Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/322788
COMMUNIQUÉ A publicAtion of the iowA StAte educAtion ASSociAtion – June 2014 – Vol. 51, no. 7 IN THIS ISSUE News briefs bring back our girls. 2 Legal end of year checklist 11 feATUre iowa Safe Schools offers fresh courses 6 Set it... Set it... and forget it! and forget it! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! E-DUES AVAILABLE NOW! the iowa legislature adjourned with little fanfare on May 2, just nine days over the scheduled adjournment. while the house gaveled out in the wee hours of the morning on May 1, the Senate followed suit the next day after deliberations on a procedural issue. past sessions have included weeks-long late nights and scores of debates which have dragged the session long past adjournment. this year's almost prompt and unceremonious end was welcome relief for a winter that never ended, and a nascent spring. Good news for iowa educators was packaged in the education Appropriation bill (Sf 2347). the Appropriations bill increases funding for educational programming and infrastructure. highlights include: • An $8 million increase in general aid funding for iowa's community colleges taking the total investment to just over $201 million. • An additional $500,000 for community college faculty salaries. • provides funds to the iowa department of education for an early Reading warning System Assessment as well as funds directed to address anti-bullying prevention at K-12 schools. • funds the iowa Reading Research center to target K-3 literacy initiatives. • $1 million for AeAs to help provide support for districts developing their teacher leadership Systems. • $1 million for professional development for Administrators. • up to $4,021,875 for Student Achievement and teacher Quality programs, specifically for continued mentoring and induction. this reflects a $484,000 increase compared to last years' allocation. • $40.3 million to provide for job training to skilled workers, much of which will take place in our community colleges. from the onset of the session, the amount and implementation of State Supplemental Aid (SSA) continued to be a hot topic of debate. the iSeA began lobbying efforts in earnest, demanding 6 percent for fY 2016 and for this amount to be set within 30 days of the submission of the Governor's budget as required by iowa law. legislators were divided, and Governor branstad was intractable in his position that SSA not be set. So, despite the best efforts of many pro-public education legislators in the house and Senate, attempts to set SSA for fY 2016 (Sf 2077/Sf 2079) were denied. Still, Senate democrats voted to set SSA at 6 percent two times throughout the session, and house democrats attempted to bring the issue up for debate no fewer than five times. house Republicans refused to debate the issue, effectively breaking the law and leaving iowa classrooms, school districts, educators, and students in a state of limbo. in a last ditch effort, the Senate amended one of the final bills to pass during the session (hf 2473, the Standings bill), to include setting SSA at 6 percent for fY16. house Republicans would have nothing to do with the effort, and stripped SSA from the bill and the effort failed. the Standings bill also included a final reduction of $15 million in funds to the AeAs. Anti-bullying initiatives also dominated much of the education policy discussion at the statehouse. the Governor's original proposal created an anti- Iowa Legislature comes to an inauspicious end Continued on page 8