Meeting Public Comments

Shannon Patrick []

Iowa's public money should be accountable to the public. That means it should go to public schools governed by elected school boards. Sending tax money to private schools is improper, uncivil, and takes resources away from public schools that use those resources more efficiently. The result is leaving Iowa's parents (like me) to choose among underfunded schools, unaccountable schools, and schools that are both. Iowa's children should have good schools, not their choice of worse schools.

Michelle Kruse [Iowa Association of School Librarians]

My name is Michelle Kruse, and I am a teacher librarian and the 2022 President of the Iowa Association of School Librarians (IASL). I am writing in opposition of SF2349, and inserting the sentence in Iowa Code Section 256.11, subsection 9 that states, "Such license shall not require the completion of a master's degree."IASL believes that you are attempting to insert wording into Iowa Code that does not need to exist. Currently a masters degree is not needed to be a K12 teacher librarian in Iowa, so there is not a need to insert wording that it shall not be required. Here is the current wording: 9. Beginning July 1, 2006, each school district shall have a qualified teacher librarian who shall be licensed by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272. The state board shall establish in rule a definition of and standards for an articulated sequential kindergarten through grade twelve media program. A school district that entered into a contract with an individual for employment as a media specialist or librarian prior to June 1, 2006, shall be considered to be in compliance with this subsection until June 30, 2011, if the individual is making annual progress toward meeting the requirements for a teacher librarian endorsement issued by the board of educational examiners under chapter 272The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners currently offers three pathways to teacher librarianship in Iowa. Endorsement 108Elementary school teacher librarian. Candidates complete 24 semester hours in school library coursework, and then they hold an endorsement that authorizes them to serve as a teacher librarian in kindergarten and grades one through eight.Endorsement 109 Secondary school teacher librarian. Candidates complete 24 semester hours in school library coursework, and then they hold an endorsement that authorizes them to serve as a teacher librarian in grades five through twelve. Endorsement 174School teacher librarian. K12. This endorsement requires a masters degree. Candidates who complete the masters degree hold an endorsement that authorizes them to serve as a teacher librarian in prekindergarten through grade twelve. The applicant must be the holder of or eligible for the initial, standard, or master teaching license.It is possible for a candidate to hold endorsements 108 and 109 without a masters degree, and to serve as a K12 teacher librarian in Iowa. This is already an exception that the Board of Educational Examiners is honoring.We believe that endorsement 174 and the completion of the masters degree required for it is comparable to that of other masters degrees in education, such as guidance counseling. The masters degree offers candidates a rigorous curriculum, and offers them the best preparation for teacher librarianship. As a state we should advocate for our teacher librarians to be as prepared as possible to enter into their profession. I cant imagine doing the work that I do to teach, lead, and advocate without having earned my masters degree. It is my position, and IASL and Iowa Library Associations position, that we do not want you to insert the language to remove the masters degree requirement from Iowa Code Section 256.11, subsection 9.

Vicki Aden []

I am writing in opposition to SF2349. Public dollars need to go to public education. Public dollars should serve all students, not just those that private schools choose to admit. Public schools are required to admit and serve all students. This legislation would divert public funds to nonpublic schools, who are not required to adhere to this principle of equity. Public money should be subject to public oversight, and should require accountability and transparency. Private school spending is not transparent, and private school administration is not publicly accountable. Nonpublic schools are not held to the same standards for transparency as public schools. The absence of public accountability for public funds could contribute to waste and fraud of taxpayer dollars. This bill will greatly harm public education in Iowa.

Joan Steinmetz []

Public school.money should be used for public schools that service all students!Public schools have been under funded without taking away money for student first scholarships.

Claire Matthews []

I am writing in opposition to SF2349. Vouchers do nothing to improve Iowa schools, but take money from struggling districts and give it to schools that have resources and can discriminate against any child or family at any time for any reason. Vouchers do not include transparency or accountability, which is what this bill claims to favor.Language involving a master's degree requirement for school librarians is completely unnecessary, as there are already multiple paths to teacher librarianship in Iowa schools, as already outlined by the state BOEE. This bill is at best unnecessary, at worst, detrimental to the quality of public education in Iowa.

Diane Duncan-Goldsmith []

It is ludicrous to enact a law creating student first scholarships which helps fund private education with public tax dollars. This law merely works to further defund public school education. Iowas public school systems must be adequately funded. Diverting tax dollars to private schools will not help improve public education or preserve the vitality of public schools as the governor believes. The National Education Association ranks Iowa 39th in public school funding per student. The US Census Bureau puts Iowa $1,280 below the national average in funding per student. U.S. News and World Report once ranked Iowa as #1 of best states for education, Iowa is now #18. We can and must do better than this. Creating private school scholarships with public tax dollars is not the answer. My husband spent part of his childhood growing up in What Cheer, IA. Please explain how this bill would have given him easy access to a private school education. Private schools are not located in rural Iowa.Apparently legislators now believe curriculum needs to be micromanaged. Do those who wrote this piece of legislation believe teachers walk into their classrooms each day and just wing it? Division 1 of this bill will require school districts to post on their websites a course syllabus or written summary of what material will be taught in each class in the school district, sortable by subject area, grade level, and teacher. Not only this but the titles of all textbooks, books, articles, videos, and other educational materials used for student instruction in each class in the school district, or links to the internet sites containing such textbooks, books, articles, or other educational materials. My mother and sister were teachers and spent hours on lesson plans, developing classroom activities, not to mention grading; if parents needed more information as to what was being taught they just needed to ask. How will this exercise in posting information no one may read or search be funded? In Division III of this bill, apparently micromanaging school social studies curriculum is now necessary. However, what seemed to be omitted in the bills required topics was any mention of the numerous laws enacted by GOP legislatures and signed into law by governors, including Iowas, which made it more difficult to vote. I also wonder how many of those who wrote this bill could pass a citizenship test.Finally, let us not forget banning books in school libraries. Apparently legislators to not trust educated, trained, certified, licensed librarians and teachers to have the expertise and knowledge needed to decide what books will provide students with the best, most current, diverse education possible. What is next, banning books in public libraries?

JILL PURCELL []

I am writing in opposition to SF2349. Public schools are the backbone of our communities and economy. Strong public schools are necessary to attract businesses to Iowa. Diverting public funds to private and charter schools with limited to no oversight will not improve education. Furthermore, as someone with a child with an IEP, it is highly unlikely my child would be accepted at a private school. Tax money would then be going to a school that will not even accept my child. Penalizing urban schools will not improve them. People making 100,000 do not need assistance paying private school tuition and those making closer to the median Iowa income will still not be able to afford private schools. This bill is bad for Iowans and nothing but a handout to those who dont need it.

Debbie Koopman []

No way this should pass. It is unamerican. Fight for the best public education in Iowa OR....strip it to bare threads and pass this ridiculous bill! Think of the generations before us that fought for public education! DO NOT DO THIS! You know better.

Pamela Mohr []

Please oppose SF2349. Use public dollars for public schools which are open to all students regardless of race, religion, gender, socioeconomic status and disability. Public dollars should not be used for a new entitlement program for parents who choose private education. Public schools are overseen by a publicly elected citizen governing board, are required to report academic results to the general public, have an annual public financial audit, and be transparent with all expenditures and decisionmaking. Private and religious schools are not held to that same public standard. Taxpayers have a right to know how their funds are being used, but are left in the dark about the use and impact of voucher funds.

Terese Gramt []

The Senate bill SF2349 will take money away from public schools and give scholarships to individual students to attend private or religious schools. We should not allow our public tax dollars to be taken away from our public school system. This could have devastating results for our schools and communities in rural areas. It is simply wrong for the money that Iowans pay every year to support their public schools go to private religious and public schools. Parents have a right to choose where to send their children and if they don't choose a public school, then they are responsible for those costs.

Nancy Rabe []

I absolutely oppose using taxpayer funds for private school in the form of scholarships or in any other form. Iowa already underfunds public schools.

Anne Braverman []

I strongly oppose the bill SF2349.

sam blatt []

I am in opposition of SF2349. No vouchers! We need public dollars to go to public goods and services, not private ones. With that, we need fully funded public services! We also don't need to lower education standards and need to keep the requirements as is.

Wendi Peterson []

I am writing in opposition to SF2349. Public money should only be for public schools. Any schools that receive public money should be required to follow all special education laws and should not be able to discriminate against any protected classes. This "scholarship" program is a way to divert funds away from already EXTREMELY underfunded public schools. This will hurt all districts, but rural districts will see a bigger impact as they do not have access to private schools and they will have less money to fund their schools.

Pamela Molde []

Thank you so much for offering real school choice to parents. This is our money & it should be a parent's choice on where to send their child to school, even if they are low income. This is good for all schools as competition drives improvement. Please add CPI homeschoolers as an amendment to this bill.