The Register recently printed two articles by MacKenzie Ryan focused on possible changes to Iowa’s education laws during the 2018 legislative session. The possibilities include a voucher program called education savings accounts, private run charter schools and expanding Iowa’s Tuition Tax Credit.
In the Jan. 3 article “Advocates for ‘school choice’ list 3 priorities,” ultra conservative lobbyist Drew Klein from Americans for Prosperity is quoted acknowledging that the options are not “silver bullets,” but he fails to acknowledge why the programs do nothing to enhance student learning. There is good reason for this omission.
Mr. Klein doesn’t want Iowans to know that in areas affected by vouchers, public schools needed to cut essential programming. At my former elementary school in Milwaukee, this meant no art, music or gym plus a library staffed only one day a week.
Mr. Klein doesn’t want Iowans to know that there are newspaper headlines every month about a private charter or voucher school ripping off taxpayers by funneling money they received into their own pockets. Mr. Klein doesn’t want Iowans to know that private charter and parochial schools would not be accountable to taxpayers, because taxpayers do not elect their board members. Mr. Klein doesn’t want Iowans to know there is no research to support vouchers or charter schools as a way to improve student learning.
Mr. Klein doesn’t want Iowans to know that under current laws, there are no accountability measures put in place for independent private instruction homeschooling.
Instead of adopting Mr. Klein’s policies, Iowa legislators would be wise to invest in our communities by properly funding our public schools. After all, a strong public school is the heart of every community in Iowa.
— Kelly McMahon, Cedar Rapids
Read or Share this story: http://dmreg.co/2FynMNJ