Iowa

Articles

476 articles

School reformer Glass begins work for state

2/6

Apr 4, 12:05 PM:

New IA Dept. of Ed director known for bringing people together on reform. Leader says public ed has to change, but what's it like now? School choice is a nationwide focus for uplifting system -- part of his improvement >

AP: Family of 4 making $67K gets no state aid under Branstad's preschool plan

3/6

Apr 4, 10:55 AM:

IA plans to cut free preschool could lead to lower enrollment and staff cuts. Gov has argued state can't afford $70M system and plans scholarships based on income. Lotsa "he says, he says". What would a compromise look >

State board asks Branstad to keep universal preschool

4/6

Apr 1, 11:34 AM:

IA Board asks Gov. to find a way to keep intact the $70 million free universal preschool program. Argued that every $1 spent creates a $17 benefit to the state -- show how/why. Any future student achievement benefits?

 >

Board looks at students' international competition

5/6

Mar 25, 3:41 PM:

Waukee leaders want students competitive on Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) test. They're using lessons modeled after a CA charter. Good to see successful innovations shared so all students' benefit. >

Preschool report raises debate in Iowa Legislature

4/6

Mar 23, 12:48 PM:

State Senate considering pay-to-participate preschool program. Dems and GOP battling over it, with Dems charging new report shows it increases bureaucracy spending and cuts funding on classroom instruction. That >

Iowa House votes to expand charter school law

3/6

Mar 18, 12:25 PM:

IA lawmakers approve changes to charter school law. Just reaction from both sides with typical left-right disagreement about charters. Exactly how the law expands and what changes because of it, not mentioned. The whole >

House inaction may keep school budgets stagnant

3/6

Mar 16, 1:32 PM:

By simply ignoring IA Senate-passed measure to increase ed spending by 2%, House can effectively zero fund education. Unnamed school advocacy groups complain that this will lead to larger class size (is that really a >

School mergers at center of debate in Iowa

3/6

Mar 7, 12:57 PM:

Debate over "zero-growth" education funding bill (state aid would be frozen at the level it was last year) comes to Iowa. Bill would force the inevitable -- consolidation -- on rural school districts to save money. Since >

Charter, innovative school bill advances

3/6

Mar 4, 11:10 AM:

Iowa lawmakers pass a charter school bill out of the House Education Committee with the hopes that it will encourage districts to create more innovative schools. It would be good to know why districts don't already do >

Charter, innovative school bill advances

1/6

Mar 3, 6:51 AM:

State Education Committee voted for something, but not sure what. Apparently, it allows "more latitude in innovating" to create charter schools. A state Rep says boards can now "think outside the box."  But, no mention >

Educators concerned about preschool proposal's requirements for teachers

4/6

Feb 22, 12:24 PM:

Iowa Gov wants to change state-funded pre-K to have parents pay.  Sliding-scale scholarships available.  Calls for keeping quality standards, but says teachers don' t need to be certified, only working to certification.  >

House passes zero-growth education funding

5/6

Feb 9, 12:58 PM:

IA lawmakers voted to for 0% funding growth for districts after an unfunded 2% the previous year. Fiscal efficiency aside,  an examination of ways districts might cope and the potential downside for the school system and >

Iowa considers hours, not days for classroom time

4/6

Feb 8, 1:06 PM:

State ed officials wants to implement a new strategy to calculate the school in hours, not days. Serious question of which way will be more beneficial to students. Where are the statisitics stating that one way or the >

A movement to issue standards-based progress reports is growing in Iowa.

4/6

Feb 7, 2:07 PM:

Iowa wants to implement a standards-based grading system that does away with awarding letter grades. Although parents wax and wain, student achievement is top priority for a change!

Teacher Merit Pay: SB6 is Back

5/6

Feb 4, 10:55 AM:

Florida lawmakers are taking new tack on merit pay -- listening more to teachers.Suggests teachers' opposition  to merit legislation may be softening.Would like to hear more as debate develops

Changes in Iowa overstated

2/6

Jan 4, 6:02 PM:

The new Iowa super did indeed help start a kind of pay for performance system, but it is not considered dramatic or progressive. Praise as a reformer may be a little misplaced, and in a state that barely accepts the most >