House Journal: Page 31: Tuesday, January 13, 1998

Teach kids earlier and longer.
By age three, three-fourths of a child's brain is developed. 
Properly nurtured, that development will lead to a productive
adult.  Without nurturing, that lack of development can result
in a juvenile delinquent and an unemployable adult.
State government can't guarantee every child a good family.  But
we can help Iowa's families and schools give our children the
building blocks for success in life.  I asked Lieutenant
Governor Corning to head a workgroup that developed a strategy
for helping Iowa's children.
By assisting at-risk children at an early age, research has
shown that we will help them do better in school and stay away
from crime and drugs.  Early intervention has even been shown to
increase incomes for the parents as well as improve the
opportunities for children.
What I am recommending is not a new government program - it is a
new way of thinking and a better way to deliver the multitude of
programs designed to make sure children get off to a good start
in life.
It is called, "Building Blocks for Success," and it is an
initiative designed to empower local communities with
decision-making authority by block-granting funds and enabling
them to set their own priorities for where money and services
are needed most.  It will create a new era of local empowerment,
allowing us to tap the creativity and innovation of our people
to help every Iowa child have a solid start in life.
This year, we must also take action to expand health care
coverage for low income children.  The budget I am presenting
today will allow us to provide health care coverage for over
55,000 more Iowa children.   
We must also:
	Ensure access to quality preschools and give every child a
chance to attend all-day, everyday kindergarten.
	The State should also provide assistance to those schools that
make the decision to lengthen their school year.
Schools should be open longer and serve as community learning
centers, open to the entire community for recreational and
educational activities.  Today's kids get in trouble when they
have nothing else to do.  Let's keep them actively involved
throughout the day and year.
Iowa has a long and proud tradition of being a local control
state.  Our schools are the best because parents and communities
take an active role in making them that way.  But our public
schools must be accountable to the people they serve.
Every Iowa school must have strong local standards - developed
by school boards, teachers, administrators and parents.  The
standards must be rigorous and set out clear expectations for
learning.
Iowans deserve to know how their students and schools are doing
in comparison to the competition.  Each school in Iowa should be
required to report uniformly on their students' progress in
reading, writing, math, science, and other basic skills.
Better teachers.  Teaching kids earlier and longer.  Local
accountability for results.  These are the three common sense
principles upon which we must build our new public education
system.

Iowa General Assembly

Index: House Journal (77th General Assembly: Session 2)

© 1998 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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