Governor Signs Education Reform Bill at North High School
Click the above photo of North students watching Governor Branstad sign the education reform bill for more images of today’s event.
During a stop at North High School this morning, Governor Terry Branstad signed HF 215 – the education reform bill – into law. The Governor was joined by several North students along with Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and several legislators, state officials and school district leaders from across Iowa.
North principal Matt Smith played host to the visit. Both the Governor and Lt. Governor commented on the many positive developments at North in recent years, and commended the school’s staff and students for their efforts.
According to the Governor, the legislation would make the teaching profession more attractive with leadership roles and higher pay; create a new process that calls for reliable student assessments that move us toward better teacher evaluations with student achievement growth as one component; andchanges the school finance formula so that “allowable growth” is replaced by 100% state aid
In signing the bill, Governor Branstad said: “The 2013 education reform bill promises to provide all Iowa schools with the support they need to significantly raise student achievement. Change is never easy. But it was particularly painful that we had to acknowledge that Iowa slipped over the past two decades from a national leader in education to the middle of the pack.”
The Urban Education Network, which includes Des Moines Public Schools and several of the state’s largest school districts, supported several components of the education reform bill. Below is the UEN’s summary of key sections of the legislation that benefit larger school districts:
- FY 2013-14: sets 2% allowable growth, an increase of $103 million in combined district cost. 2% increase in the per pupil categorical supplements (PD, TSS, Class Size for $7.8 million) and a 2% one-time supplemental payment to school districts estimated to be $57.1 million ($120 X budget enrollment, but does not apply to weighted enrollment, categoricals or AEAs.)
- FY 2014-15: sets 4% allowable growth, an increase of $169.7 million in combined district cost. 4% increase for categorical funds ($14.3 million)
- Provides for the state to absorb the property tax impact of allowable growth, most helpful to school districts with low property value supporting each student.
- FY 2014 – $6.8 million
- FY 2015 – $61.5 million
- FY 2016 – $110.8 million
- FY 2017 – $158.6 million
- FY 2018 – $157.9 million
System Capacity for Improved Instruction and Rewards for Teacher Leaders: New structure of teacher leadership and compensation rewards teachers for more contract days and supports their leadership work to help other teachers improve instruction. Districts choose either the state-conceived framework or a local comparable system approved by the DE. There is a planning year for the state and a commission to get things rolling and for districts to consider the framework or design a local comparable system. Grants are first available to districts in FY 2015 and anticipate a three-year phase-in of participation. Funding rolls into the formula as the teacher leadership supplement beginning in FY 2016 and continues into the future.
Progress in Assessments and Evaluation: UEN would have supported a faster timeline and a requirement that future evaluation systems meet the expectations necessary for Iowa to receive a waiver from current NCLB rules, but we appreciate the steps in the right direction and look forward to working with the task forces and stakeholders in continuing this progress.
Early Intervention/Class Size: HF 215 extends the sunset of this valuable program until July 1, 2018, allowing school districts to continue investing in lowering early elementary class sizes and supporting strong reading programs.
High-need Schools: targets $10 million annually for high-need schools, targeting school with disproportionate students who are non-English speaking, from low income families, or have low-academic growth. Funds allow recipient schools to develop extended-learning time programs, hire instructional support staff, provide additional professional development or supplement the salary of teachers.
Other: Other items in the bill include Iowa Learning Online, Teacher Iowa Scholar Program, Teacher Iowa Student Teaching Pilot Project, Competency-based Education Task Force, Option for 1,080 instructional hours instead of 180 days in the school calendar, changing school funding terminology, online job postings, preschool program flexibility, Teaching Strategies GOLD Early Childhood Assessments, School District Reporting Requirements Task Force and Extended Learning Time Pilot Program Models, Independent Accreditation of Nonpublic Schools, independent private instruction, and driver education by a teaching parent. Find more information about these in the links in Additional Resources below.
