Education Reform
The strength of Iowa’s economy depends on a skilled workforce that is ready to compete with workers around the globe. We are known for our quality education and I’m proud of the work our educators do every day, but we must do better.
We can agree that great teachers and leaders, high expectations and fair measures, and the spirit of innovation are the cornerstones of high-performing education systems. It’s also essential that any plan we approve this year is focused on best practices that are research-based.
After the Governor released a blueprint for education last fall, legislators have begun reviewing the details of the plan and adding their own ideas as well. While there are many areas of agreement with the Governor, many legislators on both sides of the aisle think the Governor’s plan to overhaul the schools system relies too heavily on increased testing and does little to help teachers perform in the classroom.
To help keep educators and parents informed about education improvements this year, we will be updating this page frequently. But we also want to get your feedback from educators, parents, and students about the plan.
To read the Governor’s plan, click here.
If you want to read the proposed bill go to: HSB517.
UPDATE: House Republicans released their budget plans for education this week and provided zero for education reform efforts. The Governor set aside $17 million in his budget released last month. See the budget documents here.
5 Comments for “Education Reform”
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As with all education proposals, education in Iowa will be asked to do more and yet there is no mention of adequate funding to accomplish those goals. It is also very concerning that none of the governor’s forums on this plan is being held at a time or place where any working teachers/educators would be able to attend! As usual, Branstad values input most from those not directly involved in the education of students.
Brandstad’s plan puts more responsibility on the teacher without mentioning more financial support. The new curriculum increases the responsibility of students with no mention of increased support for those students who already struggle. Iowa can control the job of teachers and the curriculum but legislation can’t guarantee that every child has the safe and supportive family that is necessary to carry out these educational goals. In my 23 years in education I saw an increase in poor, hungry children. Educators have a variety of such issues in their classes that they need help with before they can teach upgraded curriculums. And teachers need to have a chance to be part of Branstad’s forum to share the realities in their classes that has impeded progress in past reforms and may again. You can’t ignore the part that children and families play in education.
It’s unfortunate that education gets considered separately from the other things that kids need to thrive. It is part of a package — decent jobs, good health care, safe environment, social services. Schools can’t do everything.
Small class size is very important at every level.
Also good teachers, which is complicated and can’t be legislated. Requiring a 3.0 average and a certain test score doesn’t cut it at all.
If we have healthy, focused kids in small classes, teachers will at least have a shot at doing a good job.
I also think charter schools have an important place, as long as they don’t pull resources away from public schools. There is more than one good way to teach, more than one good way to learn, and private schools have contributed a lot to public education.
Testing is good in its place, but it shouldn’t be used to run the curriculum or freak anyone out.
We can’t do what we need to do on the cheap.
When it comes to schooling, we need to return back to the basics. Too many hidden agendas have come into play. It’s the 4 R’s Religion, reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic. We need to at once rid our educational systems of self imposed hedonistic and atheistic religious domination including values clarification which only muddies the water and return to the God-fearing nation we were intended to be with religious freedom for all which means that our students have the option to study Scriptural topics as we did over @ Hoover High in years leading up to June 1971. We prayed during school outside the class and shared Scriptures. Others were free to participate or decline. The atheistic thinking didn’t have a stranglehold on us. It’s time to repent and break off encouraging our youth to experiment with irresponsible sexual activity. Condoms are not the answer. All of what we see today is symptomatic of the moral collapse and rot we are all witnessing. Throwing more money at the problem will not make it go away. We all need to return to Yahweh and His moral principles. He is the greatest educator of all and His ways are pure truth and wisdom.
It is curious to me that the tenets of the Iowa Core Curriculum stress learning in a way that is nearly impossible to measure with a traditional standardized, multiple-choice test, yet standardized tests are the only measurement of schools and teachers that politicians and the media use. Which is it going to be–brainless standardized test preparation or meaningful learning with authentic assessments and demonstrations of learning? You can’t have it both ways. Why are teachers and students not the first source of information used in putting together an education reform package? In my 32 years of teaching in Iowa public schools I believe I may know a bit more than our typical politician about what works and does not work in students’ learning.