Nearly a fifth of Iowa’s $1 billion budget surplus would go
toward education reform under a proposal Gov. Terry Branstad will pitch to
lawmakers in January.
Higher teacher pay, tuition reimbursement for prospective
educators and expanded career options for classroom teachers are key components
of the estimated $177.5 million package.
The initiatives would be phased in over a period of three to
five years and would be paid for solely by the state, Branstad told The Des
Moines Register.
The biggest portion — roughly $150 million annually — would
support a new compensation system for educators. Under the plan, teachers who
take on extra responsibilities would receive bumps in pay. A model program
developed this fall by a state task force includes initial, career, model,
mentor and master teachers.
“We’re not looking at these new initiatives being funded out of
property taxes, but out of state aid,” Branstad said. “We want to focus on
things that are going to improve student achievement, not just provide more
money based on allowable growth.”
State officials are counting on Iowa’s continued economic health
to provide sustainable funding for the programs.
A $25 million education reform plan proposed by the governor
last year was opposed at the Statehouse by both Democrats and Republicans. Only
$2 million in new money was ultimately appropriated for school improvement
measures, with most of the funding focused on boosting early reading skills.
Both Branstad and state Department of Education Director Jason
Glass anticipate more substantial changes in 2013.
“The political conditions are getting ripe for a major education
reform in Iowa,” Glass said. “We’ve done two years’ worth of work now raising
awareness around why we need to make an investment in our education system and
work to improve it.”
