It's another attack on Iowa schools

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ attitude toward public education reminds me of a scene from an old movie called “The Longest Yard,” starring Burt Reynolds.

Burt plays Paul Crewe, a wisecracking, pro quarterback who is convicted and sent to prison. The warden stages a game between the guards and prisoners.

Burt tells his offensive linemen to let a tackler through the line. They do, and he throws a hard pass at close range, into the guard’s groin. On the next play, he tells his line to do the same thing.

In the huddle, one of his teammates asks, “Why did you do the same thing twice?”

Burt replies, “It worked the first time. It’s worth a second try.”

During the last legislative session, Reynolds and her legislative lemmings repeatedly attacked public schools, accusing teachers of indoctrinating students and teaching pornography. Those attacks were designed to hurt the credibility of public schools and pave the way for a new private school voucher entitlement.

It worked the first time.

Now, Reynolds is quietly telling us what she’s planning for public schools during the next legislative session. “Area Education Agencies (AEAs) across the state will undergo a ‘comprehensive review,’ looking at more closely aligning AEAs with the Department of Education,” she told the N'West Iowa REVIEW in an email.”

“A comprehensive review,” is Reynolds’ speak for using outside consultants for downsizing or even eliminating this vital part of the education family. That’s the procedure she used when she dismantled state agencies and committees. We don’t need a crystal ball for predicting how this will be done. She’s shown us.

It’s worth a second try.

Area Education Agencies were created in 1974 through a bipartisan bill to provide services to schools. Many are invisible to the public but essential for students and educators.

AEAs provide special education services to both public and private schools, but those services are done one on one with students through developing and following a students’ Individualized Education Program (IEP) in cooperation with a school district teacher.

AEAs also offer school psychologists, social workers, and consultants. AEAs provide media services and educator professional development. Without AEAs, small schools wouldn’t be able to afford these services. Urban and suburban schools couldn’t afford the same level of service now provided by the AEAs.

Reynolds is justifying her “comprehensive review” based on data from the National Assessment of Educational Data results, based on standardized test scores. Most educators strongly believe this is the wrong measure. Special education should be judged based on their performance under their IEP.

There’s nothing wrong with the state periodically reviewing education services. But there’s something terribly wrong with making judgments using faulty data and without listening to practitioners working daily with the AEAs.

If the Governor wants to revamp AEAs she needs to listen to administrators, educators, and parents about what services are essential and how those services may be protected and enhanced.

Otherwise, it’s bad decision making, especially when the future of our children is at risk.

Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to public schools for 38 years. He taught for 11 years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association Regional Director for 27 years until retiring. BruceLear2419@gmail.com