Education reform

By The Gazette Editorial Board

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Iowa legislators have done more than pass an education reform bill; they've passed two.

Two significantly distinct proposals put forth by the Republican-controlled House and Democrat-controlled Senate. That means a handful of senators and representatives will head into conference committee to try to reconcile the competing bills.

Some elements seem ripe for compromise: A few thousand dollars' difference in new starting pay for teachers; Four teacher career ladder models or two; A two percentage-point difference in “allowable growth” - the formula that determines how much per-pupil state aid school districts receive.

But such seemingly small stumbling blocks have been roadblocks to date: The allowable growth question has hung in the air for months, for example, forcing school districts to craft budgets without answers.

There are thornier issues to resolve, as well: accountability measures, home schooling provisions, teacher performance reviews. Leaders from both parties expect tough negotiations ahead.

Legislators should waste no time finding common ground in the bills before them, if only to allow school districts some certainty about what's coming down the pike.

But there is a much bigger picture here that is being left out of the discussion: How much educational “business as usual” has become obsolete in this modern learning environment? How do we truly transform our public K-12 schools to prepare our students for 21st Century life and work?

Bold ideas

Missing from both chambers' education reform proposals are the types of bold ideas that could transform our old, Industrial Age school system into vibrant, efficient centers of learning. Schools where involved teachers lead engaged students to develop contemporary skills and solve problems in meaningful ways.

One example: Competency-based learning, where students learn lessons at their own level and their own pace, moving on to new subjects once they've mastered core concepts - not when a bell rings or a semester ends. No more passing a student who half-understands class lessons, or forcing students to endure lessons on subjects they already understand.

Some Iowa districts already are experimenting with competency-based courses. Gov. Branstad has called for more study of the idea.

State Education Director Jason Glass has been meeting with educators to explore best practices and resolve issues - such as scheduling, teacher training and student evaluation - that need to be resolved for schools to shift to more competency-based plans.

Despite the institutional challenges, this is one area of reform that could have a dramatic impact on student learning. It represents a radical, and useful, shift from “business as usual” in our schools.

But if legislators continue to treat minor changes as major points of contention, we worry about the reception such a transformative idea will receive when Glass' group reports its findings to the General Assembly next fall.

So while we urge legislators to come to timely agreement on points of contention in current education reform proposals, they must keep their eyes on the bigger picture.

A couple percentage points, a few thousand dollars - while important, these are minor differences to negotiate.

Bigger changes are coming, and they're necessary if we want to truly transform our public schools to provide all of Iowa's children the education they need and deserve.

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