A handful of parents showed up for an afternoon rally at the statehouse. Stephanie Estes of Des Moines scheduled the event to try to show legislators parents want more money for public schools. Estes says she decided to do it because if schools aren’t funded adequately, today’s kids won’t get the same quality of education she and her peers did years ago. There were more reporters covering the rally than actual participants, but Estes was undaunted by the low turnout. Estes says the one o’clock rally was scheduled during the work day, and that’s probably why so few showed up. Estes has two kids who attend Des Moines public schools, and she got riled up two weeks ago after attending a Des Moines School Board budget hearing. That’s when she formed a group she calls “Parents for our kids’ education.” Estes decided to hold a rally “so us parents could stand together and state that our kids’ education is number one.” One of those who attended the rally was First Lady Christie Vilsack and she talked with Estes.Mrs. Vilsack says “where there’s a will, there’s a way” and folks need to keep the heat on to change republican lawmakers’ minds.
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