No `silver bullet,’ but it’s good to keep education discussion going

By Globe Gazette (Mason City)

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Discussion of education has been elevated since Gov. Terry Branstad took office.

Branstad made it clear early on in his political resurrection that all new ideas would be welcomed, and he sought them out through a major education summit in Des Moines and a variety of gatherings throughout the state.

He and his advisers have melded what he considers the best ideas from those sessions into a preliminary plan that has at its centerpiece a four-tier compensation schedule for educators.

North Iowa legislators are glad Branstad is opening the dialogue on education, although as Rep. Joshua Byrnes, R-Osage, says, the governor's plan is “no magic bullet.”

We doubt Branstad ever expected it would be. Rather, he doesn't want to accept status quo without taking a good long look at possible alternatives. No one will blame him for that.

“I am not saying we cannot improve,” Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, said. “I think we can, and that that is important.”

Yet they have their concerns. And it's important to note that when they talk education, it's a field they are very well-versed in.

Byrnes is an instructor and program head at North Iowa Area Community College and is a former K-12 teacher. Steckman is a retired teacher.

So their experience is valuable in any discussions. And in education circles, the four-tier system is a hot topic of discussion.

Under the system apprentice teachers would start at $40,000 a year, far more than most are paid now, and would be paid $50,000 when they reach the second-tier status. The third and fourth tiers would be for mentor and master teachers, with pay capped at $80,000.

Steckman's not sold. There's no research to prove it will work, she contends, and she's concerned about the cost which she has heard will be $500 million to start.

That kind of money would go a long way to easing technology needs, which she contends is a major concern in schools today as is the need for programming for at-risk children.

And she believes there's too much emphasis on teacher performance.

“We need to quit beating up on our teachers and start helping children,” she said.

For his part, Byrnes said the current structure is not always fair to younger teachers as more senior teachers are well-protected.

He also said evaluating instructors in diverse areas concerns him, that performance cannot be based only on test scores.

“Not everyone teaches in the same kind of environment,” he said. “How are you going to be equitable with these teachers? We all know who the good teachers are. The question is how you make this fair.”

These are all good discussion points. When the plan is officially rolled out Oct. 3, the dialogue will intensify. Lawmakers will be pulled one direction then another by various groups.

Given that, it's hard to imagine giant steps being taken in educational reform, which might suit a lot of people just fine.

But we doubt Branstad will let it go, and he shouldn't. The opportunity for communication is there, and it could lead to better things for Iowa's teachers and students.

It's a discussion that should always be kept active. Let's keep it on the table and see what Iowans can do with it.