Protect the education community in Iowa

In some families, there’s a kind of unwritten rule. You may fight within the family, but if someone from the outside attacks, you unite to defend. Well, the education family is under attack. It’s time for all parts of the family to circle the wagons and protect the profession and our students.

School board members — Thanks for taking the hardest unpaid job in this state. The teacher shortage is real and growing. Once you had 50 applicants for every job, now, you have one, and you hope they’re qualified. Here’s how you can help.

Stop giving new hires bonuses. I know this is counter intuitive, but there are three reasons this is hurting instead of helping. First, bonuses are taxed at a higher rate than regular salary, so the bonus evaporates before the new hire even sees it.

Second, if you give a $5,000 signing bonus the first year, the second year, that teacher takes a big pay cut even if he/she takes a step on the salary schedule. Third, in a lot of cases, that bonus makes it so teachers with two or three years of experience earn less than a new hire. That hurts morale and erodes teamwork.

In bargaining, it hurts the community having your initial proposal be your final proposal even if you can under the awful bargaining lite system. Veteran teachers will look for the exits, and you’ll be increasing the teacher shortage.

Give your administrators the freedom to tell loud, book banning parents, no and have a workable procedure so parents can appeal. But don’t make it easy to ban books.

Administrators — Rely on the procedures the school board has established when the loud parents bang on the door. Don’t simply cave to avoid conflict. If you do, that’s all you’ll do until you take a principled stand. Parents are partners. Partners listen and work out differences.

Educators deserve professional autonomy and respect.

Teachers — Most Iowans know the only grooming you do is to send kids with horrible hygiene to the school nurse. Iowans don’t believe you’re teaching pornography, and they know if you could indoctrinate, you’d have students put away cellphones, show up on time, do the homework, and pay attention in class.

The political noise is nonsense.

Police don’t go into dangerous situations without back up. You shouldn’t either. Your back up is the Iowa State Education Association. I know it’s expensive but so is a $300 an hour lawyer to protect yourself from losing your teaching license because you violated one of the new, vague, laws.

Staff — You make the school run and you’re grossly underpaid and underappreciated. Thank you. I know there may be a lot of issues in your school, but you also know there are a lot of miracles every day. When you hear lies spreading. Tell your neighbors the truth.

Parents — If you’re happy with your school, help protect it. You are the best spokespeople for public schools. Be a partner with educators by attending parent teacher conferences and reinforcing school at home. Speak out!

We don’t have oceans or mountains, but we can again have the number one schools in the country. The education community with parent partners needs to speak in one voice.

Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to public schools for 38 years, including 27 years with the Iowa State Education Association before retiring.