Politics and Sausage-Making: Iowa #edreform
Snippets from the Iowa House of Representatives' February 19 discussion on education reform
- The evening kicked off with a couple of prerequisites...
- 1. Obligatory statement that education in Iowa is sinking fast? Check.
Rep. Jorgenson quoting sec. of Ed Arne Duncan "iowa is slowing crouching toward educational mediocrity" #iaedfuture #ialegis- 2. Alarmist citation of misleading education movies? Check.
- Once those were out of the way, we decided to be cheap despite a record budget surplus of $1 billion.
- Because failing to invest in education helps solve that 'crouching toward educational mediocrity' issue we have. #teachingwithslatesandcandlesticks
- Debate is over 4% vs 2% allowable growth/state aid being added to bill #iaedfuture #ialegis
Oh, and the amendment on $35K starting teacher salaries from awhile back failed. Still at $32K in the bill #IAedfuture #IAlegis
$1 billion surplus, survey of Iowan explicitly said should go to #iaedfuture, yet continue to put $ before students.
Amazing how unwilling Iowa Repubs are to spend any $ on education, even on their own guv's reform. Wow! #iaedfuture- Universal preschool is uniformly recognized as both highly impactful and cost-effective. So of course that amendment got shot down QUICK.
- Staed/Steckman propose amendment to expand voluntary preschool to All preschoolers #iaedfuture #ialegis
#edreform facts: Businesses say all Iowa kids need preschool, but republican bill does nothing. #ialegis #iaedfuture fb.me/sx6T2m1d- Then we turned to the REALLY important issues of the evening. First up: more support for home schoolers. 'Cause, you know, that's the majority of Iowa students.
- Windschitl proposes amendment for more home school support #iaedfuture amendment passes w/ 51 votes
- Iowa House just amended the education reform bill to remove req's for parents to report they they're homeschooling their kids #IAedfuture
- Next up, the most hotly-debated topic of the evening: Allowing homeschooling parents to teach their children driver's ed. Now that is some serious legislative bravery, people. Applaud our representatives for being willing to TAKE A STAND for the rights of all non-driving homeschooled kids...
#iaedfuture now discussing, "Should homeschooling parents be allowed to teach their kids driver's ed?"
