Reynolds avoids Iowa’s real issues

Jan. 13, Gov. Kim Reynolds’ gave her Condition of the State speech. It took a while to remember that much avoidance in a speech. I remember now.

After the teachers in a building were fed up with lack of leadership, and aggravation reached critical mass, there were often explosions. I always knew when the “Enough is enough” stage was reached as the phone calls began from teachers I’d never met.

In the school world, that meant uncomfortable meetings. My job was to meet with the teachers, listen and put the issues into focus so a group could call for a meeting with the building administrator and director of human resources.

During those hard meetings, some administrators would gaslight, distract, and even bully. They talked about sunshine and roses while teachers experienced thunder clouds.

Their misdirection rarely worked because veteran teachers know how to confront distraction. When a critical mass was reached with teachers speaking in one voice, there was a big change coming.

Reynolds tried to distract from real problems with shiny objects pretending, “The condition of the state is strong.” It’s not, and change is coming.

For example, she didn’t talk about eminent domain. She didn’t utter a syllable about water quality. She must have forgotten about affordability at the grocery store. She pretended there wasn’t a teacher shortage and a gaping budget hole to fill. She didn’t mention accountability for private schools receiving millions of taxpayer dollars, and she offered no replacement for revenue lost if property taxes are slashed.

For example, she talked about making Ivermectin, an unproven COVID-19 remedy, an over-the-counter medicine. She proposed voters be required to pledge they are U.S. citizens even though there is no voter fraud problem in Iowa. Instead of talking about how to protect and boost Iowa’s sagging rankings for its public schools, she once again proposed a 2% school funding increase under the current inflation rate of 2.7%.

Too bad there wasn’t a group of angry teachers available to keep the governor on task. All the problems she failed to honestly address will be on the next governor’s plate.

The priority for a new governor should be rebuilding and enhancing the crumbling public school foundation.

Restore and enhance collective bargaining for public employees. The state needs to renew its commitment to local control by passing a law to allow the bargaining of wages, hours, and conditions of employment including full arbitration and termination law rights.

Develop a program to retain and recruit qualified teachers modeled after the 1944 GI Bill. A bipartisan committee of educators, community leaders, and legislators could draft a plan. Restore and enhance Area Education Agencies.

A State mandated living wage bill to attract and retain support professionals.

Public schools are the engine of economic growth for our communities. They’re often the biggest employer in a town. Let’s rebuild them by electing a governor who will honestly tackle real problems.

Bruce taught for 11 years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association Regional Director for 27 years until he retired. BruceLear2419@gmail.com