Governor Releases His Education Reform Blueprint

Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds released their final recommendations for restoring Iowa’s standing as a leader in education and preparing all students to compete for jobs in a global economy.

The document represents an overview of proposed education legislation that will be presented by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor in the 2012 session.

The recommendations stay true to three key areas outlined in a blueprint for education reform released by the Branstad-Reynolds administration in October: highly effective teachers and leaders, high expectations for all students with fair measures for results, and innovation that boosts learning.

Key proposals include:

• Be more selective about who can become an educator by requiring a 3.0 grade-point average to gain admission into teacher preparation programs.
• Candidates for teaching licensure must pass a test demonstrating content-specific and teaching knowledge.
• Evaluate teachers annually instead of every three years, which is the current requirement. Principals and superintendents also would be evaluated each year.
• Widen the pathways to alternative teacher licensure with a number of quality assurance checks.
• Make seniority a minor factor in deciding which teachers are laid off by a school district faced with reducing the workforce. Annual evaluations based on performance should be the main factor.
• Establish state task forces to study important long-term issues, such as teacher leadership, compensation and questions about extending the school day or school year.
• Give all preschool students and enrolled 4-year-olds a kindergarten readiness assessment to determine early literacy and numeracy skills.
• High school students will take end-of-course exams in core academic areas of algebra, English, science and U.S. history to make sure they have a solid foundation before they graduate and to better align high school courses to the Iowa Core.
• All 11^th grade students take a college entrance exam as a way to provide one of the keys needed for postsecondary education. Phase out the current 11^th grade assessment, the Iowa Tests of Educational Development.
• Eliminate requirements around seat time for academic credit to accommodate school districts that choose to adopt a system of competency-based education, which advances students based on their mastery of subjects.
• Widen the pathway for starting charter schools by giving the State Board of Education authority to approve charter applications from universities, community colleges and nonprofit organizations, as well as collaborative efforts of all these groups. Iowa’s current charter school law is restrictive in that it only allows existing school districts to establish charter schools.
• Give school districts greater flexibility to meet state requirements so that public schools can better apply innovative ideas to improve learning. School districts would have the same flexibility that charter schools have.

Although these reforms do not go far enough, in my opinion, it is a starting point for continued conversations. Minimally, we need to get back to more local control.

This year there are four public forums set in Urbandale with my friend, Rep. Scott Raecker. The forums are sponsored by the great Urbandale Chamber of Commerce and will take place at 2900 Justin Drive, Suite L. on the following dates:

Saturday, January 28 - 10:30 am to noon
Saturday, February 25 - 10:30 am to noon
Saturday, March 31 - 10:30 am to noon
Saturday, April 28 - 10:30 am to noon.

I will be attending a forum in Windsor Heights at the 3E Building next to Wal-Mart, 73^rd Street on:

Saturday, January 28- 9:00 am to 10:00 am

Please join me when you can. If you cannot attend please email me at brad.zaun@legis.iowa.gov or call 515-281-3371. I am always interested in your opinion and it is truly an honor to serve you!