BETTENDORF, IOWA – The Davenport Education Association (DEA) recommends Clyde Mayfield for the Davenport School Board election on Tuesday, February 16, 2016

DES MOINES, IA (01/12/2016)(readMedia)--For the fifth consecutive year the Branstad-Reynolds administration has demonstrated a callous disregard for students in Iowa's public schools. Following a well-worn tale of tight revenues, the administratio...

Teacher Leadership and Compensation funds being counted in grand total for basic school services

DES MOINES, IA (04/22/2015)(readMedia)-- Members of the Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation and the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation delivered a letter to Governor Terry Branstad and Members of the Iowa Legislature reminding them of the parameters of the Teacher Leadership and Compensation funding.

It has become clear through the long debate over Supplemental State Aid (SSA) this legislative session that the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System (TLC) funds are being counted in a grand total for basic school services. This accounting implies a greater level of budget support for basic funding than actually exists. TLC funds are not to be used for anything other than the TLC program and to count them toward a general fund is irresponsible and misleading.

"House Republicans have declared their education budget total at $100 million which actually includes $50 million from the TLC program. So, in reality, only $50 million of that total goes to basic general funding in our schools. That was not the intent of the TLC dollars, nor is it honest accounting," said Mary Jane Cobb, ISEA Executive Director, and a member of both the Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation and the Commission on Educator Leadership.

"The Teacher Leadership funding is allocated only to schools that have been approved in the application process for very specific uses--and not all districts receive these funds. TLC is a special initiative, and should not detract from the resources provided to schools to meet the basic services to our students," said Lisa Bartusek, Executive Director of the Iowa Association of School Boards and Member of the Commission on Educator Leadership and Compensation.

"We have fully supported the TLC program every step along the way, but never envisioned that funding this initiative would sacrifice basic school funding. Our schools are a worthy investment of taxpayer dollars, to keep up with the basic costs of doing school business and to improve instruction," added Lew Finch, Executive Director, of the Urban Education Network of Iowa.

Thirty members of both the Task Force on Teacher Leadership and Compensation and the Commission on Educator Leadership signed the letter to Governor Branstad and the Legislature. The letter makes clear that the funds going into the Teacher Leadership and Compensation System (TLC), a three-year phase-in program aimed at elevating positions in schools to meaningful and well-designed leadership and collaborative opportunities by cultivating and utilizing the expertise of educators, are kept separate and apart from the general education funds.

Members of the task force and the commission include members from the Iowa Public Education Coalition, a group of the state's largest education organizations, which includes the Iowa State Education Association, Iowa Association of School Boards, the School Administrators of Iowa, the Iowa Area Education Agencies, the Urban Education Network of Iowa and the Rural Schools Advocates of Iowa.

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View Online: http://readme.readmedia.com/Education-Task-Force-and-Commission-members-deliver-letter-to-Governor-Branstad-and-Legislature/10816315

Attachments

• Teacher Leadership and Compensation letter: http://app.readmedia.com/news/attachment/66436/TLC_Letter_with_Signatures_13004_0.pdf

DES MOINES, IA (03/11/2015)(readMedia)-- The Davenport Education Association (DEA) applauds the courageous stand taken by the Davenport Community School District's (DCSD) Board of Education and the DCSD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Arthur Tate to bypass Iowa state law which limits the school district's spending per pupil annually up to $175 per student.

"We know what it means to be given less per pupil spending than other districts in the state," said Rebecca Menard, President of the DEA. "In simple terms it hurts kids, our teachers and members of our community and our way of life. It is unjust that the state has unequal spending for our school district up to $175 per pupil annually. That adds up to nearly $3.2 million for the entire DCSD in FY 16 and over $17 million in the last five years. Dr. Tate's act of civil disobedience in not following that limited spending authority and instead, raising spending to prevent larger class sizes and employee layoffs without increasing taxes is courageous and clearly the right thing to do. We thank him and the school board for standing so strong for our kids," said Menard.

In a speech on Monday, March 9, to the DCSD Board of Education, Tate said that he will violate state law which limits how much the DCSD can spend on public education. Instead, he said he will use $3.2 million in cash reserves (out of $29 million in reserve) to prevent increases in class sizes, fight the achievement gap and address the ill effects of poverty on a student's education. Tate is particularly dismayed that the legislature has not passed SSA for FY 2016 and FY 2017, as required within 30 days after the Governor presents his budget. Tate says that because the legislature is breaking school finance law and is proposing to underfund public schools he is prompted to recommend the DCSD break the school finance law as well.

"We are also asking the legislature and Governor to support 4 percent SSA for all Iowa's public schools. Iowa spends $1,612 dollars less per student than the other 49 states combined and we are seventh out of the eight Midwestern states. That's wrong. Iowa used to be a national leader in public education but we are falling behind. We can't grow a 21st century economy on the cheap. That's why we also need to increase SSA to all Iowa's public schools as well as focus on Dr. Tate's plan of increasing the DCSD's spending authority. They are both critical to the future of our kids," added Menard.

"Dr. Tate's approach does not raise taxes but allows the DCSD to spend money the district already has out of its reserves. If the legislature would do its job, the school district can do theirs. Davenport kids are not worth less than other kids in this state. Dr. Tate's actions are justified and deserve of our support," said Menard.

The Davenport Education Association (DEA) is the exclusive bargaining representative of the professional-level employees in the Davenport Community School District. With 1,000 members, the DEA is affiliated with the +34,000 member Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) and the +3 million member National Education Association.

For further information contact: DEA UniServ Director, Toby W. Paone at 563-355-3731 (office); 563-370-3270 (cell); tpaone@isea.org