school choice" for K-12 students to the state constitution. For 30 years, Colorado's school choice law has allowed students to attend public schools in the state without paying tuition, regardless of where they live in the state. In Colorado, families can also choose to homeschool their children or enroll them in private schools. Currently, the state law guarantees free school choice, but Amendment 80 aims to entrench school access in the state constitution. It states that parents have the right to choose a school, which includes "neighborhood schools, charter schools, private and boarding schools, open enrollment options, and future innovations in education." Story continues below ad The bill says that parents have the right to decide their children's education, and that all children from K-12 have the freedom to choose a school. In an email to The Epoch Times, a spokesperson for the ACLU of Colorado said the group "strongly opposes the 80th Amendment," citing the potential for "devastating and unintended consequences" for students, including the potential implementation of a nationwide voucher program that would defund public schools. The ACLU spokesperson said the group is "concerned that this language could be used by some to provoke civil rights violations, such as banning books, censoring classroom discussions of race and gender, and filing lawsuits challenging state anti-discrimination laws." Related articles Study finds that free school choice narrows achievement gap among low-income students October 19, 2024 South Carolina Supreme Court overturns school choice program for low-income families September 12, 2024 South Carolina Supreme Court overturns school choice program for low-income families The nonprofit Advance Colorado Institute supports the measure. "Despite their popularity across the political spectrum, there is a group of ideologues who want to destroy school choice in Colorado by attacking public charter schools," Advance Colorado policy analyst Michael Tsogt said in a July policy brief. "Colorado cannot afford to wait around for anti-abortion activists to take away our children's educational choices. Enshrining the right to free school choice in the Colorado Constitution gives us legal advantages that ordinary law does not have." Story continues below ad "A plain reading of the school choice law (Amendment 80) means that children have the right to choose their school and that parents can only 'decide' their children's education," Christian Home Educators of Colorado (CHEC) said in a statement. "." CHEC fully supports school choice, but said it has concerns about the term "quality education" used in the amendment. "This draft bill gives the government an opportunity to define what 'quality education' means." For the bill to pass on November 5th, it needs the support of 55 percent of voters. If you found this article interesting, please consider supporting traditional journalism. An independent publication not backed by corporations or billionaires, The Epoch Times can only stay afloat thanks to readers like you. If you want to support independent journalism, please consider subscribing. Our limited-time introductory offer is just $1 per week. Subscribe Limited-time offer. You can cancel at any time. 17 avatar_dark_icon Share this article Popular news 1 Vance tells Joe Rogan he's sicker than he's felt in 15 years since getting the COVID-19 vaccine Vance tells Joe Rogan he's sicker than he's felt in 15 years since getting the COVID-19 vaccine 2 Supreme Court denies Republicans' request for relief in Pennsylvania election procedures Supreme Court denies Republicans' request for relief in Pennsylvania election procedures 3 What we know about Iran's nuclear weapons program What we know about Iran's nuclear weapons program 4 Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules that undated ballots cannot be counted Pennsylvania Supreme Court rules that undated ballots cannot be counted 5 Experts warn next US president faces economic slowdown Experts They warn the next US president will face an economic slowdown Health 1 Experience the human brain like never before See the human brain like never before 2 How everyday lies make you sick How everyday lies make you sick 3Mask mandates are being reintroduced in California's Bay Area: What we knowMask mandates are being reintroduced in California's Bay Area: What we know 4 Breast cancer treatment in 2024: What women need to know Breast cancer treatment in 2024: What women need to know 5 Nearly half of Medicare patients cannot afford a single hospital stay Nearly half of Medicare patients cannot afford a single hospital stay 17 Avatar_dark_icon Share this article View 40 comments Savannah Halsey Pointer Savannah Halsey Pointer Author Savannah Pointer is a political reporter for The Epoch Times. 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