Reality Check

Reality Check Examines 'Thanks Bob' TV Ad

DENVER (CBS4) ― You may have seen the new ad by a Virginia based 501-C-4 group called U.S. Term Limits. It promotes Republican senate candidate Bob Schaffer. The focus of the ad is Schaffer's work on charter schools.

For more information on the group U.S. Term Limits:

Guide Star research on U.S. Term Limits (you have to register to view the page)

U.S. Term Limits website

Ad Begins:

TODAY WE HAVE MORE CHARTER SCHOOLS THANKS TO BOB SCHAFFER

Commentary:

The claim is true. Bob Schaffer has worked to promote charter schools and made it easier to establish them in Colorado.

Ad Continues:

THANKS BOB, THANKS BOB. WE COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU. THANKS FOR STANDING UP FOR US EVEN WHEN ITS REALLY REALLY HARD. BOB DOES THE RIGHT THING. BOB KEEPS HIS PROMISES.

Commentary:

The statements are of course matters of opinion. If you like charter schools you may agree with them. If you don't, you may not.

Ad Continues:

BOB SCHAFFER HELPED CREATE THE COLORADO CHARTER SCHOOL ACT.

Commentary:

Again the claim is true, but there is more to the story. Charter schools in Colorado have had mixed reviews.

In fact, Colorado charter schools have done better on the CSAPs in reading and writing than non-charter schools at the grade school level. But it starts to level off by middle school. By high school charter schools fall behind on the c-saps. There's a number factors playing into that including the fact that some charter students switch back to traditional high schools to participate in extra-curricular activities.

Sourcing:

cde.state.co.us: state of charter schools in Colorado 2004-2005

relevant facts from charter school report

Charter School Performance

CSAP

The Colorado Charter Schools Act specifically directs that this report shall compare the performance of charter school pupils with the performance of ethnically and economically comparable groups of pupils in other public schools who are enrolled in academically comparable courses. To respond to this mandate, all students were placed into one of three free/reduced lunch eligibility bands:

? 0-33% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch;
? 33.1-66% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch; and
? 66.1-100% eligible for free/reduced-price lunch.
Within those three bands, students were then placed into one of two minority bands:

? 0-50% minority; and
? 50.1-100% minority.
? Reading: Charter school students scored better than non-charter school students in reading in grades 3-5 and did as well as non charter students in grades 6-8. Non-charter school students performed better in grades 9 and 10.
? Writing: Charter school students scored better than non-charter school students in grades 3-5.
In grades 6-10, non-charter school students scored better.
The State of Charter Schools in Colorado: 2004-05 ix
? Math: In grades 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8, both charter and non-charter students scored similarly. In grade 4, charter school students performed better than non-charter students and in grades 9 and 10, non-charter school students performed better than charter school students.
? Science: Non-charter school students scored better than charter school students.

School Accountability Reports

Ad Continues:

TELL BOB TO KEEP GIVING US REAL EDUCATION OPTIONS.

Commentary:

There's something else you need to know. There's an interesting sub-plot. Critics on the left have accused Schaffer of using his state board of education position to help a campaign donor, by casting the deciding vote that helped keep that donor's very poor performing charter school in business, by forcing Denver Public Schools to reconsider its vote to close the school.

Sourcing:

Denver Post: Liberal group claims Schaffer sold vote

Commentary:

Schaffer received thousands of dollar in campaign contributions from that donor in the weeks after that vote. The Schaffer campaign insists that vote was on the merits. That inner city minority parents urged him to keep the school open because it's a school of last resort for kids who would otherwise be dropouts. (source Dick Wadhams: Schaffer Campaign).

Sourcing:

Dick Wadhams: "Bob was responding to the impassioned appeal by inner city minority parents who desperately wanted the school continued for their kids because it was the school of last resort for those kids." (phone interview, 4/8/08).

Federal Election Commission donations given by David Brennan and his wife to Bob Schaffer (Link) 

in 2004
06/15/2004 2000.00

in 2007
06/18/2007 2300.00
10/19/2007 2300.00
11/01/2007 2300.00
11/01/2007 2300.00

Commentary:

The Schaffer campaign also correctly points out that Democratic opponent Mark Udall received thousands of dollars in campaign donations from a company he had gotten $2.5 million dollars for in federal earmarks. The Udall campaign says that vote was also on the merits, aimed at helping hearing impaired soldiers.

Sources:

Denver Post: Udall's earmarks included two for Boulder firm

Commentary:

Bottom line, both candidates got campaign money after they made votes. Who's vote had more merit? That's a matter for you to decide.

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