Credit governor for listening

By Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier

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Give the man some credit. Gov. Terry Branstad is not afraid to take the heat.

He got plenty of it recently at Cedar Falls High School.

Plenty of comments, questions, criticism and praise for his Education Blueprint were dished out during a 1-1/2 hour town hall forum. People partially filled the school's auditorium for the event, and more than 25 people spoke.

Branstad and others in his administration have been traveling the state seeking input on the 18-page education reform package unveiled last month.

Branstad responded to audience questions along with Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Linda Fandel, his special assistant on education.

The blueprint aims to boost achievement, raise graduation rates and attract more business to the state.

It has its share of critics, and Branstad heard plenty from them.

People shouted out a chorus of “No!” as Cedar Falls teacher Jim Young questioned the interplay of collaboration and competition among teachers laid out in the plan.

Branstad responded by talking about the competition for jobs Iowa faces with other states and countries.

“We don't want to be middle of the pack; that's where we are now. We're in a world economy, and businesses are going to decide where to locate,” he said, ticking off a list of options besides Iowa including China, Japan, South Korea and Singapore.

“We want America to compete and succeed. I don't want us to be looked at as mediocre,” added Branstad.

Some teachers said the plan would limit advancement. Branstad noted the proposal lays out a number of avenues for career teachers to get paid more such as taking hard-to-fill positions, earning National Board Certification or winning locally determined performance incentives.

Branstad also noted wages are among the components of teacher contracts that have long been deemed mandatory to the bargaining process, which won't be changed by the legislation.

Still, the administration acknowledged the immensity of the shift being proposed. “This four-tier system is a big change,” said Reynolds. “It may take more time to implement than we initially thought.”

In fact, the pay proposal was put on hold within 24 hours of the Cedar Falls forum. Whether that was by coincidence or design, the fact remains Branstad couldn't help but hear concerns about the proposal loud and clear at the CFHS town hall.

Even many who disagreed with the governor's proposal gave him credit for holding the town halls around the state, personally taking questions and his willingness to have the conversation with his constituents.

We saw some of that from the governor when he met with the Courier's editorial board in 2010, when the then-former governor was a candidate for his old job. The governor acknowledged he came from a particular point of view - conservative. But he added, “That doesn't mean you don't work with people.”

It is, in fact, necessary in a democratic process