Speaking of education…
Iowa faces a serious education problem, especially in our small towns and rural communities. The Federal Government enacted No Child Left Behind in 2002 but 6 years later, it’s obvious that pretty words don’t cut it, as we see entire districts left behind. “Is our children learning?” may have been a bungled sound bite but a good laugh at our children’s expense isn’t that funny, in my opinion.
I have four children in school right now, so believe me - education is a BIG priority for me and my campaign. We need to straighten out the education budget, apply some common sense and make sure that every child - every child! - in Iowa receives the highest possible level of attention and education. That means effectively educating young people who pursue Education degrees and rewarding talented teachers. It means realigning the system so that smaller districts aren’t forced to merge, simply because they don’t have enough students to fill every seat, every year.
Iowa is experiencing a severe shortage of math and science teachers, right now. That means a shortage of children considering engineering, chemistry and other science related careers. That means fewer businesses and fewer jobs, fewer technological advances and innovations in Iowa. That means Iowa is left behind.
There are just under 500,000 students in the Iowa K-12 system, and every one of them deserves a quality education. There’s simply no reason that Iowa can’t be an education innovator and education leader. I’d love to hear your thoughts on education in Iowa, so please feel free to contact me.
