A Lot to Learn

If we’re not fighting to improve education for everyone, what are we doing here?

BY JOHN BUSBEE

“We must create a climate where people agree that human beings are more alike than unalike. The only way to do that is through education.”

––Maya Angelou

Education. A word rife with possibility, capable of triggering memories of a person’s most foundational moments. Today, it has become a malleable lump of social and political clay, pummeled as never before into new shapes, forms and purposes.

Iowa’s education system has experienced an upheaval. Decades ago, Iowa was a nation-leading model of well-educated students, strong community public school systems and an inherent ethic of educational excellence. There were private schools, and those who chose that educational route underwrote their own passage. Now, the learning waters have become muddied by self-serving agendas, stirring up more controversy than most people want in a public education system. Or, that a proven public education system needs.

The cornerstone of excellent education is dedicated teachers. For many, teaching is a calling, not just a job. They encourage inquisitive minds to explore well beyond rote learning, and infuse what they learn into their lives. They also go out of their way to create a safe environment and equal opportunities for all kids in their care.

The seismic shift in Iowa leaders’ respect for public schools and teachers was made clear in January, when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed the Education Savings Account (ESA) program into law. The legislation represented a massive and unpredictable reallocation of state funds from public schools to private schools.

The enrollment floodgates were opened on May 31, and 29,025 students signed up to receive a $7,635 voucher for private school tuition, shaving the budget of their local school district. Initially, 14,068 students were expected to enroll at a cost of about $107 million to public funds. With no application limit, taxpayers are on the hook for more than double that amount. When fully implemented, ESAs will cost taxpayers an estimated $345 million annually. Is it worth the price? What will the long-range impact be?

About 60 percent of ESA applicants already attend private schools. A cynic might claim that Iowa is just handing these students and their families a cash gift that could have helped public schools, for the choice they already are making for their students.

As Iowa State Auditor Rob Sand said during a May town hall meeting, “If there’s no requirement that they [private schools receiving ESA money] actually put that money into educating kids, what are we doing here? It would be entirely legal if they took that money and put it into a European vacation for their principal. The total lack of oversight [and] total lack of transparency to me as state auditor is pretty appalling.”

The leadership that pushed for the ESA program is ironically the same group that espouses letting the market dictate the success or failure of a business. Private schooling is big business, and this Iowa educational industry just received a massive, unrestricted shot in the arm.

Iowa State Education Association President Mike Beranek said in a statement: “Imagine what an unlimited budget like the one for Gov. Reynolds’ private school voucher program would mean for Iowa’s public school students. State-of-the-art labs and equipment, up-to-date technology and laptops give every student an equal chance for success. We could have nurses and counselors in every building, one-to-one assistance for any child who needs it, music, art and shop supplies to develop new talent and skills, and the list goes on.

“Unfortunately for Iowans, the governor and the majority party in the statehouse have decided that unlimited budgets are reserved for just a select few Iowans. … Ninety percent of Iowa families continue to choose their neighborhood public schools. That is where our precious resources should be directed.”

In May, KCCI-TV8 asked Reynolds’ office why private schools will not be required to follow the same rules that public schools are required to follow regarding how taxpayer dollars are spent and how that spending is publicly documented.

Reynolds’ deputy communications director Kollin Crompton responded in a statement, “Every school, no matter if it is public or private, is accountable to parents and students. If parents and students feel that a school is not meeting their unique needs, they now have the power to make the best determination for their specific education.”

To pull a quote from the musical Godspell , “Did I promise you an answer to the question?” It’s time for the current leadership to pay attention to the overwhelming majority of Iowans.