Upcoming public forums
3/3/2012 9 a.m. Muscatine Legislative Forum
3/3/2012 11:15 a.m. Wapello Legislative Forum
3/17/2012 7:15 a.m. Burlington Eggs & Issues
At Greater Burlington Partnership
610 N. 4th Street, Suite 200
3/17/2012 9:15 a.m. West Burlington Legislative Forum
At West Burlington City Hall
602 W Burlington Avenue
Smaller classes boost student achievement
For our students to do their best, they need a great start in school. That’s especially important in the early grades, when kids are learning to read. That’s when one-on-one time with teachers can make a big difference in a student’s life.
To ensure students get the attention they need, the Senate voted to prevent $30 million in cuts to Iowa’s kindergarten through third-grade classrooms.
This class-size reduction effort—officially called the Iowa Early Intervention Block Grant Program—was set to disappear if the Legislature didn’t vote to continue it.
For more than a decade, school districts have relied on these resources to increase students’ basic skills. Local districts have used the money for additional licensed instructional staff, before- and after-school programs, tutoring, all-day kindergarten and other steps to help young learners.
When this effort started in 1999, we had third-grade classrooms with more than 30 students. Now the statewide average is 21 third-graders in a single classroom.
There are lots of education reform ideas in the hopper at the Iowa Capitol this spring. Few of them, however, will produce the results we get from simply giving kids more individual attention.
The legislation now goes to the Iowa House. I hope it will quickly pass and be sent to the Governor for his signature.
Help young readers rather than flunk them
Studies show a student’s future success often depends on reading proficiently by third grade. That’s why reading is essential to education reform discussions.
Governor Branstad is demanding that schools flunk students who don’t score well on a test given in third grade. Longtime teachers and other education experts say flunking third-graders is not effective and that there are more effective ways to help struggling students improve.
Some of those better alternatives were outlined this week by Kathy Christie, vice-president of the nonpartisan Education Commission of the States. She described the most current and reliable research on early literacy and effective state policies. Here are some of her main points:
** Failing elementary school students produces mixed results. Some studies have found it does actual harm to students learning to read.
** Real improvement occurs when alternative strategies are employed, especially in preschool. The success rates are lower later on.
** Third grade is a crucial point for reading skills because it is the last chance students have to learn to read before they start “reading to learn.”
Early intervention to help students get on the right track is a point of agreement between the Governor and many legislators. Reading is a critical factor in a student’s future success in school and in life.
We should take action to help students improve their reading before third grade, not flunk them based on a test in one subject area. What do you think?
Sparks fly in Senate jobs debate
The Iowa Senate recently took action to fill Iowa’s skilled worker shortage by approving Senate File 2024 by a vote of 26 to 24.
Our community colleges already work closely with local businesses to identify job openings and to help Iowans get the training needed to qualify for those jobs. And we want them to do more. Iowa’s business leaders say this is the single most important thing we can do to help grow our state’s economy.
During debate, Senate President Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg passionately urged every member of the Senate to back up their words with the resources needed to ensure Iowa workers can improve their skills. You can watch the video here.
Create local jobs by buying American
Whenever our tax dollars are spent, the benefit should go to our citizens here at home.
Many of Iowa’s roads, bridges, schools, water and sewage systems, and other critical infrastructure need to be repaired. As we do what must be done, Iowa and American companies should have the first crack at state and local government construction contracts.
When it comes to publicly-funded construction projects, the steel, iron and other manufactured materials should be made in America, not imported from overseas factories.
Iowa should adopt the same “buy American” laws the federal government has used for more than 80 years—laws that were expanded by President Ronald Reagan to cover highway and transit projects.
Unfortunately, loopholes and special interest exemptions have weakened “buy American” laws regarding public spending.
Senate File 2222, approved by the Economic Growth Committee, would help by requiring contracts for public improvements to use U.S.-produced iron, steel and manufactured goods. The requirement may be waived if it is not in the public interest, the American products are not available in sufficient quantities or the cost of the contract would increase by more than 5 percent.
I don’t believe your tax dollars should be used to reward companies who moved jobs to foreign countries, or benefit foreign manufacturers who ignore worker safety and environmental standards. Iowa law should have a clear, reasonable, common-sense preference for American-made products when they are available and cost-competitive.
Supreme Court takes up closing of Iowa workforce offices
On February 21, the Iowa Supreme Court heard arguments on Governor Branstad’s item-veto of Senate File 517. The legislation, approved with bipartisan support in 2011, included specific funding to keep open dozens of local workforce offices that help unemployed Iowans find work.
The state workforce offices help Iowans search for jobs, prepare for interviews, improve their skills and help businesses find qualified employees. The Governor item-vetoed restrictions and conditions on appropriations that kept 55 workforce field offices open. The Governor has the authority to line-item veto legislation, but he can’t then keep the money. This is a political and policy issue that affects the lives of Iowans, but it’s also a constitutional issue.
Governor Branstad was sued over his unconstitutional veto in August 2011. In December 2011, a District Court overturned Governor Branstad’s use of the item-veto. Governor Branstad chose to appeal the District Court’s decision to the Iowa Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court will issue its decision in the coming weeks. To view court video and the arguments presented, go to www.iowacourts.gov/Supreme_Court/Homan_v_Branstad.
Contact Tom
CAPITOL:
Iowa Statehouse
Des Moines, IA 50319
515-281-3371
HOME:
2609 Clearview Drive
Burlington, IA 52601
319-759-5334
tom.courtney@legis.iowa.gov
Blog For Iowa 