Iverson’s Insights by State Senator Stewart Iverson

Friday, February 4, 2005

Raising Education Achievement Results

Through tax credits, testing, reading help and performance pay

At the beginning of session there is always a high focus on our education system.  Two weeks ago we passed an additional $100 million in school funding for 2006-07 school year, which the governor signed into law on Wednesday.  Despite continual declining enrollment of students in our schools, we have continued to increase funding.  Currently sixty percent of the State’s annual budget goes to fund our education system from kindergarten to universities and community colleges. 

Last month the group Quality Counts gave Iowa an (A-) grade for educational funding, but an (F) grade for standards and accountability.  I am proud of our educational system, but we need to stop measuring education success by amount of money per child and begin to measure by results per child.

Senate Republicans this week unveiled an achievement-driven education initiative to improve performance among Iowa’s schoolchildren.  The parent-friendly plan offers tax incentives to help Iowa families afford the cost of preschool and tutoring.  It also calls for first-year teacher testing in Iowa schools, phonics-based reading help for kids who fall behind, pay-for-performance measures for teachers and incentives to end teacher shortage areas.  There are four parts to this plan and they are outlined below.

Parents today are faced with tough choices when it comes to their family budgets.  By expanding a current state tax credit for school tuition and textbooks from $250 per child to $2,500 per family, we help keep educational opportunities more affordable for families.  In addition, we want to make preschool and tutoring eligible for the tax credit so that more parents have the financial flexibility to take advantage of these important educational programs.

In an effort to ensure every classroom in Iowa has a qualified teacher we want to initiate testing for first-year teachers.  Iowa is the only state in the nation where education graduates are not required to take a test before they are certified to teach.  Because we do not have these tests, we received an (F) grade from the Quality Counts education group.  Iowa has always had a reputation for quality education and by setting standards for those entering the teaching profession, we can assure parents that a first-year teacher is competent in the subject area they teach.

Children who struggle with reading need to receive help as early as possible.  We know that reading is the foundation for education, and students who don’t master essential reading skills early will face significant hurdles during the rest of their education.  By focusing on teaching phonics to kids in early grades who are reading at least one year below grade level, we can help them overcome these hurdles and achieve future academic success.

We also need to reward good teachers and pay for their performance.  That is why our plan calls for implementing pay-for-performance measures that increase accountability in schools and encourage good teachers.  We want to help local school districts recruit teachers in subject areas where there is a short supply, such as high school math and science instructors through this incentive.

Improving schools is a top priority for all lawmakers, Republican or Democrat.  The plan we offered this week, is an achievement-driven proposal which empowers parents and schools to improve student performance.  Every child deserves to succeed and we want to do our part to make sure they do.

Please contact me if you have any comments on this or any other issue.  During the legislative session, feel free to contact me in my Des Moines office at 515-281-3560.  Of course, you can reach me in Dows on the weekends at 515-852-3350 or contact me via email at stewart.iverson@legis.state.ia.us or my web site at http://www.stewiverson.com/. 

Sincerely,

Stewart Iverson, Jr.

Senate Leader