Teachers’ union says disruptive students are top problem

An association that represents around five percent of Iowa’s teachers has released its annual teacher survey. “Professional Educators of Iowa” is an alternative to the larger Iowa State Education Association. P-E-I director Jim Hawkins says the survey again found their top concern is removing disruptive students from the classroom.Hawkins says teachers also feel a tax credit for out-of-pocket expenses is key. Teachers take pay an average of 469 dollars a year from their own pockets for supplies. Hawkins says P-E-I members also favor a more “equal” distribution of money generated from education sales taxes.The survey showed that 82-percent of those responding felt parents should be able to move kids out of poor-performing schools.While it wasn’t part of the survey, Hawkins says members were not surprised by reports that legislators may not be able to fund the second year of the teacher pay plan. He says that’s not surprising as the plan is complicated, but he says there needs to be a plan put into place that does raise pay.The Professional Educators of Iowa has around 17-hundred members, compared to 40-thousand members in the Iowa State Education Association.