A day after the governor’s proposed overhaul of Area Education Agencies was tabled by an Iowa House subcommittee, House Speaker Pat Grassley told reporters House Republicans intend to “reset” the conversation with parents and school officials and build off of the governor’s plan.
“We want to try to put a plan together that we feel best suits our school districts that we all represent,” Grassley said this afternoon. “We’re obviously we’re going to use some of the framework that the governor laid out, but we also want to sit down with the stakeholders and see what pieces maybe we can do that fit.”
Grassley told reporters legislators and the governor share the goal of improving outcomes for students with disabilities, but the discussion generated by the governor’s plan had created a level of uncertainty among parents and schools who rely on AEAs. “We know that the AEA conversation is a serious conversation and we appreciate the governor laying out a very bold plan,” Grassley said. “What we’ve decided to do as a (House Republican) Caucus is we’ve been sitting down with the stakeholders. We’ve already started the process and we’re continuing to do that obviously as we move forward here to make sure we’re providing those services that need to be provided, but also making sure we have accountability and transparency as well.”
Republicans on a subcommittee in the Iowa Senate did advance the governor’s outline for AEA changes, but the chairman of the Senate Education Committee said questions have been raised that need to be answered, including a timeline that calls for implementing the overhaul by July 1. Grassley indicated he’s optimistic a plan can emerge that gets the backing of Senate Republicans and Republican Governor Kim Reynolds.
“We want to make sure that there’s certainty for our school districts, but more importantly certainty for students and parents that are provided with these services,” Grassley said. “We think we can do that.”
Reynolds told reporters yesterday that it was time to act to make AEAs more accountable after 20 years of poor test scores among students with disabilities.