D.T. Magee and Justin Gross (Winterset CSD Superintendent) with Senator Julian Garrett.
For Immediate Release
Date: Friday, February 4, 2022
School Boards Advocate for Teacher Recruitment, Sufficient and Timely SSA, Oppose Vouchers
Des Moines —D.T. Magee, Superintendent from the Norwalk CSD attended the Iowa Association of School Board’s (IASB) annual Day on the Hill on Feb. 1, 2022. Nearly 150 school board members, superintendents/AEA chief administrators and district staff from across Iowa traveled to the Iowa State Capitol to make their voices heard. As education issues continue to be in the spotlight, it is critical to come together as a united front and show that school boards are transparent, accountable, committed to student achievement and responsive to parental/community involvement.
Attendees first met for advocacy training, budget updates and legislative briefings with IASB staff. Senator Chris Cournoyer shared insights and answered questions in a Q&A session. Following their morning of training, attendees went to the Capitol focused on educating legislators about pressing issues, including:
- School districts are facing educator shortages across the state. School boards are asking for expansion of loan forgiveness programs, stipends for student teachers, and a streamlined and less expensive pathway for qualified individuals to change careers and become educators.
- Vouchers are an inappropriate use of public tax dollars. Public funds require public accountability and transparency, which is currently happening in public schools—they are overseen by publicly elected school board members. School boards oppose vouchers, which would pull resources away from students in public schools.
- Iowa public schools strive to responsibly plan, create and sustain world-class schools. Sufficient and timely supplemental state aid is critical for school boards to achieve these goals.
“Our students need us to come together and advocate for them—this is their future we are deciding, and we don’t take that responsibility lightly. Public schools need strategies to recruit and retain qualified educators; we need sufficient funding determined in a timely manner; and instead of vouchers, which take money from public schools and funnel them into private schools, we need resources and support to provide the best education possible for our future citizens,” said IASB Board President Jim Green.
