Parents, teachers share ideas to improve student achievement

State Senator Tom Rielly

A major education debate is expected to take place during next session. I’m preparing by hosting town hall meetings and talking with students, parents and teachers. I’ve heard lots of ideas on how to keep Iowa schools and students competitive.

This is the sort of grassroots approach that paid off when we made high-quality preschool available to every Iowa four-year-old. After involving working parents, teachers and employers, as well as public and private preschool providers and funders, we created a popular, statewide system that is now a nationally recognized model.

I have two more town hall meetings coming up. Please join me at:

>> Centerville- 6 to 7 PM on Tuesday, December 13, in the library of the Centerville High School, 600 CHS Drive.

>> Albia- 6 to 7 PM on Tuesday December 20, in the library of the Albia High School, 503 B Avenue East.

If you can’t make it, I still want to hear your ideas and concerns. Contact me at 641-673-0359 or e-mail Tom.Rielly@legis.iowa.gov.

Iowa: “It’s a wonderful life”

As Iowans, we enjoy a wonderful quality of life. Great schools, safe communities, affordable housing and lots of recreational opportunities make our state a great place to live, work and raise a family.

That’s why Iowa is regularly named one of the best places to live in America. For example, this year Congressional Quarterly Press ranked Iowa “the nation’s second-most livable state.” Iowa is near the top for overall health, safe neighborhoods, high school graduation rates, and abundant recreation and natural areas. The Annie E. Casey Foundation named Iowa “one of the top states to raise a child,” and Forbes says Iowa is among “the best places to start a business or career.”

Our great quality of life was built a step at a time, thanks to the commitment of individual Iowans, businesses and communities. This year in the Legislature, we approved efforts to:

>> Enhance what makes Iowa special: We continued the “Great Places” initiative and approved $1 million to help Iowa communities, regions and neighborhoods cultivate the qualities that make them unique, attractive places to live and visit. “Iowa Great Places,” launched in 2005, makes state government a partner with Iowans and helps them leverage resources to develop the potential of their local communities. Learn more at www.iowagreatplaces.gov.

>> Help Iowans stay in their homes: To help struggling homeowners, we required banks and other foreclosure entities to keep letting homeowners know they can receive mortgage mediation assistance from the Iowa Attorney General’s office. Iowa’s Mortgage Foreclosure Hotline has helped thousands of Iowans stay in their homes. Learn more at www.iowamortgagehelp.com.

>> Preserve Iowa’s heritage through the State Fair: The State Fair is the largest event in Iowa and one of the oldest and largest agricultural and industrial expositions in the country. It’s a celebration of Iowa’s heritage, showcasing our best in agriculture, industry, entertainment and achievement. To keep the Iowa State Fair among the nation’s best, this year we created a trust fund to maintain and improve the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The fund is made up of gifts and is not part of the state treasury.

>> Provide better library services: Iowa’s outstanding local libraries are part of our state’s overall commitment to education and strong communities. To keep our libraries strong, we merged the State Library and Iowa’s six Library Service Areas into one agency. The new agency—Iowa Library Services—will work with Iowa libraries of all types and sizes to make them the best they can be, streamline services and save money.

Additional information

This is a legislative update from Senator Tom Rielly, representing Iowa, Poweshiek, and Keokuk counties, and portions of Mahaska and Tama counties. For newsletters, photos and further information, go to www.senate.iowa.gov/rielly.

To contact Senator Rielly during the week, call the Senate Switchboard at 515-281-3371. Otherwise he can be reached at home at 641-673-5878. E-mail him at tom.rielly@legis.iowa.gov.

Senator Rielly is chair of the Transportation Committee and vice-chair of the Commerce Committee. He also serves on the Agriculture, Economic Growth, and Local Government committees.