▁to ▁continue ▁his ▁chair mans hip ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 1 . ▁ ▁As ▁Chair man ▁of ▁the ▁Colorado ▁State ▁Board ▁of ▁Education , ▁Sch af fer ▁borrow ed ▁ideas ▁from ▁Singapore ▁and ▁Finland ▁when ▁working ▁to ▁create ▁new ▁forward - th inking ▁standards ▁that ▁are ▁both ▁intern ation ally ▁benchmark ed ▁and ▁designed ▁to ▁grow ▁students ’ ▁strateg ic ▁thinking ▁capabilities ▁over ▁fact ▁memor ization . ▁ ▁C iting ▁the ▁importance ▁of ▁letting ▁parents ▁know ▁if ▁someone ▁proxim al ▁to ▁their ▁children ▁has ▁been ▁arrested , ▁Sch af fer ▁took ▁a ▁leadership ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁effort ▁to ▁require ▁parent ▁notification ▁if ▁a ▁school ▁employee ▁is ▁arrested ▁or ▁charged ▁with ▁a ▁serious ▁crime . ▁The ▁measure ▁went ▁into ▁effect ▁in ▁April ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁despite ▁strong ▁opposition ▁from ▁the ▁Colorado ▁Education ▁Association , ▁the ▁state - based ▁teachers ' ▁un ions . ▁ ▁Sch af fer ▁maintained ▁the ▁position ▁throughout ▁the ▁deb ating ▁of ▁the ▁measure ▁that ▁parents ▁are ▁in ▁the ▁best ▁position ▁to ▁make ▁dec isions ▁about ▁their ▁children ' s ▁safety . ▁He ▁voted ▁against ▁adopt ing ▁Common ▁Core ▁standards , ▁but ▁the ▁federal ▁standards ▁passed ▁on ▁a ▁ 4 - 3 ▁vote . ▁A do pt ing ▁the ▁standards ▁were ▁a ▁ke yst one ▁factor ▁to ▁the ▁Colorado ' s ▁application ▁for ▁$ 1 7 5 ▁million ▁in ▁Race ▁to ▁the ▁Top ▁funds . ▁In ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 1 , ▁Sch af fer ▁took ▁heat ▁from ▁Democratic ▁State ▁Board ▁of ▁Education ▁member ▁Mary ▁Johnson .