Education hot topic at the Capitol
Comments (...)If you depend on Des Moines radio, TV and newspapers, you might think legislators spent the entire week fighting over a few hot-button issues. Reality is much different. Yes, subcommittee meetings were held on a number of controversial bills. However, upcoming deadlines kept most legislators focused on bill drafting while attending regular committee meetings.
Funnel week is fast approaching. In order for a bill to be further considered, it must pass through the subcommittee process by the end of funnel week on Feb. 24. The House majority moved up funnel week on this session’s calendar. Therefore, the bill drafting process must be completed in a shorter amount of time.
I am working on 25 separate bills on topics such as energy efficient school buildings, rural microbusiness initiatives and job-search-support. I hope to submit all my bills before the end of next week.
While the media focused on hot-button issues, bipartisan cooperation scored a major victory. On Tuesday, Gov. Terry Branstad signed SF 2007, which restored tuition assistance to Iowa National Guard soldier-students. This will allow those recently home from Afghanistan to return to class with the tuition assistance they deserve, earn and count on. Nationally, 39 percent of veterans between the ages of 18 and 24 are unemployed. This week, Iowa took a step forward to improve this unacceptable situation. Much more must be done to help our guard members upgrade their skills before re-entering the workforce.
The strength of Iowa’s economy depends on a skilled workforce that is ready to compete with workers from around the globe. Gov. Branstad is focusing on education reform this legislative session. While I applaud his attention to education, the word “reform” infers our schools are broken and must be fixed. I reject this notion. We are known for our quality schools and I’m proud of the work our teachers and support staff do every day. They understand the jobs of tomorrow require constant improvement to Iowa’s educational system.
Throughout the week, representatives who serve on the Education Committee were invited to small group, closed-door meetings with Gov. Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Iowa Education Director Jason Glass. I was scheduled in a group with Reps. Abdul-Samad, Gaines, Koester, Cownie and Hanusa. These are representatives from both parties who are up front about the value of bipartisanship. It struck me how much thought went into the groupings for these meetings.
The governor shared with us his desire to move Iowa’s schools forward. He wanted to hear comments from each of us on how we do it. My colleagues addressed such topics as the “achievement gap,” which keeps many minority students from reaching their full academic potential. We discussed utilization of new technology in the classroom and the governor’s proposal of third grade reading retention. My comments concerned broadening the statewide discussion to improving the lives of needy children. When families struggle to make ends meet, kids often face challenges in and out of school. As our economy recovers, hopefully the lives of needy Iowa children will improve. I told the governor, “When we put parents back to work we put kids in a position to learn.”
The governor’s blueprint for education is a bill titled HSB 517. It is 156 pages long and contains 17 divisions. I have attended the subcommittee meetings as an observer to keep up-to-date. While there is a general consensus that the bill has some positive aspects, many legislators on both sides of the aisle think the governor’s plan to overhaul local school districts relies too heavily on increased testing and does little to help teachers perform in the classroom. We can agree that great teachers, high expectations, fair measures and the spirit of innovation are the cornerstones of high performing education systems.
Over the next few months, I’m confident legislators can work together to build stronger schools. Hopefully, the House majority will not repeat their efforts to eliminate preschool, lower standards and pass a two-year starvation budget for local districts. Their decisions last year were harmful to students. As the price of fuel, utilities and supplies go up, districts are held accountable to the poor school funding, or allowable growth, policy implemented last session. It’s essential that any improvements to education we make are backed by the resources to pay for them. Therefore, I have co-sponsored a bill to provide a 4 percent increase in allowable growth for the 2013-14 school year. Iowa law requires the school funding amount be set 18 months in advance to give schools more time to plan their budget.
I’ve been fortunate to greet many visitors this session. A group of local veterans joined me for Veterans’ Day on the Hill. I’ve met with local farmers, hunters, nurses, teachers and optometrists. On Thursday, Sen. Black and I talked with 110 sixth graders from Woodrow Wilson Elementary. Later this month, several Jasper County families will join me for Black History Month programs. If you plan to visit the Capitol, please let me know. I’d like to meet with you.
Feel free to contact me anytime at (641) 521-9260 or dan.kelley@legis.state.ia.us. Visit my website at www.electkelley.com, friend me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.
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