Iowa City School District

[Old_wrestling_fan]

Useful idiots

Well...in your opinion, I guess.

I sense that you are a strong supporter of public schools. Assuming that is true...what do you think about the way the whole Covid response was handled by many/most public school districts in this state?

Can you digest that a goodly number of parents have very strong beliefs about the benefits of their kids being able to attend school in person v. a computer screen, etc? (Just to simplify a very, very key part of the frustration that I hear people talking about.)

 

[ThorneStockton]

Useful idiots

If his theory was generally true, it would really be quite the indictment of his fellow Iowans. Passing/supporting a bill that is not related to the thing they are supposedly angry about, out of spite.

My guess is there's degrees of truth to his theory, but he's more creating his own forest out of the few trees he sees. The reality is likely more than this school choice/voucher thing is a national movement that is red meat for the red base. Iowa is a bright red state now, it's going to do red state things. Republicans won in Iowa because they are Republicans, not because of their position on a school voucher bill and that alone.

 

[EasyHawk]

Well...in your opinion, I guess.

I sense that you are a strong supporter of public schools. Assuming that is true...what do you think about the way the whole Covid response was handled by many/most public school districts in this state?

Can you digest that a goodly number of parents have very strong beliefs about the benefits of their kids being able to attend school in person v. a computer screen, etc? (Just to simplify a very, very key part of the frustration that I hear people talking about.)

I don't know about most school districts, but my no pic wife's in central Iowa was online from after spring break of 2020 through the end of the school year, around 10 weeks. They were back in person as usual in late August. I don't think 9 or 10 weeks in person had much of an impact. Not much was known about the virus at the time.

 

[JRHawk2003]

OK...I have no comment as to whether or not the unusual route you reference was necessary, or even a good idea.

My point is only that the perceived stubborness, et al, of some districts/boards led to a build up of enough public support to then lead us where we appear to be today. I will add that my wife teaches in a private school...a school that has doubled their student population in just the last couple of years and is planning on a, for them, major addition to their facilities because they are turning away students left and right due to space constraints.

Guess what almost all of those parents state as a reason why they are now looking to leave nearby public schools? I am personally not really a supporter of the bill that has passed...I am just telling you that a good number of people are quite dissatisfied with public schools that would be so draconian on their Covid position as they were.

Tldr; we have a lot of idiots

 

[Jerome Silberman]

OK...I have no comment as to whether or not the unusual route you reference was necessary, or even a good idea.

My point is only that the perceived stubborness, et al, of some districts/boards led to a build up of enough public support to then lead us where we appear to be today. I will add that my wife teaches in a private school...a school that has doubled their student population in just the last couple of years and is planning on a, for them, major addition to their facilities because they are turning away students left and right due to space constraints.

Guess what almost all of those parents state as a reason why they are now looking to leave nearby public schools? I am personally not really a supporter of the bill that has passed...I am just telling you that a good number of people are quite dissatisfied with public schools that would be so draconian on their Covid position as they were.

Nothing you've said is a great mystery.

The reactionary side of the Iowa GOP has been ratcheting tighter and tighter since before Covid19 came on the scene. Don't mistake disapproval and disagreement with lack of understanding. I completely understand the emotion that is driving people like the Ankeny Mama Bears as it played out in real time and often on national television.

I just think it's a stupid way to look at life.

 

[hexumhawk]

You already had that option, just not at the expense of public tax dollars.

Of course. If we wanted to we could have made it work spending money to go to private school BUT also being taxed for public school. Again, now we have better options as the money is now in our court instead of earmarked towards one particular school.

 

[RileyHawk]

Of course. If we wanted to we could have made it work spending money to go to private school BUT also being taxed for public school. Again, now we have better options as the money is now in our court instead of earmarked towards one particular school.

Except it's not in your court. It's the school's choice, not yours. 90% of the $$ will go to fund students who are already attending private schools. That's a subsidy, a giveaway, that republicans have long railed against - unless it is given to their people. Total hypocrisy.

The 10% (maybe) of new students going the private route will be chosen by the schools. This is the "choice" that $350M is funding, about 4000 students (probably less) getting a different education. That's $87,500 per student per year that will get a private school education that wasn't already getting it.

 

[hexumhawk]

Except it's not in your court. It's the school's choice, not yours. 90% of the $$ will go to fund students who are already attending private schools. That's a subsidy, a giveaway, that republicans have long railed against - unless it is given to their people. Total hypocrisy.

The 10% (maybe) of new students going the private route will be chosen by the schools. This is the "choice" that $350M is funding, about 4000 students (probably less) getting a different education. That's $87,500 per student per year that will get a private school education that wasn't already getting it.

First off, there are plenty of counties where there isn't even a single private school option. Nothing will change in that respect at all.

Secondly, high doubtful that private school stay status quo in regards to numbers if they are getting an influx of applications. That would be a very dumb business model correct?

In the end, it is a giant overaction by most. People like myself will probably still chose to go to their public school for a myriad of reasons. Will some public school lose some of their earmarked funds- you bet. They are going to have to figure out a way to do more with less. A good place to start is the bloated admin positions in a large majority of our big school districts.