Vander Plaats offers K-12 education strategy

DES MOINES – Republican gubernatorial candidate Bob Vander Plaats on Monday issued a K-12 education strategy that called for more charter schools, more emphasis on local control and high student performance standards.

Vander Plaats, a former business teacher and principal, said wants to offer expanded school choice by encouraging more charter schools while allowing state aid to follow any student to a new school if their current school is failing to educate them. He also would expand tax credits for parents who choose to educate their children at home or at private schools as a way to promote competition and spur public schools to improve.

The Sioux City business consultant who is making his third gubernatorial bid said he would appoint a state education director and Iowa Board of Education members who are committed to returning control to the local schools and focused on the students, not the bureaucracy. The state Board of Education also will include representatives of private schools and parents who home school their children, he promised.

Vander Plaats said his education leadership strategy would be built on the premise that Iowa “needs to do things differently and it should start by freeing schools from senseless mandates and simplifying their funding.” He said Iowa needs a governor who will lead, set high expectations and get out of the way so local communities can make good decisions for their students and families.

“My goal has always been to increase student performance and further professionalize the teaching profession,” he said. “I want to reignite the teachers' passion for teaching so our students achieve the highest expectations, preparing them to be bold leaders of our future.”

Vander Plaats said he wants to facilitate “real” charter schools that allow public, private, and nonprofit entities to be the chartering agency. Charter school applications would be approved by the state Board of Education and state per-pupil funding would follow students enrolled in charter schools.

The Sioux City Republican also pledged to set high student performance standards that would place a strong focus on advanced math, science, and vocational education and he would require local schools to report student achievement to the community in a regular, transparent manner.

He also pledged to give more control locally by lifting state educational mandates that don't relate to student achievement. We also would allow schools to decide how to reach the standards and make core curriculum elements voluntary, not a mandate.

“We can move ahead – and move ahead by leaps and bounds to the direct benefit of Iowa's kids – with higher standards and by freeing our schools from senseless mandates and simplifying their funding,” he said. “Iowa doesn't need the federal government to pay us to innovate. We can innovate on our own and not be tied to federal mandates.”

Vander Plaats said he also plans to release his strategy for community colleges, the state's three public universities and private higher education as the campaign progresses.

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