Letter: Funding needed for quality education

I was disappointed, but not surprised, when I read that the Republicans in the Iowa Legislature planned to make deep cuts in the amount of money to the state universities ('GOP plans millions less for regents,” April 12).

As a teacher at Florida Atlantic University for 30 years, I learned how much students and teachers depend on adequate funding for all the programs that are needed at these levels of learning to ensure a quality education for college students. In Florida, Republicans dominated the legislature for the majority of years in the 30 years that I taught and did research. As expected, funding for all programs and research did not meet the needs that were required for a minimum quality education at the university level.

I learned that many members in the legislature sent their kids to private and more expensive schools in the state, instead of sending them to the state universities, if they planned to go beyond high school. I think all members of the state legislature should be required to send their kids to public universities. Then I bet the members of the state legislature would provide these state universities with adequate funding, which are needed for a quality education.

Jim Slitor

Decorah