Meeting Public Comments

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

03-02-2021

Scott Evans

As a former board member of the Iowa Association of School Boards I was selected to be one of two school board members to attend Ronald Reagan's "Excellence in Education" convention in Indianapolis. It had two of each contributing education experts from every state and focused on how to improve our public education entities. I also trained in on the School Improvement Model conceived by Manatt and Sweeney of ISU. Almost all experts agreed that improving public education was superior for all students over funding charter or parochial schools. I grew up in the days of segregation and lived through the struggle for integration in our schools and communities. I am opposed to funding charter or private schools and to better support our public systems by providing training for better evaluation and counseling skills. As a rural state it is imperative that we make every public school the best it can be and with limited state resources a priority for legislative action.

03-02-2021

Randy Richardson

I urge you to vote in opposition to this bill. Charter schools have been around for a long time and there is, at best, mixed evidence that they improve the education of our students. I am a graduate of our public school system and spent the rest of my adult life either working in those schools or working to support them. Given adequate funding and support public schools provide the best opportunity to provide an education to all students. Virtually every charter school bill I've read makes a point of allowing charter schools to avoid many of the regulations currently in place for public schools. If this works, and if avoiding regulations is a good thing, then why not simply allow public schools that same freedom.