Who really supports our school children?

Candidates for state office have released their latest television ads. Like you, I always wonder about the honesty of their claims. In some content areas I have enough experience to know who is intentionally misleading. Right now, a number of Statehouse Republican incumbents are running very deceptive ads.

I would specifically name Iowa Reps. Louie Zumbach, District 95, and Walt Rogers, District 60, as two who are pitching a huge deception in an attempt to appear to be great friends of education. As a lifetime educator – teacher, coach and administrator - I know who supports education with resources, not just meaningless words.

These incumbents brag that they have supported education with increased state aid every single year. This is misleading. The truth? They approved for next year, the third smallest increase in Iowa's history. In fact, under Republican control, the Legislature has approved the lowest funding levels in Iowa history for Iowa schools in seven of the last eight years. Our children deserve better!

The Republican-controlled Legislature has appropriated a meager 1.1 percent increase for K-12 districts for next year. Why do they fail to mention that number in their ads? They are gambling that most will accept their misleading claims.

I know how misleading Republican claims are regarding education. I wonder, and you should wonder, too, how misleading their other claims are. If they will deceive the voter to win on one issue, are they deceiving us on other issues as well?

Dick Whitehead

Center Point