Iowa House leader confident education reform consensus could be reached today

A key legislative leader on education reform is “very optimistic” a conference committee working out differences between lawmakers and the governor will reach consensus today.

“We're making great progress,” House Education Committee Chairman Ron Jorgensen, R-Sioux City, said this morning. “We're developing the conference committee report. We'll take a look at it. They'll take a look at it. If we both agree with what's in it, we'll take it around for some signatures” of conference committee members.

I'm very optimistic we'll get something done today,” he said

Among the highlights of the compromise are the “2+2+4” funding to increase allowable growth the equivalent of 4 percent next year and 4 percent the following year, Jorgensen said. It also will provide between $306 and $310 per pupil funding for the education reform program.

It retains House proposals to allow parents who homeschool their children to include driver's education in their instruction, teach unrelated students in their home schools, and operate with minimal oversight by the Department of Education.

He defended loosening the rules on home schooling at  the same time as calling for more evaluations and higher accountability, because home schooling allows more options “on who educates their kids, how their kids are educated and stuff and not a one-size fits all scenario.”

“We just feel kids react differently to different educational settings,” Jorgensen explained. “Some (students) don't like the larger settings. They flourish more in an independent study.” Test scores show they do well in college and beyond, he added.

The plan will increase teacher pay to a minimum of $33,500, a pilot program for year-long student teaching.

“We want to attract and retain the best teachers possible,” he added. “We all know the importance of having great teachers in the classroom.”

Another key is the retention of career pathway language calling for mentor teachers, lead teachers and model teachers. Gov. Terry Branstad called the pathway language the centerpiece of the reform effort.

“The critical part was the pathway, so we've pretty well stayed with the House version, but we've made some changes to accommodate what the Senate was trying to do with instructional coaches,” he said.

There's also sharp division on what Republicans are calling the “accountability” measures in the plan: namely, how frequently and with what criteria the state's 34,000 teachers are evaluated as well as who gets to evaluate them.

“It's very important for me to have the three-year evaluation of the program,” Jorgensen said. “That language is still in there so at the end of the third year we're going to take a hard look at it to make sure it's working as intended – of tracking and retaining the best teachers, improving instruction and it's working for the school districts from a financial standpoint.”

House Republicans are “looking hard” at accepting most of the Senate Democratic language on teacher evaluation, Jorgensen said.

He's confident the plan will achieve the goal of education reform to improve teaching and student achievement.

“This will do it,” Jorgensen. “This will be a big boost for the state of Iowa and benefit for kids years to come. It will help improve instruction which will end up improving outcomes.

“That will do nothing but enhance instruction,” he said.

However, it won't be the end of education reform efforts.

“We're always going to look at improving education every year,” Jorgensen said. He doesn't see any immediate changes next year, “but if there are other issues that need to be addressed next year that we feel are going to improve instruction and improve programs, we're certainly going to take a look at that."