Senate Journal: Page 31: Tuesday, January 9, 1996

         We must not now abandon that common sense and constancy of purpose
    which has been the hallmark of our character. Today, we stand at the
    threshold of a new century, poised for greatness and it is those very
    same qualities that will help us build on our success and make it last.

         We must seize this day, and fashion a future string of endless
    success stories: of families coming back home for good paying jobs; of
    communities with new leaders and new life; of a state known for steady
    growth.

         How do we do it?

         First, we must remember the lesson of our ancestors -- that
    educating our citizens is governments most important task.

         The progressive nature of Iowans was never demonstrated more
    clearly than in 1839, when Iowas territorial government set up the first
    free public schools. They made sure that a schoolhouse was within two
    miles of every Iowan.

         Today, those one room township schoolhouses are gone. But in their
    place, we have 384 local school districts, many non-public schools,
    three world-renowned state universities, 35 independent colleges and
    universities, and 15 area community colleges.

         In the last decade, we have taken education in Iowa to new heights,
    but now we must go even further. There is no state in the nation which
    is better prepared to educate its children to succeed in the Information
    Age than we are today in Iowa.

         Just as we were ahead of the times in 1839, our investment in the
    Iowa Communications Network vaults us ahead of other states and
    countries in the education of our children.

         In his new book, The Road Ahead, Bill Gates, the visionary founder
    of Microsoft, discusses how important it is for us to use technology and
    the information superhighway to advance education. Im sure even Bill
    Gates would be impressed if he knew that his vision for the future is up
    and running in Iowa today. Soon every school district will have access
    to two-way, interactive classes provided by the Iowa Communications
    Network. The ICN will make certain that distance or size does not
    disadvantage any student, even in the smallest or most remote school
    district of this state.

         Look around you. Almost every work place -- even this House -- is
    run by the computer. Yet too few of our students have access to
    computer-aided instruction.

         We need to change that. By the year 1999, every Iowa high school
    student should have access to the information superhighway and be taught
    by teachers who are trained to deliver the technological know-how
    necessary to prepare them for the jobs of the next millennium.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: Senate Journal (76th General Assembly: Session 2)

© 1996 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

Comments? sjourn@legis.iowa.gov.

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