The Rozenboom Report – February 10, 2017

We are already in week five and busy with committee work and the weeks feel like they have been going by fast. We are coming up on the first “Funnel Week” of this year’s session. This means all bills need to be through a committee in order to be considered for the rest of the session, helping us focus on our priorities and move through the process so we can get Iowans’ work done on time.

As Chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, I invited Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey, DNR Director Chuck Gipp, and John Lawrence of ISU to give us a presentation this week on the nutrient reduction strategy.

I know education is important to all of us, so I want to provide you with an important update. A bill moving through the Iowa Senate would establish a request for proposal (RFP) process for selecting a new assessment tool for our K-12 students. If this legislation passes, the Department of Education will be required to issue an RFP for a new assessment to be implemented in the 2018-2019 school year. Following the RFP process, the Board of Education will have the ability to accept the best RFP, and write rules to implement the proposal.

The RFP requires the new assessment to do the following: measure student growth; be aligned to the Iowa’s academic standards; measure performance in English language arts (reading and writing), mathematics, and science; be available in paper and electronic formats; consider the feasibility of implementation including the cost to schools and the state; be aligned to our state academic standards; meet federal ESSA requirements; and consider instructional time required to conduct the assessment.

The RFP language also requires the bid be single source, meaning it must include all three subject areas and all grade levels, so we know all costs upfront and there are no surprises down the road. This bill would ensure that we have the best assessments for our schools without passing on a large unfunded mandate to local districts.

For the first time as a member of the Senate, I serve on the Education Committee this year. This means I spend plenty of time with our legislative analyst for education, learning and discussing these very important issues.

This week the Senate introduced a bill that would reform collective bargaining in Iowa. The goal of collective bargaining reform is to give local control to counties, cities, and school boards. I believe that local officials should have the freedom to innovate and create new policies to accomplish goals in their communities. Our reforms provide the tools for local officials to create systems based on their own needs, making employment decisions based on merit, not on time served. It streamlines the process for administrators to remove ineffective employees by eliminating seniority based procedures.

Every taxpayer has an interest in this legislation. It will increase efficiencies at every level of government. When government gets more efficient, taxpayers get better services at a lower cost. These reforms are a better deal for Iowans. As my colleagues and I work to expand career opportunities and economic growth in Iowa, it is this type of legislation that will move Iowa forward to reach those goals.

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