Education

Malcom Price Laboratory School in Cedar Falls (Photo courtesy of the WCF Courier)

Anger, sadness at Price Lab closure plan

UNI will ask regents to shut down school as part of budget cuts

  CEDAR FALLS — Closing the Malcolm Price Lab School at the University of Northern Iowa would save the university up to $2 million annually, President Ben Allen said Wednesday in announcing he will recommend to state regents that the school cease operations June 30. During three school meetings attended by hundreds, emotional parents, students [...]

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(Photo courtesy of the Texas Tribune)

Senate education plan sent for debate

Proposal clears panel on party-line vote

DES MOINES — Senate Democrats moved their education reform plan through the committee level Wednesday on a party-line vote after Republicans offered criticism, but no amendments, to the bill. “We didn’t have the time,” said Sen. Hamerlinck, R-Dixon, ranking member of the education committee. He said the Democrats pushed their plan through in three days, [...]

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An aerial view of the Kirkwood Community College campus.

Kirkwood, faculty group open contract negotiations

Faculty this year received a 3.49 percent total package increase to salary and benefits 1

  CEDAR RAPIDS — The bargaining group that represents Kirkwood Community College faculty opened contract negotiations Tuesday with a proposal for a 6 percent salary increase next year. The negotiation team that represents the Kirkwood administration then followed with its proposal for a 0.5 percent increase to salary and a 0.6 percent increase to the [...]

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The Old Capitol on the University of Iowa campus Wednesday, Sept. 24, 2003, in Iowa City.

Subject of Hawk Alert at University of Iowa found in Washington County

Police couldn't locate reported armed subject at City Park

UPDATE: A Hawk Alert issued by the University of Iowa has been canceled, and the subject of this morning’s alert has been located in Washington County, police said. Police were unable to confirm reports of a reported armed person in City Park this morning. The text of the alert, as sent to UI students around [...]

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The doors to the Malcolm Price Laboratory School on the University of Northern Iowa campus in Cedar Falls are shown in this February 2011 photo. (AP Photo/Ryan J. Foley)

UNI to unveil plan for Price Lab school

School highly regarded, but has faced budget problems

University of Northern Iowa leaders plan to announce their recommendations for the future of the K-12 laboratory school operated by its College of Education. President Ben Allen and Provost Gloria Gibson planned to meet Wednesday evening with parents of children attending Malcolm Price Laboratory School, which is highly regarded but has faced budget problems in [...]

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The rotunda outside the Iowa Senate and House chambers in February 2010. (Steve Pope/Freelance)

Iowa Poll shows support for some of Branstad’s education proposals

Most respondents think annual teacher evaluations, third-grade reading tests would be beneficial

A poll shows support for some education proposals backed by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll published Wednesday finds 61 percent of people think evaluating teachers annually would make a major difference in improving the education children receive. Another 26 percent think it would make a minor difference. Eleven percent say [...]

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Luther president Torgerson to step down in 2013

College significantly stronger as a result of his service, Regents chair says

Luther College President Richard Torgerson has announced he will end his tenure as president of the college in the summer of 2013. Torgerson came to Luther in July 1999. Serving as president until the summer of 2013 will bring the end of the college’s Sesquicentennial Celebration, the fulfillment of the Sesquicentennial Fund goals and the [...]

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education

Central Iowa superintendents in line for Prairie job

The school board expects to make a decision during a closed session Feb. 25

CEDAR RAPIDS — College Community is considering two central Iowa superintendents for the school district’s top leadership position. Greg DuFoe and John Speer are the finalists to replace Superintendent Dick Whitehead, who is retiring after nine years with College Community. Since 2008, DuFoe has been superintendent of Adel-DeSoto-Minburn schools, a consolidated district west of Des [...]

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Roosevelt Middle School sixth grader Simeon Niyonkuru (right) talks with teacher Scott Bleuer in an English language learners class at the School Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, in northwest Cedar Rapids, Iowa. (SourceMedia Groups News/Jim Slosiarek)

Fluent in learning

Number of English-language learners more than doubles in shrinking C.R. district

  CEDAR RAPIDS — Scott Bleuer’s 9 a.m. Tuesday class at Roosevelt Middle School is smaller than most with only four students, but they’re a unique group of kids. Ilke Senturk, originally from Turkey, is drawing on the interactive whiteboard, matching up words to related pictures, while Diana Bonilla of Mexico, Noela Mbata of the [...]

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Jason McCormick, of Cedar Rapids and an Energy Production & Distribution Technology student at Kirkwood Community College, climbs the second and longest of three ladders to the nacelle at the top of the 80-meter tall 2.5-megawatt wind turbine at Kirkwood on Feb. 8, 2012. The program also teaches students to work with geothermal and solar systems. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

Iowa job creation seen in solar, wind power

Kirkwood responds with training

CEDAR RAPIDS — Sometime in May visitors to Kirkwood Community College may witness students jumping out of a wind turbine and rapidly coming down a rope more than 400 feet to the ground. The emergency controlled descent training will be part of the graduation for students enrolled in the college’s two-year solar and wind turbine [...]

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