Press Room

School leaders honor Senate President Brandon Shaffer with 2011 Policy Leader Award

Friday, July 29 2011

President Shaffer recognized for strong leadership and sustained effort to make a difference for public education

BRECKENRIDGE— Today, the Colorado Association of School Executives (CASE), representing over 2,000 superintendents, principals and administrators, presented Senate President Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont) with its prestigious 2011 Policy Leader Award.

President Shaffer received the award for his leadership in protecting K-12 education funding during the 2011 legislative session. President Shaffer worked across party lines to save Colorado schools $170 million, a difficult endeavor, especially during these challenging economic times.

President Shaffer offered the following comment upon receiving the Policy Leader Award:

"I'm humbled to receive the 2011 Policy Leader Award.  From the first day of the legislative session, I focused on ways to protect our public schools from deep budget cuts. While these are difficult economic times that require tough decisions, it's important that we prioritize our kids and their education first.  I'm proud we were able to accomplish this in a bipartisan way–it's what I call Colorado solutions and it's the least we can do for future generations."

The CASE Policy Leader Award recognizes an individual who has made a sustained, positive difference for public education in Colorado with demonstrated leadership in education policy environments.

CASE Executive Director Bruce Caughey explained why President Shaffer was chosen for the award:

“CASE is proud to recognize Senate President Brandon Shaffer for his outstanding and direct involvement in key education policy issues and pieces of legislation. He is a strong leader in the effort to keep every dollar possible for K-12 education, and consistently looks for solutions to assist educators in their work to help all kids learn. CASE appreciates Senator Shaffer’s advocacy and longstanding support for Colorado public education.”