Degrees and Majors

Kim Reynolds Says 'we Don't Need Nine' Area Education Agencies As She Proposes Overhaul

Gov. Kim Reynolds says Iowa doesn't need nine Area Education Agencies as she seeks to overhaul how the state offers services to students with disabilities, despite previously saying she has "no intention" of closing any agencies.

The governor has made changes to the Area Education Agencies a major part of her legislative agenda this year. The nine agencies provide services to students with disabilities, as well as work with school districts to provide general education services and media services.

Reynolds, a Republican, said Friday on a taping of "Iowa Press" on Iowa PBS she wants to reduce administrative costs at the AEAs. She said the nine agency administrators on average have a compensation package of about $310,000 each.

"And we don't need nine," she said. "We're a small state."

Reynolds pointed out that there were 15 AEAs when the system was created in the 1970s before they merged to create the current nine.

More: Kim Reynolds walks back Area Education Agency changes, allows general education services

"We're a small state," Reynolds said. "That's why I did the realignment bill with state government. I need local governments to take a look at the level of bureaucracy that we have in place to serve the citizens of Iowa. It's too much. We need to drive consistency. We need to get that funding in the classroom and do everything we can to improve the outcomes for these children."

Prior to the start of Iowa's legislative session this month, Reynolds said publicly that she has "no intention of closing AEAs."

In her Condition of the State address earlier this month, Reynolds addressed criticism that she intends to close AEAs.

"Now, I know there are parents of students with disabilities who have been told that we're planning to end the AEAs or even cut services their families depend on," she said. "Let me speak directly to you: That claim is categorically false."

Under current law, Iowa school districts send their share of state and federal dollars for special education to the nine AEAs, then rely on the AEAs to provide special education services to their students. Reynolds' bill would let schools keep that special education money and decide whether they want to continue working with the AEAs or get those services elsewhere. The bill would not explicitly require any AEAs to close.

"We said that the school districts should have a choice," Reynolds said on "Iowa Press." "They should be the ones that are in charge of the funding and hold the AEAs accountable. They can use the AEAs if they like the service that they're getting. They can use a neighboring AEA if they would rather do that or they can bring it in house."

Reynolds has said Iowa is paying more than the national average per pupil on special education services, while students with disabilities are performing below the national average.

"That money will go back into the system and into the classroom," she said. "And most importantly it will help the students with disabilities who are being left behind."

Democrats have blasted Reynolds over her proposal, saying she didn't consult with AEA staff or other stakeholders when drafting the plan and that it will result in worse services for students.

"If there are concerns about the AEAs, a scalpel approach would have been nice and this is a sledgehammer," House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, told reporters Thursday. "This completely dismantles the system. It takes a very broad swipe at the AEAs without a lot of consideration for the services that are provided."

Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque, said Reynolds' plan creates uncertainty for the AEAs by giving schools the option to opt out of services.

"It's going to be very hard for an AEA system to remain functional if they never know from year to year whether or not they will be contracted with services or not," she said. "That continues to unravel that system and it has the most dramatic impact on the rural schools."

More: Kim Reynolds proposes in annual speech to boost Iowa teacher pay, overhaul AEAs, cut taxes

Reynolds also has proposed raising Iowa's teacher pay to $50,000 per year for new teachers and $62,000 per year for teachers with at least 12 years of experience.

Reynolds said she wants Iowans to know she's proposing giving schools additional state aid to pay for the increases.

"There's a lot of people out there that are saying that we're robbing from this initiative to pay for this one. It's not true," she said. "We put $95 million of new money in."

Reynolds' proposal would give schools $73 million in additional state money to pay for the raises. She's also proposing an additional $23 million to create supplemental teacher pay funds, designed to bring districts of all sizes up to speed on salary requirements.

She said she's "really proud" of the proposed pay increase for teachers.

"This is an amazing calling," Reynolds said. "They spend a lot of time with our children and we want our young people to know that this is a profession that's important to our children and to our state. And our salaries should reflect that."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.Com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at @sgrubermiller.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Reynolds: Iowa doesn't need 9 contractors providing special education

FAQs For Students

The General Education curriculum complements and supports a student's program curriculum. In New York, the New York State Educational Department (NYSED) determines the proportion of overall credits that are dedicated to liberal arts and sciences, and these credits are incorporated into RIT's General Education requirements. These courses are in topic areas of humanities, social science, natural science, and mathematics. 

The General Education curriculum provides the opportunity to gain important skills, such as writing, ethical reasoning, scientific inquiry, and global awareness.

"The world is changing dramatically, and designs for learning that have long drawn clear distinctions between liberal education—intended for future leaders—and more targeted job training—envisioned as workforce development—now are obsolete. Today, even highly technical jobs require the high-level intellectual skills, contextual understanding, and ethical judgment that long were identified with liberal education in arts and sciences fields." *

*American Association of Colleges &Universities, The Quality Imperative: Match Ambitious Goals for College Attainment with an Ambitious Vision for Learning

Supporting Newcomer English Learners As A General Education Teacher

By 2025, one out of four children in U.S. Schools will be an English language learner (ELL), and many educators are growing increasingly accustomed to having these students in their classrooms.

Yet there's an imbalance in the amount of support that is typically given to this growing demographic and the professional training provided to general educators. It's unlikely that there is an ELL specialist or bilingual educator in every classroom to support these students consistently throughout their school day. 

This presents a challenge. Newcomer ELLs, especially students with interrupted formal education (SIFEs), typically need one-on-one attention throughout their school day. Without such attention, general educators need to use alternate methods to address the needs of this special demographic. Here are some ideas.

First, make it a community effort. Immediately partner ELLs with students who are friendly, personable, and willing to help. Before an ELL arrives, ask the class if there's anyone who would be interested in volunteering. If an ELL shows up without notice, partner them with a student you think will be amenable to helping, and then check with them after class to see if they're willing to be a guide for the rest of the week. This is mutually beneficial for both parties and can boost the confidence of all involved.

Depending on circumstances or how well the newcomer adjusts, you could also consider having a different "peer partner" every day or week until the newcomer becomes more comfortable and independent. In my experience, there's usually at least one student who's happy to take on this role voluntarily. It gives them a feeling of purpose and pride to be able to help a classmate. In a U.S. History class recently, I introduced a newcomer ELL, and after class, a peer, without prompting, introduced herself to the student and asked if she could help her find her next class. 

Make use of tools

Equip all students and staff with knowledge and access to a translation app on a computer or phone (Google Translate is most common). Such tools are more appropriate for upper-level elementary grades, as well as middle and high school. With the increase in ELLs in our schools, and also a push for multilingualism at the federal level, all students and staff should have a translation tool on their device and know how to use it. Students can utilize this through adulthood to help ease the inhibition of intercultural communication and facilitate dialogue when language is a barrier.

I find it fascinating to observe teenage native speakers of English interacting with a newcomer ELL for the first time, completely unaware of how to engage in a conversation using a translator, visuals, and gestures, and gradually developing the skills to communicate. 

Use actions and words

Another strategy is to model using physical movements linked with spoken language. Think of Simon Says but doing actions along with the ELL or for the ELL as you try to communicate. Enable and encourage classmates to use facial expressions, pointing, gestures, etc., when interacting with ELLs. 

Although this method of language exchange is limited, it can help develop a lifelong skill of being able to connect with people of varying linguistic backgrounds. In addition, using physical movements with language can help with remembering new words. 

Recruit volunteers

For grade 4 and above, solicit student volunteers for homework help and language tutoring. They can have the option to receive community service hours for this for a club or class requirement. Advertise this by posting signs around the school and outside your classroom door. Display sign-up sheets for volunteers to choose a day and time they can commit to, and also put this on the morning announcements. Welcome volunteers to stop by for whatever amount of time they're available.

Collaborate with teachers who require their students to do community service hours. Publish a notice about this in the school paper or newsletter along with photos of peer tutors working with ELLs to encourage more students to participate. Ask a world language teacher if they'd be willing to give extra credit to students who volunteer. 

When student volunteers come to my classroom after school to tutor, I model teaching methods for them with the ELL student and guide them as they engage in conversation or discuss the homework so that the tutor can have an understanding of the language abilities of the ELL and a sensitivity to their feelings as language learners. 

If peer tutors are practicing English conversation and don't know what to talk about with the ELL, I provide a list of topics and questions for reference. 

Engage ambassadors 

Seek multilingual students in the building who are interested in acting as a peer ambassador for newcomer ELLs. Introduce the newcomer ELL to peer ambassadors, and invite them to schedule a time when they can meet together to get oriented to the new school and have an opportunity to have discussion and ask questions. 

For example, there are two new Ukrainian students in my building who speak Ukrainian as well as Russian. Their counselor introduced them to students who speak Russian, and these students walked them to their classes on their first day.

Another student who speaks Russian was interested in meeting the new Ukrainians, so he stayed after school to practice speaking Russian. The newcomers appreciated this warm greeting. 

The above methods are a means for nurturing an environment that's welcoming of linguistic and cultural diversity and cultivating a civic-minded community of students and staff alike.

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