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Iowa’s education reform: What will it mean to you?
May 13, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
DES MOINES — The typical school day won’t be much different next year from the way it was this year for most of Iowa’s K-12 students and their families, despite the education reform package passed by the Legislature last week.
Gov. Terry Branstad is expected to sign the legislation even though he and Department of Education Director Jason Glass agree it falls short of what they wanted.
The governor’s ambitious 156-page, $25 million proposal released in January is now a 33-page package costing less than a tenth of the original figure, and that money is earmarked for early childhood reading.
Some of the most controversial proposals were chucked overboard in the waning days of the 84th General Assembly when it became clear that the majority Republicans in the House could not agree with the majority Democrats in the Senate.
Still, some students — those in third grade, those who take online courses and those who are in college studying to become teachers — will see changes, assuming Branstad signs the measure into law.
“Much of what was required in (the legislation) we are already doing,” said Paul Gausman, superintendent of Sioux City Community School District and chairman of the Urban Education Network of Iowa.
“There are some items we’d like a little more clarity on and to see some details on, like how they define collaboration time,” he said. “I think the conversations we had this year were ambitious, and I think what was done here won’t have immediate changes but laid the groundwork for the future.”
Third-grade retention, online learning
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Iowa City School District set to review requests for online school enrollment
April 4, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
“When people think of virtual schools, there is this perception of [students] sitting in front of a computer with no interaction,” she said. “Connection schools are real communities. At virtual schools, the computer is just a tool for learning.”
And it’s a real school experience, she said, with teachers, a high-quality curriculum, clubs, and activities.
“Virtual education is a very appealing and interesting option for all types of students,” Bazin said noting the flexibility it brings is important.
The type of student varies by need, ranging from athletes to the medically fragile to rural students, she said.
Iowa City residents Maria Valentine and her husband have applied to put their 8-year-old son, Josiah, into the Iowa Connections Academy.
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Iowa View: ‘Virtual schools’ have a place in Iowa
April 2, 2012 By admin Leave a Comment
The two virtual schools entering Iowa have created some debate. It is my intent to sort fact from fiction regarding these highly innovative schools.
As with any innovation, challenges are expected. Accepting innovative change typically relies on an easy to understand explanation of the innovation, an advantage over the current system for those being served, can be tried and tested before adoption, and is compatible with our values.
The two new virtual schools are organized around individualized, paced instruction. Students may accelerate in some subjects while taking more time in other subjects if needed. A highly qualified teacher living and working in Iowa implements the instruction and determines advancement through the curriculum using frequent assessments.
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