(1) The general assembly hereby finds that:

(a) An effective teacher providing quality instruction is the single, greatest factor influencing student achievement, having a greater impact than the characteristics of a child, including poverty, race, or family history. Further, quality instruction in the classroom is the most direct way to provide equal opportunities in education, especially for at-risk students. A review of the world's top school systems suggests that three things matter most in education: Recruiting the right people to become teachers; developing these people into effective instructors; and ensuring that the educational system is able to deliver the best possible instruction for every child.

(b) The state's long-term success in achieving many of the educational goals Colorado has identified for its students will require a fundamental transformation of the teaching profession. Making a long-term commitment to reshaping the way in which Colorado attracts, trains, supports, and retains teachers is the best way to tackle problems in education, including the achievement gap, high dropout rates, and low graduation rates. This commitment will require new partnerships between the government and the private sector and among the department of education, the department of higher education, school districts, and educational membership associations, as well as a variety of other stakeholders, including, but not limited to, elected officials, business leaders, and community leaders throughout the state.

(2) The general assembly therefore declares that Colorado is committed to honoring the nobility of the teaching profession. One of the simplest and yet most profound ways to show the state's commitment to teaching is for Colorado to join other states that have elevated both the recognition and the role of the teacher named teacher of the year and to establish the Colorado teacher of the year program.