Rocky Mountain News staff editorial 

...A 2008 high school graduate entering the work force indeed faces daunting intellectual challenges that his or her parents and grandparents did not. A teenager needs more than a strong back and a sound work ethic to assure a stable, decent-paying career.

That quest must begin, it seems to us, with students acquiring a facility in the language upon which most of those careers depend. That's why it's encouraging to see the legislature again consider a bill requiring graduates from Colorado high schools to demonstrate competence in English.

This year, unlike 2007, the measure is likely to reach Gov. Bill Ritter, whose proposal for school reforms announced earlier this year include English competency as a graduation requirement.

Senate Bill 98, by Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, does not explicitly define competence, leaving that to individual school districts and the state's charter school institute. It does suggest that every graduate should be able to understand government and commercial documents; a student should at a minimum be able to fill out a voter registration form or open a bank account....

Full editorial: http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/27/first-things-first/