Legislative Priorities
The Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) believes effective public schools require strong community support involving education professionals, parents, students, and elected officials. We build partnerships, promote advocacy, and work together to achieve support for our common goals. We believe our legislative goals begin by placing students at the center of everything we do.
Ensure every student and education professional is set up for success!
- Adequate school funding, minimum 4% Supplemental State Aide (SSA) to address achievement gaps, keep up with increased operational expenses, address unpredictable enrollment numbers, and allow for competitive wages and benefits for education professionals. We must have adequate funding and resources so that every student, regardless of ZIP code, socioeconomic status, or ability, receives a robust education that best meets their needs. This includes dedicated resources to address ELL, At-Risk, and Gifted programs.
- Empower parents and educators to work together to find solutions for each student’s learning needs.
- Expand access to preschool for all 4-year-old children and a greater statewide focus on the importance of early childhood education.
- Protect and expand dedicated recess and child-directed centered play for students, a foundational component of physical health and cognitive development.
- Adequately fund our community colleges, allowing for competitive compensation for quality full-time faculty and to ensure affordable tuition.
- Education professionals have the expertise to best meet the needs of our nearly 500,000 public school students. We must maintain those high standards while incentivizing more people into the profession and retaining our seasoned professionals. This includes removing burdensome mandates that do not directly benefit students, increasing educator preparation and collaboration time, expanding loan forgiveness, and protecting IPERS.
- Address students' and staff's mental health needs, including additional evidence-based resources for our students in the form of additional school counselors, school nurses, behavioral specialists, and social workers. Provide supports for educators so they have the best tools to identify and educate students in crisis. Ensure supports are available to address the mental health needs of staff, including a district-wide emphasis on educator well-being. This includes implementing safety protocols to ensure a safe and disruption-free learning and working environment.
Prioritize public dollars for public schools!
- Ensure our precious state and federal funds are first prioritized to fund public schools and educational services adequately. This means:
- Hold accountable those utilizing and administering the 2023 voucher program; this includes opposing expansion for unregulated homeschooling.
- Before entertaining further tax cuts that do not directly benefit Iowa taxpayers, restore special education budget cuts to the AEAs so essential student and staff services may continue and be enhanced equitably regardless of zip code
- Ensuring our public schools have adequate resources so students receive a well- rounded education that includes access to the arts, music, physical education, and career and technical education.
- Competitively compensate all Iowa public education professionals, including increasing the starting salary for teachers, rewarding experience, and increasing pay for education support professionals to compete with other industries.
The ISEA's mission is to promote quality public education by placing students at the center of everything we do while advocating for education professionals, making sure they are represented in all policy discussions.
For more information, contact: Melissa Peterson, legislative and policy director, [email protected]
