Area lawmaker who is a retired school teacher discusses the state of education in Iowa
State Democratic Representative Sharon Steckman of Mason City is a retired school teacher, and has witnessed many changes in the education system.
She tells Radio on the Go News that her party wanted more funding for the public schools, which in turn, would help to lower property tax askings across the state.
"Every percent that we give for resources, SSA, to schools lowers property taxes. And I don't think people realize that. We asked for 6 percent new resources for education this year. The Democrats did. And that would have meant only 34 school districts would have to have asked to raise property taxes. The proposal that came in Thursday that we did, the 49-page AEA amendment, had the SSA in that bill, in that amendment, and it was two point five percent which would cause almost half our school districts, a hundred and forty four school districts, to raise property taxes and I don't think that's the part that some people actually understand here at the capital."
Steckman says it’s time for lawmakers to show more support to the public schools.
"The director of Ed that the governor is pushing has a political science degree and she worked for Betty DeVos who is a huge wealthy advocate for private schools. Literally the vouchers this year, that voucher program that we passed last year, has an unlimited standing appropriation which means no matter what they need, they get the money. Which of course is not true for public schools and our half a million kids. But their appropriation last year surpassed the 2.5 percent that the Senate and House are talking about right now for public schools. And I really think our charge as legislators is to protect our public schools and help them be the best that they can be, which they used to be at the top of the pack in the nation."
Steckman was hoping lawmakers would have passed legislation setting up a study committee on the future of the area education agencies, but majority Republicans are moving forward on a bill to change some areas on how the AEA’s will operate.
