GOV. BRANSTAD'S EDUCATION CHANGES VS. IMPROVEMENTS

Governor Branstad announced he will hold a press conference and unveil his proposed education changes on Jan 6.  Great!

 It reminds us of when a group of high school girls strongly wanted relaxation of a school district’s dress code.  They met with the principal to no avail, who sent them to the superintendent—who also failed to resolve the issue--and sent them to a school board member, an Iowalive net worker, who effectively resolved the issue in the following manner.

1.    He explained to the girls that the purpose of the school district was student achievement and student learning.  They agreed.

2.    He further explained that student grades were the best indicator of student achievement and student learning.  They agreed. 

3.    He then asked them to go back to school and talk to others about how much their grades would improve if the dress code was relaxed, as they proposed—and to come back to him and report the results.  They hesitantly agreed—but never came back.  The issue died on the spot.  The principal and superintendent did not understand, and could not articulate, the purpose of the school district—to the  girls.   The Iowalive net worker did—and quickly resolved the dispute. 

  So, Governor, just like those senior girls--you want to make school changes.  Great, but would you please answer the following questions in your speech on Jan 6^th  to show that you, Linda Fandel and Jason Glass understand  the purpose of Iowa’s public schools and know what you all are talking about?   

1.    What improved, measurable student achievement results do you expect your changes to achieve, and when, in measureable terms—numbers?

2.    How will you know if your changes are working?

3.    What is your recovery plan for the students, if your changes fail?—as all past school changes have failed, as shown in the chart farther below!

 Answer the questions in a meaningful manner, Governor. 

·         Show Iowan’s you know the measureable difference between a change and an improvement. 

·         Tell them how much money your changes or improvements will save, how and when. 

·         Show them you understand you are making an investment and expect to have a great return on that investment—in measurable terms. 

·         Explain why your 3^rd grade retention policy won’t have Iowa schools full of failed 3^rd graders!

·         Show Iowans it is not about more money for the teacher’s union and school administrators!

·         Show Iowan’s the teacher’s union and administrators will no longer get pay raises for social promotions and academic failures!   

·              Tell Iowans why you won’t listen to Judy Hintz, at Educational Resources in West Des Moines, explain how she routinely brings students to grade level, who the public schools fail to teach, and claim can’t be taught.    

·         Show Iowans where you expect the next points to fall on the following chart?

 Keep it simple, Governor!!  Show Iowans you know what you are talking about! 

 “When you can measure what you are speaking about, and express it in numbers, you know something about it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers, your knowledge of it is of a meager and unsatisfactory kind; it may be the beginning of knowledge, but you have scarcely, in your thoughts, advanced it to the stage of science.”

Sir William Thompson, Lord Kelvin (1824-1907)

60 YEARS OF IOWA PUBLIC SCHOOL FAILURES