If you’ve ever wondered how the breakdown of a tuition dollar looks, the following chart gives a good representation of that. While not specific to tuition dollars, as they are co-mingled with state general university fund revenues, the chart shows what percentage of a dollar goes towards what expenditure by category at the universities.
Education | JillJ | February 3, 2012 | 
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The Governor delivered the final education proposal, in the form of a policy brief, to the media and legislators last week. The final legislation is being delivered to legislators this week and will start receiving committee consideration likely next week.
The final price tag of the reform package is $25 million. The Governor is asking for $17 million in new money through the Education Appropriations bill, and is repurposing $8 million of existing pools of money for the remainder.
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Education | JillJ | January 13, 2012 | Comments (0)
Gov. Terry Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds today released their final recommendations for restoring Iowa’s standing as a leader in education and preparing all students to compete for jobs in a global economy.
The document represents an overview of proposed education legislation that will be presented by the Governor and Lt. Governor in the 2012 session.
The recommendations stay true to three key areas outlined in a blueprint for education reform released by the Branstad-Reynolds administration in October: highly effective teachers and leaders, high expectations for all students with fair measures for results, and innovation that boosts learning. Read more »
Education | JillJ | January 6, 2012 | Comments (0)
Since the Governor unveiled his vision for education reform on October 3, he has been on the road getting input from Iowans and sharing information about the plan. He, along with the Director of the Department of Education, Jason Glass, and the Governor’s Special Assistant to Education, Linda Fandel, have held nearly 30 town halls all over Iowa. After receiving feedback, a few things in the plan have changed.
Education | JillJ | November 18, 2011 | Comments (0)
The Nation’s Report card, the National Assessment on Educational Progress (NAEP), was released to the public this week. The results for Iowa? There’s not much to report. Iowa has not increased nor decreased its scores to any large degree. For the most part, Iowa remains in the middle of the pack…average.
Education | JillJ | November 8, 2011 | Comments (0)
Governor Branstad unveiled his vision for education reform earlier this week, a plan that will likely dominate much of the discussion during the 2012 legislative session. The plan was developed primarily by Department of Education Director Jason Glass, and the Governor’s Assistant for Education, Linda Fandel. Following the Education Summit, which the Governor hosted this summer, they set to work taking ideas from multiple sources and began drafting a plan. After several meetings with many education stakeholders, including legislators, school boards, teachers unions, school administrators, AEAs, and the business community, a draft was composed.
The heart of the plan is to get a great teacher in every classroom and a great principal in every building. Director Glass has emphasized many times that this is a comprehensive plan with many pieces that all fit together. This is a systemic change of “Strategic Persistence,” reforms that pull together, make sense, last years, and will take time to work.
Education | admin | October 7, 2011 | Comments (0)
The Education Summit that Governor Branstad put on this past Monday and Tuesday ended with the Governor receiving a standing ovation from the 1,600 in attendance. It was likely not because his policies recently have been popular with the mostly teacher filled crowd, but perhaps a bigger reflection of the importance of the event and what it will mean for Iowa’s Education future going forward. The ovation was in appreciation of the effort to bring Iowans together to work as one for the future of our children.
Education | JillJ | August 1, 2011 | Comments (0)
Posted below is the analysis of the omnibus budget bill proposed by House Republicans. The current schedule for the bill is to have it go through committee on Monday June 6 and then be debated on the floor on Tuesday June 7.
Agriculture, Budget, Commerce, Economic Growth, Education, Environmental Protection, Human Resources, Judiciary, Labor, Natural Resources, Rebuild Iowa, State Government, Transportation | JillJ | June 2, 2011 | Comments (0)
The House passed a new preschool plan on Tuesday by a vote of 55 to 45. The plan would replace the current preschool plan that has been in place since 2007 and is the result of collaboration between the governor’s office and the department of education.
Education | JillJ | March 9, 2011 | Comments (1)
In Gov. Culver’s final speech to the legislative body this week he mentioned the successes his administration achieved with preschool in the state. He claimed that 90% of Iowa’s four-year olds now have the opportunity to attend preschool, up from just 5% a few years ago. His comments were more than likely a response to both House Republican and incoming Gov. Branstad’s plans to cut funding for his administration’s Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP). But his numbers don’t necessarily make sense as it relates to the SWVPP.
Education | JillJ | January 18, 2011 | Comments (0)
