Why support closure of UNI’s Price Lab school?

I am puzzled as to why House Speaker Kraig Paulsen and Speaker Pro Tempore Jeff Kaufmann issued a joint statement praising University of Northern Iowa President Benjamin Allen for his recommendation to close the Malcolm Price Lab School.

Price Lab, a division of UNI, provides one of the nation's outstanding settings for clinical teacher education and research at the early childhood, elementary, middle and high school levels. The staff of about 70 professional educators are responsible for the delivery of the instructional program at the school; management of a clinical laboratory setting for university students enrolled in the teacher education programs; original curriculum development and dissemination; research design, development and publication; as well as consultation and leadership for the schools of Iowa, including the annual Elementary Literacy and Reading Recovery conference.

Why would anyone want to close an institution that is so vitally important to our state?

Jacquie McTaggart

Independence