Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1130833
COMMUNIQUÉ A PUBLICATION OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION – JUNE 2019 – Vol. 56, No. 7 IN THIS ISSUE: Take Some Time Engage and Explore Illogical and Irrational 3 8-9 10 The legislative year in review and a farewell Excellence in Education FOLLOW US ON: By Brad Hudson, government relations specialist, bhudson@isea.org By Mike Wiser, mwiser@isea.org see LEGISLATIVE on page 6 see EXCELLENCE on page 4 I write this article knowing this is the last time I'll write to the members of the Iowa State Education Association as I plan to retire before the next legislative session begins in January 2020. It has been a joy and tremendous honor to represent the educational professionals of Iowa in one way or another for the last 25 years. I'd like to say I was going out with things in great shape, but I can't. I can say I believe we are well-positioned as an association - as a group of more than 30,000 educators - to address the needs of our students, our profession and our schools. Mental Health One of the biggest pieces of education policy to pass this year was HF690. This legislation established a structure for mental health care for our children going Waukee's Kerisa Baedke is the 2019 Iowa State Education Association Excellence in Education winner. The final bell has rung and most students have already cleared out of the Prairieview School hallways. But one student pops into Kerisa Baedke's World Languages classroom, with a question. She wants to know the name of the movie Baedke recommended she watch. It's the 2009 film "Anita" which tells the story of an Argentinian girl with Down Syndrome whose life changes after the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires. Baedke shows snippets of movies each quarter - just 12-minute segments – to her class and combines them with an interpretive activity. But Baedke's on the fence about this one. She loves the film and wants to show it next year. It's also "really very sad," she says. "So I don't know. My husband says it's Brody Middle School teacher Shannon Owens fills out a request to speak to a legislator outside the doors to the Iowa Senate during the Des Moines Education Association lobby day. The DMEA held the lobby day during spring break in March when lawmakers were in session since it is often difficult for working people to reach their elected officials. BY MIKE WISER/IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION Kerisa Baedke describes the pronunciation difference between the Spanish verbs coser ("to sew") and cocer ("to cook") to her 7th period Spanish class on May 20. Baedke teaches 8th and 9th grades at Prairieview School in the Waukee Community School District. BY MIKE WISER/IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION