I do remember that we used to be known for our outstanding education here in the state. It looks like (as was mentioned above) that we are somewhere in the 20-23 ranking. That is better then what I thought.
Iowa Teachers Union Stances on the ISSUES being debated in the State House
- Thread starter SIXERS24
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Those kids represent a small fraction of 504/iep student that receive services at a school.
Dude, I’ve been in education for decades. I’ve worked at 4 school districts, the state, and consulted with 100+ different districts across Indiana. The language is eerily similar everywhere you go.
I have heard about Alec...and as a Independent voter with a conservative lean...they SHOULD NOT be a non-profit. They have 1 Democrat as I understand it on the team. There are so many bogus Non-profits out there that it just makes me sick.
In the past 30 years I have been President of our Catholic School board for two different terms, served on multiple committees and boards for our public school system as well as for our Catholic Schools District here in Eastern Iowa. I have 4 siblings (I am one of 14 kids) who teach in the public school system....and we have 8 nieces and nephews who are teachers / principles. We (In our Catholic School District) do not, nor would we ever use or condone any language like that. That is deplorable. I am sorry if you have had that experience in Indiana.
Oh Jesus Christ. You don’t even understand the article. Sorry I called you a liar. You’re just dumb. Like I said, you don’t understand education. We’re in the middle in ACT scores. 18th on a different list. You’re article isn’t saying what you think it’s saying.
Now if you want to say we’ve slipped over the last decade, that I will agree with. But one of the worst? That’s just kooky talk.
Agreed. Which is why we need to fund public education at a much higher rate than we currently are, not reduce it. The legislatures increase of 2.5% and this voucher bill is a slap in the face to education in Iowa and will only worsen the problem.
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You think this problem is only the result of state funding?
I guess I don’t think throwing more money at public schools will necessarily fix things.
I guess I don’t think throwing more money at public schools will necessarily fix things.
If your various taxing jurisdiction allows certain deductions and credits on your various income tax calculations, I’m not entirely against that. But slicing off your “share” of property taxes or taking state tax dollars from public schools funding to give to private schools? No way, Jose.
No, yours does. Doing nothing will only contribute to the continuing decline of Iowa’s public schools.
The decline has more to do with the fact there are too many different standardized tests. It used to be most states took the ITBS. You could compare results and draw some conclusions. Today there are multiple different tests that schools take and they are often written by the text book companies themselves. Giving them an opportunity to lead the narrative so they can sell more products. A good example would be pearson, you don't think more schools with buy their products when they also write the tests.
Minnesota schools tend to be at the top of the nation partially because they value it and don't vilify their teachers.
I never said it wasn’t a law, I’m just saying I don’t agree with it. If a teacher has to stop class because one kid has a behavioral disorder over and over again, para or no para, then that’s a distraction to the rest of the kids and that isn’t fair to them. Bending over backwards for the sake of one child at the detriment of 20ish others is a terrible practice.
I won't argue that it isn't difficult at times, but it is an example of how private schools don't have the same requirements as public schools. Section 504 rules for private schools are less strict than for public schools. Private schools also must place students in the “least restrictive environment.” They must give students with disabilities access to the same facilities as students without disabilities. But they do not need to make the full “accommodations” for students that public schools must make, just minor changes. An accommodation is a change in setup or an aid that helps a student with disabilities attend general education classes with students without disabilities.
And this allows the "nudge, nod, and wink" marketing that private schools can do. A parent comes in and asks "How do you deal with kids who are a distraction or disruption in a class due to their behavior?" The private school can say that they remove the student and if the issues persist, they will dismiss them from the school. Both sides know they are talking about special needs kids, but neither side says it aloud.
I think the law has very good intentions. Before LRE too many kids were taught behind closed doors and didn't interact with their "normal" peers. It has been good for both groups. Kids today are kinder to the SPED kids than when I went to school. They have also learned to appreciate differences. Sometimes there are kids who are a distraction to the rest of the class and make it more difficult for the other students. In the end it doesn't matter what teachers think, LRE is part of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that was passed in 1975 during the Ford administration.
no doubt about this but what is a private school going to do with that kid?
Thanks....I absolutely do NOT want my property taxes or any of the like directed to the private school.....basically the deduction or income tax calculations would be great.
Remove them from the classroom. If they don’t have the capability to move them to a more fitting environment then private schools have the ability to remove them from that school and make them the public schools problem where they have more resources and experience available. I say that knowing that’s not what people want to hear or agree with, but I think it’s foolish to expect private schools to adhere to something like that knowing the financial impact involved. And note that I was a public student all the way through undergrad and my kids are in the public school system. My daughter has 2 kids in her classroom that have para’s because of behavioral issues and it’s a distraction. I wish they weren’t in the class at all, but some reason the talking heads believe it’s better for them to be in a classroom with normally behaved children even though it’s a burden on them.
Then they shouldn’t be eligible for any state tuition support that is intended to support public schools.
I actually don’t expect the private schools to handle the issue. However, if they want to play in the public money pool they should play by the public money rules.
Again, vouchers aren’t intended to help kids and families get better education, they are intended to damage public schools.
C'mon. That's ridiculous and shows you can't discuss this issue reasonably.
I have over a decade of evidence and experience that backs this up.
When a vast majority of voucher dollars go to kids living in good school districts how is that helping kids in failing districts get a better education?
When we track the kids utilizing vouchers and find that their academic outcomes are no better than their peers at the school they left, how is that helping them get a better education?
When private schools are allowed to dump their problems back in the public school lap and retain their funding how does that help kids get a better education.
Interesting take. Iowa is a bounty state for special education isn't it? And what happens in bounty states like Iowa with the number of kids diagnosed with special needs when the schools get extra money for those kids?
ALWC has been a conservative “non-profit” that has specialized in working local legislative bodies into passing conservative right-wing religious friendly (voucher) laws. Their meeting are “closed” to public and their program is well financed. About 10-15 years ago there was a “60 Minutes” segment on ALEC abs it should have served as a warning to Americans who understand the power of corporate America politics and how they strip Americans of their individual rights, slowly but surely. Think of the frog sitting in the slowly boiling pot of water asking, “What’s for dinner?”
When you take dollars away from public schools (who educate 97% of the kids in Indiana) and setup a system where you saddle public schools with the hardest to educate kids (again with inadequate funding) the goal is to damage public schools.
Indiana has actually decreased the dollar/student allocated to public schools over the last decade when adjusted for inflation. In that same decade they have allocated $1 Billion to vouchers. That money was directly deducted from the money budget for public schools.
Also, I am actually a pretty harsh critic of public schools. I believe there are a number of things we do very well, but also a number of things we should be better at. I’m an advocate for teacher accountability. I believe in financial transparency (my job is in school finance) and being as efficient as possible with operational and capital expenditures. I spent 5 years as a financial consultant specializing in operational efficiencies.
But more importantly I believe in the power of public education. Not just because I work in it, but because I believe it is one of the greatest anti-poverty and economic development tools we have. I believe that the ideal of free, equitable and accessible education is one of the cornerstones of our country.
But what the hell do I know? I’ve only spent a vast majority of my working life trying to make it better.
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It sounds like they are only getting a part of the public money, so maybe they only need to play by part of the public money rules. 🤷♂️
Again, in Indiana they get 95%. They maybe are subject to 35% of the public money rules.
The other part I was going to add was this only applies to the state portion, correct? I know Cedar Rapids is about $12k per pupil, so $5k more. As far as I know the people sending their kids to private school are still forking over those taxes for the public whether they use is it or not. Lets assume the leftover $2K stays with the school district (I don’t know, but I think it should) the district also gets $5K from other sources for each student that goes private. Likely fit into that $12K and not above and beyond. So the school district gets $12k, pays $5k to private school and reinvests the remaining $7k.
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It might still be somewhere on google … it has been a few years…
I remember they (69 Minute sent someone there to a meeting abs he was summarily removed from the meeting place as the reporter “was not an invited guest”…
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