Governor Terry Branstad’s proposed education reform bill SSB 3009 is online, and I need to walk a couple of things back from yesterday’s post.
1. Online education is to be expanded to non-public entities, I said it didn’t, (pg. 11).
2. Alternative pathways for teacher licensure is in the bill, (pg. 23). This was one of the items that Eric Goranson, Bill Gustoff and I lauded when we graded the Governor’s education blueprint, but I was under the mistaken impression that it had been dropped.
So those are two items within the bill that should be kept in. A couple other noteworthy things within the bill that I hope will be enacted.
- The five year probationary period for new teachers, excellent idea… keep it.
- Ending social promotion, the practice needs to stop. It ultimately hurts, not helps, kids.
I agree with State Senator Brad Zaun (R-Urbandale) who said in his newsletter yesterday, “Although these reforms do not go far enough, in my opinion, it is a starting point for continued conversations. Minimally we need to get back to more local control.”
I appreciate the conversation. While there are things within the details of the education bill that I like; collectively it does little to enact reform and will take far too long to achieve minimal results.
