editor’s note: I took two sections from Senator Courtney’s weekly newsletter that were relevant to issues that the legislature will be working on. For complete newsletters access Senator Courtney’s website here.

INVESTING IN SCHOOLS KEEPS IOWANS COMPETITIVE
Strong Iowa schools are crucial to a world-class education that prepares students for good jobs and strengthens our middle class.

Business leaders say Iowa’s shortage of skilled workers hurts their ability to grow and operate competitively. That means our state’s continued success depends on support for Iowa students and schools at all levels.

Other states have figured out that high-wage, high-skill economies are built on a foundation of great local schools, and they’ve committed to supporting those schools. While other states are investing more in student achievement, Iowa is failing to commit enough dollars to ensure each student’s success. On average, we invest $1,612 less per student than the national average. We are currently 35th in the nation.

The Legislature needs to increase its commitment to great schools, higher student achievement and increased teacher quality. Local parents, teachers and school administrators say our schools increasingly are forced to choose between providing a good education or just the bare minimum.

The problem has emerged as support for our local schools has become an increasingly partisan issue, and it could get worse. Governor Branstad and the Iowa House have released their proposals for school funding for the next two years. Their proposals provide little support to help our schools keep up with inflation, let alone compete with other states.

A new survey of Iowa school superintendents reports that the Governor’s budget would send our schools in the wrong direction, resulting in fired teachers, overcrowded classrooms, outdated textbooks and fewer choices for Iowa students. In fact, all survey respondents said they oppose the Governor’s plan to provide less than 1 percent in additional state aid to schools for the 2015-16 school year.

When asked what the impact would be on their students, 75 percent said they would increase class sizes, 74 percent said they would fire teachers, 71 percent said they would delay buying new classroom materials, and 70 percent said they would reduce course offerings.

School superintendents believe the Branstad budget would limit the opportunities of tens of thousands of Iowa students. Iowa is competing with the world for high-skill, high-wage jobs. That means great local schools have never been more important to our families and our state’s economic future.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT NOT KEEPING UP WITH OTHER STATES
The Legislature and Governor must make sure that every child gets the best education possible so that all Iowans can compete for the jobs of the future. This session, that means increasing the state’s commitment to public schools, students and teachers.

The good news is that in spite of shortfalls in school funding, Iowa teachers and students are doing pretty well at maintaining levels of academic success. The bad news is that other states are increasing student achievement faster than Iowa and out-performing us.

A report by the Iowa Department of Education notes that:

• Iowa has slipped from one of the highest-performing states in the nation to the middle of the pack in student achievement.

• Iowa’s performance on national assessments is stagnant for low- and high-achieving students.

• Students who face challenges perform significantly behind their peers. This includes kids whose first language is not English, who have special needs or who come from low-income families.

The Iowa’s Condition of Education Report for 2013 shows that Iowa has one of the highest graduation rates in the nation, and the number of students in preschool, advanced placement and community college courses is climbing. Unfortunately, standardized assessments of student achievement show Iowa only making slight gains over the last 12 years, while other states are taking greater strides.

In fact, the National Assessment of Educational Progress for 2013 ranked Iowa 21st for 4th grade reading, 14th for 4th grade math, 20th for 8th grade reading and 25th for 8th grade math. In the 1990s, Iowa scored in the top 10 nationwide.

It’s clear that student achievement trends mirror education investment trends. Imagine the successes our students and teachers could achieve if Iowa boosted school funding per student to the national average! The message is clear: we need to restore bipartisan support for the idea that Iowa’s future depends on high-quality local schools.