Senate Journal: Page 31: Tuesday, January 11, 2000

  We pledge to do more because Iowa prides itself on quality schools-from
  kindergarten to graduate school.  The challenge of a global economy will
  only be met by
  well-educated people.  Past success does not justify a lack of action.
  Declining test
  scores warn us of the price of complacency.

  To reverse that decline, emphasis must be placed on early childhood
  education.
  Iowa must be the leader, a nationally recognized leader in early childhood
  education.
  Brain research now proves the importance of the first years of life in the
  learning
  process.  In Iowa, parents will be their child's first and best teacher.  In
  Iowa, childcare
  providers will recognize their important role in the learning process.

  Our children are entitled to a great start.  We propose increased funding of
  $5.2
  million-through out empowerment communities-to improve early childhood
  education,
  and additional resources to provide greater access to quality childcare.
  Let us pledge
  together to rewrite the nation's number one educational goal.  Today it
  reads that
  every child should be ready to learn by the time he or she reaches
  kindergarten.
  Tomorrow, let it read that in Iowa, as a result of our efforts, every child
  shall begin
  learning at birth and be ready to learn more by the time he or she reaches
  kindergarten.

  As children enter Iowa schools, they will experience smaller class sizes and
  well-
  wired schools.  But, a great education requires more.  Poorly paid teachers
  and
  crumbling school buildings undermine our past efforts to improve educational
  opportunity.  Today, I announce an acceleration and expansion of our efforts
  to recruit,
  educate and retain quality teachers.  In the real world, we continue to lose
  many of our
  brightest and our best teachers to other states, who offer incentives or
  higher pay or to
  other professions that do likewise.  We can no longer afford to ignore the
  competition.
  Officials at the University of Northern Iowa and many of the private
  colleges know all
  too well how many potentially good teachers we lose each year.

  First, I am asking the Council on Continuous Improvement in Education to
  make
  recommendations for revising the manner in which we compensate teachers to
  enable
  Iowa to be competitive for quality and to report to me by the end of this
  year.  Second,
  I'm asking you to establish a fund to create an incentive for one or more
  school districts
  to develop and implement a model teacher compensation system. Third, I'm
  asking you
  to approve a tax credit program for three years that will help school
  districts now,
  particularly in rural areas, that are having a difficult time recruiting
  quality teachers
  to their districts to do so.  Finally, I am asking you to adopt changes in
  IPERS,
  including the Rule of 85, that will enable teachers interested in retiring
  to do so.  These
  retirements will free up resources that must be used to increase teacher
  compensation.
  It is time to get serious about teacher pay.

  Our children cannot afford to wait any longer for us to act.  These steps
  will enable
  us to better compete for talent, but we must not stop there.  We must
  increase funding
  for the teacher induction program that will ensure statewide application of
  a
  mentoring program for first-year teachers.  Extensive mentoring results in
  higher
  teacher satisfaction, which in turn means better retention of quality
  teachers.  After
  investing so much in quality teachers, we cannot afford to lose them after
  only a few
  years of teaching.

  Quality teachers with smaller classes and up-to-date technology mean little
  if
  school buildings are unsafe or are in poor condition.  Iowa remains one of
  only ten

© 2000 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa

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