• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Education / Senate Republicans show little interest in bullying policy

Senate Republicans show little interest in bullying policy

January 27, 2006 By admin

Senate Republicans say they’re not interested in passing legislation that would force Iowa schools to draft anti-bullying policies. For the second-straight year, Senate Democrats are pressing for the policy to ensure students aren’t harassed because of their race, religion or sexual orientation.

Senate Co-Leader Stewart Iverson, a Republican from Clarion, says the bill is unnecessary. “We have said for years (that) no one, no student should ever be bullied in school. Period,” Iverson told reporters as he pounded on a lectern. Iverson contends that schools already have anti-bullying policies and, in Iverson’s words, it’s “gobbledygook” to suggest teachers won’t enforce those policies without a “laundry list” of items drafted by legislators. “No student should be picked on,” Iverson says. “Every employee of a school system ought to be watching for that.”

Democrats also want to spend over seven-million dollars more to help school kids who’re immigrants who can’t speak English well learn the language, but Iverson says there may be other priorities, like raising teacher salaries. Iverson says he’s not saying it’s a “bad investment” to spend more money on English as a Second Language courses, but it will have to compete against “everything else in the education sector.”

Another Democratic proposal — to force businesses to give employees who’re parents up to 20 hours unpaid leave to attend their child’s school activities — isn’t getting an immediate veto from Iverson. “That’s an interesting concept,” Iverson says. “I’d like to hear more about it.” Senate Co-President Jeff Lamberti, a Republican from Ankeny, says anything that is “reform oriented” will be considered, and he says proposals like this that encourage parental involvement are in that category.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Education Tagged With: Democratic Party, Legislature, Republican Party

Featured Stories

Bill would limit placement of solar arrays on farm ground

Marquette casino moving to land, leaving only 2 casino boats in Iowa

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

No coaching changes coming for Iowa football

Iowa State names new receivers coach

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC