From the Capitol to You

Thursday, April 30, was scheduled as the last day of the 2015 Session.

The clerks are going home, but legislators will continue to meet.  Spouse-clerks are allowed to stay and work with their legislator, but without pay, so Susan will continue in her critical role.

Even after the remaining policy bills on the House calendar are debated in the House, much more remains to be done.  One of the primary functions of the Iowa Legislature is to set the budget for the coming fiscal year(s).  We must reach a compromise on the dollar amount of supplemental state aid for our schools.  We must also determine the budgets for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, and the Judicial System.  Then there’s the “standings bill” – the catch-all bill that is approved at the end of each session where any final compromise provisions and funding, not contained elsewhere in legislation, are agreed upon by both parties.

It is my belief that we have work remaining that will last several more weeks, or longer.

Meanwhile, Thursday was the last day, by law, for Iowa school districts to issue pink slips.  As of yesterday, there were 1134 notices.  Without adequate school funding, 1134 additional Iowa teaching positions will either go unfilled or be eliminated.  This means larger class sizes for an estimated 25,000+ students, reduced teacher attention and a negative impact on student achievement.

On Thursday, in the Iowa House, we voted for a plan to keep tuition affordable at Iowa’s community colleges and state universities while ending the K-12 school funding crisis.  It’s essential that we offer the highest quality education, keep tuition affordable for all Iowa families and reduce the debt load for students after graduation.

I also supported legislation that would freeze tuition at the University of Iowa, Iowa State, and the University of Northern Iowa.  This would also boost state funding to Iowa’s community colleges, limit tuition increases and provide tuition grants for lower income students at Iowa’s private colleges.
Over the last few months, I’ve been listening to parents, educators and school leaders who have told me, repeatedly, that it’s time to resolve the school funding crisis and invest in our k-12 schools.  I supported a compromise plan to resolve the crisis, provide critical funding and boost student achievement in our k-12 schools.

Since schools have been waiting more than a year, Democrats offered a plan to the education budget (House File 658) that would increase basic state funding for schools next year by 2.625%.  Other parts of the plan include expanding support to early readers and continuing Iowa’s teacher mentoring program.

Like the K-12 Supplemental State Aid legislation, the House Education Appropriations bill will go to a joint Senate/House Conference Committee for reconciliation with the Senate version.

50 Years of Community College Success

2015 marks the 50th anniversary of legislation establishing Iowa’s community colleges. Retired State Senator Jack Kibbie of Emmetsburg, who sponsored the bill in 1965, was on hand when the Iowa Senate commemorated the event this week.  Sen. Kibbie and then-Governor Harold Hughes worked in partnership to create a community-college network that has become the model for the nation.

Our community colleges have provided training for Iowa’s high-demand, high-paying, high-skilled occupations and career enhancement opportunities for 50 years. Iowa’s economic workforce represents nearly 25 million credit hours of community college training. In 2014 alone, the Iowa Skilled Worker & Job Creation Fund helped train more than 75,000 at Iowa’s community colleges.  And Iowa leads the nation in the percentage of students under 18 enrolled in community colleges.  Kudos to Iowa community colleges, especially our very own Kirkwood Community College!

In Other News

•    House Republican leaders refused to bring up the bi-partisan anti-bullying bill again this week.

•    The Iowa Ombudsman’s Office is raising new questions about Governor Branstad’s plan to privatize management of Medicaid as it investigates complaints from Iowans.  It will not have the authority to conduct investigations into a private firm if Medicaid services are privatized under “managed care”.

•    After legislation was approved by the Iowa Senate, House Speaker Kraig Paulsen said he will not allow the medical cannabis bill to come up for a vote in the House.  The bill is designed to help Iowans suffering from chronic diseases like epilepsy and cancer.

•    May 1st is supposed to mark the end of the 2015 legislative session.  Without the state budget completed, we will be working overtime without pay until the legislative work is complete.

Arthur Elementary – 100 yr Anniversary

Unfortunately, I’ll miss the big celebration next week, but it was a treat to visit this awesome school and speak with an amazing group of dedicated teachers, staff and parents! Arthur is one of the oldest schools in the district, opening its doors in the fall of 1915. During all this time, it has filled the needs of the students, staff and parents. There are many Cedar Rapidians who proudly consider themselves Arthur “Knights”.

Just five minutes into my conversation with Principal Angi Hoyer and I knew she had a passion for ensuring that her students had the best education possible. Angi pointed out that as more children struggle with a variety of mental health and other issues, it’s a huge challenge for teachers in larger classes to provide the individual assistance that each student needs.

These PTA volunteers ROCK! Parents, Angie Carver, Laurie Strottman, and Lynn Kennedy were preparing for the school’s carnival. With 52% of the students on free or reduced lunch program, many were unable to afford the cost of admission, so the PTA picked up their tab. These parents are very involved in their kids’ school and excited to help make learning a positive experience for all the students.

3rd Grade Teacher, Carmen Girdner, has 28 kids in this class. This is about 10 kids too many for me, but Mrs.Girdner is doing a stellar job. This group is working on a time machine project, drawing pictures and discussing what they’ll think of their pictures when they retrieve them from the capsule in 40 years. Creative teaching!

Kamber Boeckmann is an Instructional Design Strategist. A hefty title for this essential role in our schools. Kamber collects and analyzes student data on math and reading to determine what students know and need to learn. She then works with teachers to provide the needed remediation or enrichment. (I needed to read this book, “Arthur Writes A Story” by Marc Brown.)

Counselor Julie Kapfer is standing beside a fishbowl full of tickets. This is a school-wide, positive behavior reward system. Students receive tokens that are placed in the bowl – when the bowl is full the entire school participates in a fun activity. Next week, it’s a bubblegum blowing contest. I may just have to come back for that.

4th Grade Teacher, constituent Jessica Gabriel, was excited to show off the cool things her students are learning with the use of Microsoft Surface Tablets. These interactive tablets have been a popular and powerful tool to engage students in many ways.

Each of these students is writing a biographical poem on the Surface Tablets. They are including verses about their likes, dislikes, experiences and dreams. At the end of this lesson, the poems will be compiled into a class book for all to read. This young lady has written a bio of her accomplishments that would make a terrific resume.

“Be a King in Shining Armor and Do Your PARRT”
P=Personal Best
A=Active Listening
R=Respect
R=Be Responsible
T=Be Trustworthy
These giggly girls were editing a story that one had written. Learning at Arthur is fun!

EcoFest 2015

The Corridor’s premiere Earth Day celebration with booths of information, demonstrations and kid-friendly activities at the NewBo Market.

Going Green is all about the kids….we MUST be good stewards of our Earth so that we leave our children and grandchildren a legacy of clean waters, healthy soil, and an abundance of trees.

These kids are from Hoover Elementary – part of the CR Community School District’s Green Team. The team consists of students, staff and community volunteers committed to making positive environmental changes in their schools, communities and daily lives. The teams review operations and explore new ways to improve the District’s daily routine and reduce utility consumption.

This collaborative effort is forging a path to reduce our carbon footprint and preserve our precious resources for years to come. That’s the legacy I want to leave!

Learn more here: http://www.cr.k12.ia.us/our-district/green-team/green-team/

Charlie Visek recently caught a 6 lb large-mouth bass….in our very own Cedar Lake! He and Felicia Wyrick were speaking with Eco Fest attendees about the tremendous recreational possibilities on the lake, once it’s revitalized. Get involved here: http://friendsofcedarlake.com/

No EcoFest picture album would be complete without including constituent Mike Wyrick’s mug! Mike is Vice-Chair of the Cedar-Wapsie Group of The Iowa Chapter Of The Sierra Club and is active in many conservation efforts. (He’s showing off his ability to handle Iowa’s cold spring days – note the rest of us drug out our warm jackets for this event.)

Constituent Mary McCord of MCG-Biocomposites also braved the cold to showcase their Bio-markers. These plant markers are a must-have for the eco-friendly gardener! Visit their web site to learn more – and purchase their products: http://www.mcgbiocomposites.com/index.html

Barb Rhame was excited to share about the newly formed local chapter of 350.org. The number 350 means climate safety: to preserve a livable planet, scientists tell us we must reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere from its current level of 400 parts per million to below 350 ppm. Read more about this global climate movement here: http://350.org/

Kids of all ages had fun at the Eco Fest photo booth! (eh, Susan Staed?!)

Downtown School Tour, Des Moines

Small class sizes (16-19 students), multi-age classes, technology integrated into lesson-work, group and individual projects, individual student portfolios, student-led conferences….all important pieces of education that EVERY school should be able to afford. Unfortunately, we may be forcing schools to head in the opposite direction, as many of Iowa’s schools are handing out pink slips because of House Republican Leadership continuing to insist on underfunding Iowa’s schools.

Students are grouped together by ages – two years per class. These 5- and 6-yr olds were reading together. the 6-yr-old helped his classmate sound out the word, “pretty”. He offered a clue (“it’s how the cake looks”), and the 5-yr-old proudly figured it out. Kindergarten and 1st grade students learning together.

The assignment: write a “reversal” of a fable. This student is writing, “The Wolf Who Cried Boy.”

These students have been taught to raise their hands when the teacher clicks two sticks together. (It was so subtle, I didn’t even hear it.) This shows that they’ve stopped work and are attentive to the instruction.

Teri Arbogast is speaking with these 9- and 10-yr olds about photographer Ansel Adams. There was a lot of evidence that this was a well-structured lesson. The kids were engaged and learning about Ansel’s love of nature!

Teachers at Downtown School don’t get a planning period during school hours. They come in early, stay late, and work on the weekends. In fact, they had to convince administration to allow them to come in Sundaymornings (normally, they can come in from noon-4). In the dozens of schools I’ve visited, I’ve witnessed the fact that Iowa teachers are dedicated, professional and passionate about providing their students with a stellar education.
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1,134 sheets of pink paper poster the windows of Des Moines’ ISEA building, representing the 1,134 pink slips teachers have received because the legislature hasn’t set education funding for next year. This week I spoke with ISEA Communications Specialist Jean Hessburg, who explained that the bright pink sheets represent teachers who will not be rehired next year, and the light pink represent retirees whose position will not be filled. This means about 25,000 students will be moving to larger classes next year because their teacher has been cut – 1,134 teachers. Each of these 25,000 students will have less attention from their teacher because of class size. Student achievement is sure to suffer as a result.
And the numbers continue to grow.

How can you help? Call the Gov & Lt. Gov at 515-281 -5211 during business hours and ask them to support the Senate Democrat’s compromise of 2.625% supplemental state aid. Also, email House majority leadership at kraig.paulsen@legis.iowa.gov and linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov
Our kids deserve better.
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Tuesday, I attended the Workers’ Memorial Day ceremony on the grounds of the Capitol complex. This very meaningful day was an opportunity to recognize the 39 Iowans who died this year while on the job – including those in the military. AFL-CIO President, Ken Sagar eloquently spoke about the workplace safety improvements we’ve made since OSHA was enacted in 1970, but gathering together to mourn the loss of even 1 workplace death, is 1 too many.

I attended the subcommittee meeting in the Senate on the limited use of eminent domain and the Bakken pipeline. We heard from attorneys from both sides and several landowners who reported on the aggressive tactics used by pipeline representatives to secure “voluntary sale of the land”.

The Salvation Army, ironically, provided lunch for legislators and staff at the Capitol Wednesday in an effort to raise awareness of food insecurity in Iowa. Major Tim Miller, Lieutenant Janelle Cleaveland and Major Bob Miles spoke with me about the good work they are doing. Each Tuesday and Friday morning nearly 1,000 hot breakfasts are served to homeless and near homeless individuals in central Des Moines.

In Iowa, 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger. I’ve shared a lot on FB about Iowa’s children who don’t know where or when their next meal will be, but hunger also affects our elderly – often with even more serious health impacts.

Thank you to The Salvation Army for their efforts to provide for Iowa’s most vulnerable citizens!
Learn more or get involved here: https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/

These mothers of children with debilitating illnesses are powerful advocates for medical marijuana. Their presence at the Capitol is sending a strong message of support for SF484. They’ve shared harrowing personal accounts of their children in severe pain and experiencing life-threatening seizures. They have tried multiple prescriptions with dangerous side effects. I believe it’s our moral obligation to provide access to a potentially life-saving treatment for these kids.

Pictured here: Mary Ann Crawford, Lori Tassin, Jeri Goodell and Kim Novy

Cory Berkenes, State Director of the Iowa Food Bank Association, and other Food Bank advocates delivered personal, handwritten stories about hunger to every Representative.
Mine reads:

“I am 48 years old. I have a collapsing spine. I have a 21-year-old Autistic son. That is our household. We live on $1,400 a month. Of that, $550 is rent. $230 are utilities. What is left goes for car insurance, food, clothing, medicine and co-pays. We cannot make it. I do not smoke, drink and have never done drugs. We simply do not have enough to live on. We try!!!”

Here’s another:

“If it wasn’t for the food pantries here, our family would go hungry. We are a family of three with just SSI as income, and we get little in Food Assistance. With the way food prices are, there are months that we have to choose between meat or milk, which isn’t fair or right , let alone just. I thank God that we can use the pantries to get us through the month, otherwise our child would starve. Please give the pantries more resources, because there are times this is what feeds us for the month.”

Thursday, April 30th was the deadline date when more than 1,134 Iowa teachers received pink slips.  Supporters of public education wore pink in solidarity with teachers and our schoolchildren. Thursday, we debated the state’s education budget bill in the House. This House Republican budget, if enacted, will cut even more education funding – this time from community colleges and our regent universities. I’m gravely concerned about the direction House Republicans are attempting to take our state.  Please, please call the Gov & Lt.Gov during business hours at 515-281-5211 and tell them you support Senate Dem’s latest compromise of at least 2.625% state supplemental aid.  Additionally, email kraig.paulsen@legis.iowa.govand linda.upmeyer@legis.iowa.gov with the same message, letting them know that our children’s education should to be our #1 priority!

Continue Reading the Statehouse News

To read the rest of my Statehouse News go to:http://iowahouse.org/StatehouseNews/5-1-15