February 9, 2012

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ISU holds engineering career fair

February 7, 2012 By

I.S.U. engineering career fair.

Engineers are in high demand in Iowa right now and today in Ames, more than 200 companies will be meeting with thousands of young people hoping to enter that line of work.

Brian Larson is director of Engineering Career Services at Iowa State University.

“I think the economy is just really picking up and we’re living in a much more technological world, so there’s a big demand for engineers right at the moment,” Larson said.

 He’s helped organize the I.S.U. College of Engineering Spring Career Fair. The event runs from 12 to 6 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum and the Scheman Building.

Many of the fair attendees could end up with a job by the end of the week. “In the days following the career fair, we’ll have upwards of 1,200 interviews happening and many students will be walking away with full-time positions or intern/coop positions,” Larson said. Good job prospects and high salaries are among the reasons Iowa State and other universities are experiencing record engineering enrollments.

Larson notes the average starting salary for an engineer is just over $58,000 a year. A recent report in the Wall Street Journal stated seven of the top 10 highest-paying college majors are engineering degrees.

 

 

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Filed Under: Business, Education, News Tagged With: ,

Branstad says elected officials should “lead by example” on health insurance costs

February 3, 2012 By

Governor Terry Branstad says he along with other statewide elected officials and all 150 members of the legislature should start paying for 20 percent of the health care coverage state taxpayers now provide them.

“If you look at most private sector (companies), employees pay at least 20 percent,” Branstad says. “Some pay more than that and, obviously, if you’re a farmer or self-employed, you pay 100 percent.”

For the second year in a row, Republican legislators have proposed requiring all 45,000 state employees, including legislators, pay $200 per month toward their health care coverage. Branstad says that’s unlikely to happen as it would require re-opening union contract negotiations. He suggests legislators should pass his alternative plan this year.

“I do think it would make sense for those of us that are elected officials and legislators to pay at least 20 percent of our health insurance,” Branstad says. “I think we could lead by example by doing something like that.”

According to Branstad, 84 percent of state employees — and that includes him and legislators — currently pay nothing toward their health insurance.

“I think that’s just and that needs to be corrected,” Branstad says, “and I want to do what I can to see that that happens.”

According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, U.S. citizens who received health care coverage through a private employer in 2006 paid nearly $3000 out of their own pockets to cover over a third of the premium costs.

Filed Under: Featured Story, Health & Medicine, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Church affiliated hospitals upset over healthcare decision, Harkin responds (audio)

February 3, 2012 By

A decision by the Obama Administration that forces church affiliated employers to cover birth control in their healthcare plans has outraged religious organizations across the country. The ruling means church affiliated hospitals such as Sioux City’s Mercy Medical Center would be force to pay for insurance that covers contraceptives and sterilization.

Mercy spokesman, Jim Wharton, says the decision makes no sense. “A Baptist hospital, a Catholic hospital, whatever, it would no longer be considered a religious employer, which means we lose the right to exercise what we call our conscious clause. Where if it’s something that’s totally contrary to what our principles and beliefs are we still have to violate our conscience to abide by a government regulation to provide these services,” Wharton says.

Wharton says the organizations that don’t abide by the new mandate risk losing millions of dollars in federal funds. “Every hospital in America for the most part, is dependent on Medicare and now they’re saying if you want the money you have to play by these new rules,” Wharton says.

“The problem is, the rules are unfair….We’re 125 years old, we’re founded on the beliefs of the Catholic faith and for us to be told that you have to do things that are contrary to our faith, we think is a violation of our First Amendment rights.” The new rules would take effect in August of 2013.

Iowa Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat, was asked about the issue during his weekly conference call with reporters. Harkin says he thought they had crafted the healthcare law to allow an exemption for individuals.

“I do believe that if you are broadly hiring , that you should provide broad insurance coverage, which would include contraceptive services,” Harkin says. “But if there is someone in the employ for that religious institution who is conscience bound not to do that, then they should be able exempt out of that portion of the health insurance coverage.”

Harkin was asked by a reporter from Carroll, where there is a Catholic hospital, if he supported the “first amendment right of Catholics to not offer birth control to workers.”

“I didn’t say that…I’m saying if they’re going to offer insurance broadly based…then they should offer these services too, but then I want to be protective of an individual, and an individual’s conscience on what he or she may have to do,” Harkin replied.

Harkin says there are many cases in society where people are compelled to pay for things that they don’t like. He cites as an example, the Quaker religion which does not support war, but it’s members pay taxes that support the military. “And the Supreme Court has upheld that in the past, so this is not the only case where religion has run into important public policy. I think the Quakers also have a legitimate gripe from their taxes being paid and going to support military wars and things,” Harkin says.

Audio : Harkin remarks on healthcare issue 4:38.

House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, is already calling on the Obama administration to reconsider the order, calling it a government mandate that violates the constitution.

Woody Gottburg, KSCJ, Sioux City also contributed to this story.

Filed Under: Health & Medicine, News, Politics & Government, Religion Tagged With: , ,

Iowa officials encouraged by modification of farm labor rules for kids

February 2, 2012 By

Federal officials have agreed to modify a plan that’s designed to protect children from dangerous jobs on family farms. The U.S. Labor Department has been under fire from farm groups because the proposed rules were seen as too restrictive. Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’s encouraged to see the rules are being reconsidered by labor leaders.

Harkin says, “They need to get additional information in, go back to the drawing table and write a better regulation.” The original proposal spelled out that children younger than 16 would be banned from using most power equipment, while those under 18 would be barred from working in locations like grain bins and feed lots. The new version will reportedly contain more exemptions for kids whose parents own or run the farms on which they’re working.

“I hope they’ll reach agreement on a regulation that protects kids but also recognizes family agriculture,” Harkin says. “It’s one thing to say that kids shouldn’t be operating fork lifts or humongous tractors or combines and to say they can’t even drive a garden tractor.”

Harkin, a Democrat, says he agrees with those who’ve spoken out against the proposed regulations which would tear down generations of farm family traditions.

“There has to be some balance, some rational thinking,” Harkin says. “Some of what they’re proposing, fine, but I talked to Secretary of Agriculture Vilsack about this. He says it would go so far to say that kids couldn’t even drive a tractor across the road, well, kids have been driving tractors for years.”

Labor department officials say they’ll work with the Ag department and others to make sure the new rules reflect rural communities’ concerns.

The governor released this statement on the rules:

(DES MOINES) – Gov. Terry Branstad and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commended the United States Department of Labor after learning that the department has begun to reconsider onerous regulations on youth working on farms.

In November of 2011, Gov. Branstad and Sec. Bill Northey sent a letter to Sec. Solis voicing their concern. In the letter, Gov. Branstad and Sec. Northey asked the department to give Iowa farmers a fair opportunity to comment and called the rule “a prime example of Federal overreach.”

“I am pleased to learn that Secretary Solis and the Department of Labor are reconsidering their burdensome regulations on Iowa farm families,” said Branstad. “As I grew up on a family farm, I learned the value of a strong work ethic by working alongside my family. I firmly believe that Iowa farm families are better at ensuring the safety and wellbeing of their children than bureaucrats in Washington.”

“It is important we continue to provide opportunities for young people to learn about agriculture and gain experience by working on farms in a responsible manner,” Northey said. “This announcement by the Department of Labor shows that they are responding to the comments they received and hearing the concerns of the farming community.”

Filed Under: Agriculture, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , , ,

Lawmakers raise several concerns in review of education reform bill

February 2, 2012 By

State lawmakers continued to question Department of Education director Jason Glass Wednesday on the various parts of the Governor’s education reform bill. The bill changes the way teachers are let go if there are layoffs, how long new teachers should be on probation, and the recourse a teacher has if he or she is fired.

Glass says it would make performance the first consideration in layoffs instead of seniority. Representative Sharon Steckman, a Democrat from Mason City and a retired teacher, told Glass schools are already considering how good a teacher is when they make layoff plans.

“Why are we putting it in statute and deciding if for them,” Steckman asked. “Because performance matters,” Glass replied. “But then you’re taking away the right of the district and the bargaining unit to bargain that,” Steckman answered. “That’s correct, the state would be saying that we’re making a policy decision,” Glass said.

Some lawmakers say if a teacher’s evaluation is going to play major role, they want to feel more comfortable with how those evaluations happen. Improving evaluations is part of the governor’s reform plan, but details aren’t yet worked out.

Representative Jeremy Taylor, a Republican from Sioux City, said that makes him nervous. “So we’re voting on something we haven’t seen which will be a primary determiner?,” Taylor asked. There were also questions about the governor’s plan to keep new teachers on probation for five years instead of three.

Representative Mary Mascher, a Democrat from Iowa City who is also a classroom teacher, thinks that’s being too harsh on the newbies.

“You’re saying if you can’t perform you’re out. I’m saying give teachers the time to develop those skills,” Mascher explained. Glass defended another part of the bill that makes it easier to dismiss poor teachers after years on the job.

“We do have ineffective educators in our schools, this is no secret,” Glass said. “And keeping an ineffective educator working in our schools is something no one can reasonably defend.” Glass explained that under the governor’s bill, the process of firing a teacher would be speeded up, and teachers could no longer to go to court to appeal.

Representative Cindy Winckler, a Democrat from Davenport said that the governor and Glass use other states as examples for Iowa to follow, but Iowa is ahead of them. Representative Greg Forristal, a Republican from Macedonia, lost his patience with critics of the bill. “It sounds to me that there are a lot of people who don’t want to make any changes at all, who resist all change,” Forristal said.

The discussion continued later on the plan to hold back third graders who can’t read. Director Glass says schools would get new money to intervene early with kids struggling to read. Representative Taylor asked if a student still can’t read after repeating third grade, would they have to repeat it again, or be passed on.

“This statue only allows for retention using this policy for one year,” Glass replied. He says the governor’s plan puts more responsibility on parents to intervene when a student is struggling with reading. That statement earned applause from one lawmaker who says he’s tired of all the blame going on teachers.

The subcommittee finished going through the entire 156-page bill and it will now go to the full education committee for more discussion.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Senate Democrats want hike in state aid for public schools

February 1, 2012 By

Senate Democrats are proposing a four percent increase in general state aid for K-12 schools for the school year that begins in the fall of 2013. Senator Brian Schoenjahn, a Democrat from Arlington, says schools are struggling in the current budgeting year.

“It’s zero now and the results have been horrendous out there,” Schoenjahn says. “We’ve laid off teaching staff. We’ve laid off aides. We’re at bare bones in most districts.”

Legislators voted last year to provide a two percent increase in general state aid for schools, starting on July 1 of this year. This proposal increases state support of schools in the following year.

A state law requires legislators to set what’s called “allowable growth” for Iowa schools two years in advance. It’s the main source of state support for K-12 public schools. Governor Terry Branstad, a Republican, says the law should be repealed.

“They should because they’ve ignored it so many times,” Branstad says. “Remember, they ignored it the two previous years before I became governor.”

Senator Schoenjahn is a former teacher at Starmont Community Schools. He says school officials need to start planning now for teacher contract negotiations that start next winter and they won’t know how much state aide they’ll be getting in the 2013/2014 academic year if lawmakers fail to act.

“It hamstrings the districts,” Schoenjahn says, “and I don’t think it’s fair to the districts.”

But Branstad says he wants to wait because he’ll be working with legislators this fall and next winter on a new school funding proposal.

“Next year we intend to address the issues involving teacher compensation, length of the school year and all of those are things and those are things that will require resources,” Branstad says. “But we want to make sure the resources are focused on those things that are going to improve student achievement.”

Despite the Republican governor’s sentiments, Senate Democrats plan to act today on a bill that would provide a four percent increase the general level of state support for school for the academic year that begins in the fall of 2013. The bill is scheduled to be considered by a three-member subcommittee at 11:30 and then at one o’clock the Senate Education Committee plans to debate the bill.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,

Educators raise questions about focus on new tests

January 27, 2012 By

Leaders of two key education groups in Iowa say Governor Branstad’s “blueprint” for education reform focuses too much on having students and teachers take more tests. Iowa State Education Association executive director Mary Jane Cobb says testing is the “wrong driver” for the transformation that’s needed.

“We think teachers need more time to spend together, to collaborate, to help each other critique their practice and to improve,” Cobb says. “That’s not addressed in the plan.”

Tom Downs, executive director of the Iowa Association of School Boards, says raising standards for students, teachers and administrators is heading in the right direction, but rather than “more” tests he’d like to see “better” tests.

“I don’t want the focus to be on who the teachers are,” Downs says. “I want the focus to be on what they’re doing, the curriculum they’re delivering, the assessments that they are using to see student growth.”

Governor Branstad has proposed that all 11th graders take the ACT, but Downs says that’s a cost the state can’t afford and it’s not a “value” for kids who don’t plan to go to college.

“I’m comfortable with raising the quality of assessments. I’m comfortable with assessing growth of a student over the course of a year, but more testing for the purpose of testing leaves me with some questions.”

The governor also proposes spending $1.5 million a year to have 3000 Iowa ninth graders take an international test, to measure those students against students in other countries. Cobb, who’s from the state teachers’ union, says that means spending $500 per student on a test.

“Assessments need to be about providing information back to the classroom teacher and to the school about how to improve instruction,” Cobb says. “That’s the only reason you need to be testing students, to help move them along.”

Jason Glass, the governor’s education director, says Iowa students aren’t just competing against students in other states, but in other countries and that’s why such testing is important.

“Sometimes you have to be willing to go against the grain of what conventional wisdom is telling us,” Glass says. “These assessment proposals are about improving, updating the system of measures that we have in the state and I just don’t think it’s something that we can back down from.”

Glass also says test results are for more than just providing feedback for the classroom teacher.

“We need to look at something like a college entrance exam, such as ACT, so that every kid in Iowa has a key to get into college and to be able to look at how our state is comparing against the other nine states where all students take the ACT,” Glass says. “I believe our students will surprise us on how well they do on that assessment.”

And Glass argues that international test will provide “critical information” about how Iowa schools stack up against international competitors.

Glass, Cobb and Downs made their comments this morning during taping of the “Iowa Press” program which airs tonight at 7:30 on Iowa Public Television.

Filed Under: Education, News, Politics & Government Tagged With: , , ,
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