Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/561083
ISEA Communiqué • isea.org September 2015 3 OPINION Imagine that. A governor who cares enough about public education, students and education professionals to call elected officials back to work to get the job done right. The situation in Iowa could not have been more different. September 2015 – Vol. 52, No. 7 The ISEA Communiqué (ISSN 0019-0624) is published seven times a year (monthly except July & August; plus combined in October/ November, December/January, and April/ May) by the Iowa State Education Association, 777 Third St., Des Moines, IA 50309, 515-471-8000 or 1-800-445-9358. $3.87 of membership dues is for a year's subscription; for nonmembers, the annual subscription is $10. Periodical postage is paid at Des Moines and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address corrections to ISEA Membership Records, 777 Third St., Des Moines, IA 50309. Advertising: To advertise, contact Charles Lapham at 515-471-8000 or email clapham@isea.org. ISEA makes no representations regarding advertised products or services that are not endorsed by ISEA or NEA Member Benefits. Duplicate mailings? To stop duplicate mailings to the same household, contact Kimberly Hupp at 515-471-8000 or email khupp@isea.org. President: Tammy Wawro Vice President: Mike Beranek Treasurer: Tom McLaughlin NEA Directors: Ray Feuss, Joshua Brown Executive Director: Mary Jane Cobb Editor: Mike Wiser Editorial Assistant: Charles Lapham Visit us on the web at isea.org My middle son, Drake, is leaving for college. I am frantic with nervous energy getting him ready for his move. I have packed and stacked, folded and sorted, and organized more than is necessary. All to escape the void beginning to bore its way into my heart because he won't be home with us this fall. Drake will attend Bemidji State University in Minnesota. It's a great school for students interested in the field of education, and he's already an NEA student member. It's also the No. 1 fishing school in the country and anyone who knows my son, knows where his passion lies. I know he's going to be exposed to wonderful opportunities and a huge part of me is relieved he is attending a school in a state run by a leader who cares about his chosen profession. This summer, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton called a special session to bring back his Legislature because they did not adequately fund education. That's right. Their governor vetoed a bill because it didn't have enough money to fund their public schools. Imagine that. A governor who cares enough about public education, students and education professionals to call elected officials back to work to get the job done right. The situation in Iowa could not have been more different. The Terry Branstad- Kim Reynolds administration vetoed an education bill because they believed it took too long for the Legislature to pass it. It makes no sense. Honestly, all the governor and lieutenant governor did was punish our students, schools, education professionals and families for no good reason. But let me be clear, the excuse the Branstad Reynolds administration gave for vetoing the education bill was that it was "one-time" money and included funding for the 2016-17 school year. While the Iowa State Education Association certainly supported more funds than the Legislature eventually approved, and we were frustrated at how late in the year the Legislature finally agreed on funding we would never advocate a "throw the baby out with the bathwater" approach for our schools. Who would? No one who has walked inside Iowa's schools would take money away from them. Certainly no one who understands how important smaller class size is to student learning would do anything to jeopardize this important ratio. And no one who understands how important class offerings are to pique curiosity and learning would do anything so there were fewer. And no one who truly believes that reaching our kids before the third grade is one of the most important educational gifts we can give would jeopardize this priority by under-funding. No one who claims that education is their top priority would take one dime away from our schools. Apparently, Governor Branstad and Lt. Governor Reynolds do not understand, or perhaps worse, do not care enough about Iowa's students, our public schools and education professionals to make us a priority. Their excuses for their vetoes are simply disingenuous. Our students, schools, and education professionals do need the money. Plain and simple. Governor Dayton in Minnesota recognized it. Why can't ours? A tale of two governors by Tammy Wawro, ISEA president, twawro@isea.org - 9 - 9 - 9 Untitled-2 1 11/16/09 7:33:41 PM - 9 Iowa State Education Association President Tammy Wawro stands with her son, Drake, who shows off the result of a successful time on the water during a family trip this summer.