IOWA CITY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Brady Shutt 

October 12, 2021

ICCSD TEACHERS ENDORSE 

CLAUSSEN, MALONE, PILCHER.  

HONORABLE MENTION RECOMMENDATIONS GIVEN TO 

BURRUS, FINCH.  

URGE VOTERS TO VOTE YES 

ON RENEWAL OF PPEL AND SAVE LEVIES.

The Iowa City Education Association (ICEA), representing over 700 teachers and paraeducators in the Iowa City Schools, is proud to announce its endorsement of JP Claussen, Ruthina Malone, and Maka Pilcher Hayek for the Iowa City Community School District's Board of Directors.  In addition, candidates Krista Burrus and Jayne Finch receive honorable mention recommendations from ICEA for the November 2 election. 

ICEA also urges voters to vote yes on the renewal of Iowa Secure and Advanced Vision for Education Levy (SAVE) and the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL).

ICEA President Brady Shutt celebrated the impressive pool of school board candidates as well as the community’s support for public education. “We are very fortunate to have high-quality, thoughtful and talented candidates who are willing to serve in this critically important role,” remarked Shutt.  “Our community has consistently demonstrated its strong commitment to our students and our schools and we are hopeful they will do that once again by voting to renew the Iowa Secure and Advanced Vision for Education Levy (SAVE)  and the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL).”

ICEA was impressed by the clear, consistent, and strong public support of teachers, students, and staff, as well as the long record of service to the district demonstrated by Claussen, Malone, and Pilcher Hayek.

As Directors on the Board, Claussen and Malone have shown unwavering support for the students and staff of the Iowa City Schools in the most challenging of circumstances during the global COVID pandemic.  Claussen and Malone’s intelligent advocacy for a more just and equitable experience for all students and staff in the district, and their ability to build consensus on the Board and in the community, has placed the district on an important and needed path.  As Directors, both Claussen and Malone also voted in 2019 to keep all permissible contract language in the certified negotiated agreements for teachers and paraeducators covering topics such as health and safety provisions, leave, professional development, and workplace conditions among others, for five years, the maximum allowed under the law. 

ICEA endorsed both JP Claussen and Ruthina Malone in previous campaigns and has been deeply appreciative of their diligence, decorum, and professionalism, as well as their consistent collaboration with ICEA.  Noted ICEA President Shutt, “Ruthina and JP are exemplary Directors.  Both have been integral in forging a strong, collaborative partnership between the Iowa City Education Association, district administrative teams, and the school board.  Our partnership is a model for Iowa and the nation.”  

ICEA was impressed by first-time candidate Maka Pilcher Hayek’s powerful advocacy for public education and her extensive work on behalf of the Iowa City Schools.  Pilcher Hayek’s leadership as the co-chair of the One Community, One Bond campaign was instrumental in securing an overwhelming public vote for the 2017 bond that laid the foundation for the transformation of learning spaces across the district through the implementation of Facilities Master Plan 1.0.  Pilcher Hayek has also served in leadership roles on the ICCSD Districtwide Parent Organization and on the School Improvement Advisory Committee, among others.  Her passionate commitment to public schools and her support for smart, collaborative decision-making make it clear that Maka Pilcher Hayek will be a strong and effective Director and advocate for students and staff in the district.  

First-time candidates Krista Burrus and Jayne Finch received honorable mention recommendations through the ICEA endorsement process.  ICEA recommends that voters give serious and thorough consideration for Burrus and Finch as each would bring valuable insights and professional experiences to the Board.  If elected, Burrus would bring a smart, data-driven approach to student preparedness, equity, and educating the whole child.  Finch’s recent leadership on the District’s Equity Advisory Committee demonstrates her commitment to district goals especially in the areas of disproportionality in discipline and restorative practices.   Although Burrus and Finch do not yet have the depth or breadth of experience of Claussen, Malone, and Pilcher Hayak, ICEA strongly believes that both Burrus and Finch have the professional experiences and  personal commitment to the Iowa City Schools that will allow them to be highly successful Directors on the School Board.   

All of the ICEA endorsed and honorable mention recommendation candidates consistently expressed a vision for decision-making that was collaborative and inclusive and that recognized and valued the expertise of educators in the Iowa City Schools. 

All six candidates for the Board participated in a rigorous process including ICEA candidate questionnaires and interviews.

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BECOME INFORMED & TAKE ACTION--WE NEED YOUR HELP!

1. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD ON SSB1064 AND SSB1065

A Senate Education Subcommittee is meeting Monday (Jan. 25) at 2:00 PM to discuss SSB1064--a bill further eroding local control during the deadly and ongoing COVID pandemic by mandating school districts to provide a 100% in-person option before educators have been vaccinated.  ADD A COMMENT urging the Senate Education Committee to VOTE NO on SSB1064 by going HERE.

A Senate Education Subcommittee is meeting Monday (Jan. 25) at 10:30 AM to discuss SSB1065 (the omnibus education bill) a multi-part bill that would take public dollars from the public schools by creating a school voucher program as well as charter schools with little oversight or accountability.  ADD A COMMENT urging the Senate Education Committee to VOTE NO on SSB1065 by going HERE. 

2. CONTACT OUR JOHNSON COUNTY LEGISLATORS

Senator Joe Bolkcom: Joe.bolkcom@legis.Iowa.gov

Senator Kevin Kinney: Kevin.kinney@legis.Iowa.gov

Senator Zach Wahls: zach.wahls@legis.iowa.gov

Representative Christina Bohannan: Christina.bohannan@legis.Iowa.gov

Representative Dave Jacoby: David.jacoby@legis.Iowa.gov

Representative Bobby Kaufmann: Bobby.kaufmann@legis.Iowa.gov

Representative Mary Mascher: Mary.mascher@legis.Iowa.gov

Representative Amy Nielsen: Amy.nielsen@legis.Iowa.gov

3. REACH OUT TO FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COLLEAGUES ACROSS IOWA--especially those folks who are represented by Republican legislators.  Urge them to help us and to show their support for STRONG AND SAFE PUBLIC SCHOOLS by contacting the elected officials who represent them.  Have them use this FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR tool if needed.

4. LOBBY THE EDUCATION COMMITTEES

Contact members of the House and Senate Education Committees and share your concerns, experiences, and insights by following these links:

Senate Education Committee

House Education Committee

5. ISEA MEMBERS are encouraged to visit the members-only section of ISEA.org for additional information.

ISEA Hotline

ISEA Hotline Week Two of the 89th General Assembly

This is the second week of the 89th General Assembly and the Capitol is moving at a very fast pace. ISEA is registered on more than 50 bills of interest and we have had numerous meetings with Republican and Democratic legislators to identify areas of common interest and opportunities for collaboration. Unfortunately, yesterday SSB 1065 - the governor’s Education Omnibus bill was released and overshadowed many policy issues of mutual interest.

Included in the governor’s bill are eight divisions- the lion’s share of which are not in support of strong public schools. In particular, Division 1 of the bill would create a voucher program for more than 10,000 students who attend or will be enrolled in schools that are identified for comprehensive support and improvement under the federal Every Student Succeeds Act, Pub. L. No. 114-95. 

Each voucher – per the calculation included in the bill- would cost in excess of $5,000 per pupil. If every student eligible for the voucher were to participate- the voucher program would cost more than $50 million. This calculation means that $50 million taxpayer dollars would be used to benefit only 10,000 students at the same time the governor proposed $20 million in new money for Supplemental State Aid (SSA) to benefit the more than 480,000 students in public schools across 99 Iowa counties. ISEA is adamantly opposed to this legislation and implores you to help us advocate for public students and public schools.

• The bill is moving extremely fast so contact members of the Senate Education Committee- tell them to vote NO on SSB 1065 https://www.legis.iowa.gov/committees/committee?ga=89&groupID=327 

*SSB 1065 is scheduled to be discussed Monday, Jan. 25th! *

• Public dollars need to go to public education. Public schools are required to admit and provide a quality education to all students.  SSB 1065 would divert precious taxpayer dollars to non-public schools that are not required to except all students and adhere to important principles of equity

• Public funds should require accountability and transparency. Non-public schools are not held to the same standard as public schools. The absence of public accountability for public funds could contribute to waste and fraud of taxpayer dollars.

• SSB 1065 would spend approximately $50 million to benefit only 10,000. Particularly at a time when our public schools are facing unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic, available resources should go to support the more than 480,000 public school students in all 99 counties, equally, across this state.

Once you’ve contacted Senate Education Committee members, complete this form to contact your state senator to vote NO on SSB 1065 – this bill is being fast tracked and could be debated by the full Senate as early as middle of next week!  https://actionnetwork.org/letters/vote-no-on-ssb-1065 

SSB 1065 includes a number of other divisions that we believe will negatively impact our public-school students. A full analysis of the bill will be available at www.isea.org in the ,members only section along with a summary of all bills of interest that ISEA is registered on for the 2021 session, including SSB 1064, the Senate version of 100% required in -person instruction.

You can find what local legislators are hosting forums over the next two weeks by clicking here. Many of these forums are virtual.

As always, feel free to reach us by email at mpeterson@isea.org, Twitter @MAPIowa and mmiller@isea.org, Twitter@ MorganMiller90. 

*Please mark your calendars! Join us every other Thursday (next scheduled webinar is Jan. 28th) at 4:45pm during the legislative session for a legislative webinar, covering the latest information from the Statehouse with your Government Relations Specialists Melissa Peterson and Morgan Miller. Here is the link: https://isea.zoom.us/j/91371252517#success 

This is for ISEA members only and if you are unable to attend, these webinars are being recorded for your convenience and can be viewed later in the members-only section of www.isea.org

Our Zoom session is limited to 100 participants. In order to pose a question, participants must pre-register for the event. To register for the January 23rd Legislative Forum, go to  https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpdO2hqjkjHtGwFkp43jZtI6C6MqkBqyBi 

The NBCT Network is offering National Board Certification support for current candidates and other individuals interested in becoming a candidate through the ISEA Academy. Please share the below information with your members. 

NBC COMPONENT SUPPORT COHORT CLASSES

An NBC Component Support Cohort class is being held November 14 – February 23. The next one will be March – May 2021. Register for one Component at the link below, the one you will primarily be focusing on during the class time period. Then for the March class you will register for another Component. To register for the upcoming class, click on the Component link below:

via Web Conferencing:

NBC: Differentiation in Instruction, Component 2:

Zoom, November 14 - February 23, 2021, 1 Credit

NBC: Teaching Practice and Learning Environment, Component 3:

Zoom, November 14 - February 23, 2021, 1 Credit

NBC: Effective and Reflective Practitioner, Component 4:

Zoom, November 14 - February 23, 2021, 1 Credit

Let me know if you have questions.

Checkout these websites for more information about the process and state incentives:

https://www.nbpts.org/

https://isea.org/national-board-certification/

https://educateiowa.gov/pk-12/educator-quality/national-board-certification

Questions? Reach out at Bobbi.Carver@isea.org. 

The Iowa City Education Association is deeply disappointed and profoundly frustrated by the unwillingness of the Reynolds Administration to truly prioritize the health and safety of our communities and to protect the ability of local authorities to make decisions that best meet the data-driven needs of their communities.

The Iowa City Education Association, the Iowa City Schools and its community partners have spent hundreds of hours developing a continuum of return-to-learn plans that provide engaging educational opportunities for students and families while also protecting the safety of our students, staff, and community.  We followed the statutory requirements of SF2310 as well as the guidance of the Iowa Department of Education.  We came together as a community under incredibly challenging conditions and developed a plan that would best meet the needs of our community.  For the State of Iowa to deny a local school district the ability to do what’s right for the health and safety of its community, during a global pandemic, is unacceptable.

SF2310 makes no explicit reference to a requirement that 50% of core instruction be provided in-person over the course of a two-week period as today’s proclamation from the Governor stipulates.  We seriously question the interpretation that those specific parameters reflect the intent of the legislation and are extremely disappointed and frustrated that, after spending six weeks doing intensive, challenging work on return-to-learn plans for our community, we are now being given a new set of rules.  

In addition to exploring the waiver option mentioned this morning, we will challenge this interpretation of the legislation and are extremely frustrated that it was produced on July 17 instead of June 1. Frankly, we do not understand the rationale behind this guidance given that Covid cases across the state of Iowa continue to rise with over 800 positive cases reported today and with Iowa moving into the “Red Zone” status along with 17 other states.

We share the goal of having our students with us for in-person learning.  The plan developed and approved in a unanimous vote by our School Board on Tuesday, July 14, puts us in the best position to do just that.  Our plan is data-driven, it was created in consultation with community health partners, and provides educational opportunities for all while protecting the health and safety of our community.

ICEA is working actively with the Iowa State Education Association, as well as our school district to find solutions that protect the ability of local decision makers to do what is right for their communities.  We are confident in the plan that was voted on by the Board and are working to find ways to ensure that plan is protected.

Please watch for an email today from ISEA.  They are in the process of organizing a letter writing campaign.  The ISEA email will give you explicit instructions on how to make a difference. We urge you to be active on this!  

To listen to this, click here. 

Good morning ICEA colleagues,

I am writing to follow up on an email you received last night from Kristin Pedersen titled “Update for Teachers” outlining our next steps as a District as they relate specifically to teaching and learning.  As stated in the email, ICEA has been an active partner in all of these conversations. ICEA leaders have relied on many of you for different tasks and responsibilities. Thank you for your work and insights and leadership.  When the District needs teachers, it comes to us.

Three pieces of perspective before highlighting some of the specific requests from the District:

1. Some districts in Iowa are requiring teachers to clock-in/clock-out during the closure. They are required to report to work sites, produce spreadsheets to show how a day was spent, and will be required to make up for lost days with summer PD.  Plus, no pay for classified employees. Yep. No lie. ISEA is conducting a #DoTheRightThingIA campaign on these issues. Our partnership with our District and our School Board helps all of us trust each other to work together in the best way that we can to support students and staff.  We are working off-site, we are all being paid, we do not have to make up lost time, we do not have to produce any clock-in spreadsheets. We are a model district and local union in this regard: Iowa City and ICEA were mentioned specifically by ISEA President Mike Beranek and his leadership team in an ISEA Facebook video on Monday, March 17. 

2. That said, please remember that the District’s requests in the email from last night and highlighted below may be challenging tasks that produce real and unwanted anxiety for some of our colleagues.  For other colleagues they will be things that were wanted all along and that couldn't come fast enough. Having heard from so many of you over the last week I can say with confidence that all of us are deeply committed to helping students during the school closure, but our personal and family situations are all so very different right now.  That has been my message to the District, and it is my message to you. It will be easier for some of us to do what the District is asking than it is for others. Please reach out to your colleagues. Step into their shoes even for a moment. And then collaborate and help and be empathetic and embody all of the virtues we hope we have in our toughest moments.  

3. We are taking an entire system that serves over 14,000 kids and moving it almost entirely off site: food, mental health services, physical health, transportation, clothing, technology, teaching and learning.  And we have made much of that move in less than two weeks...in the midst of a global pandemic.

So please keep the requests from our District in that context.  Here are three highlights:

1. This week as you are able, please reach out to your students to let them know that you care for them, think of them, believe in them, and will always be there for them.  Given the District's effort last week to keep all communication coming from the District, many of you have asked if it is OK to connect with your students to let them know you care.  The answer is yes, please! That is what the District wants and it is what ICEA wants. You are an inspiration to them. The work you do every day is magical. Your students will love hearing from you.  For those of you with literally hundreds of students (PE, music, art, counselors), consider a mass email or a post on your Seesaw or Canvas page. Please continue to reach out to your students to provide emotional support throughout the school closure--I am going to try to do that once a week.

2. The guidance from the US Department of Education and the Iowa Department of Education related to special education services and what constitutes an ongoing education opportunity continues to flow into districts.  I was in a Zoom meeting Monday morning on that very topic when new federal guidance arrived. Many of you have asked why we as individual teachers or teams have not been able to post resources or ideas for our students.  That is a good question and one that underscores our desire to do what we can to help our students through this closure. But there are also profound and important equity considerations at stake. The nobility of public education lies in the fact that we embrace all students from all walks of life every day no questions asked.  Please remember our mission to serve every student the best we can. With that as context, beginning on Wednesday, teachers and PLCs/teams/departments are allowed to post a set of resources that aligns with the District set of resources and enhances the non-mandatory learning opportunities for all of our students.  This does not have to be completed on Wednesday (it is ongoing work) and I strongly encourage all of us to collaborate and not compete.  This has implications for our special education teachers that you will see in the document attached to last night’s email from the District--and thus also our general education teachers--and entitled students as we try to find the best way(s) to support all students.  ICEA is working on a set of samples to help you know what you can and should do with these posts that start on Wednesday. Let’s work together across the District on this effort so that we don’t overwhelm students and families who, just like us, are experiencing a vast array of emotions and realities during our closure.  

3. There is a district resource list that was created by teachers and administrators.  It is a starting point that contains a blend of resources designed to meet the many different learning styles and realities of our students.  Please take a look at it as you can.

There are other items in the email and document.  Please read each part carefully.  And, please reach out to me or to other ICEA leaders if you have questions or concerns. 

Thank you for everything you do.

Be well,

Brady

Collaborate, grow, work with teacher leaders AND get recert credit...whaaaat???

ICEA and the Iowa City Teacher Leadership Program are excited about a great opportunity to work with Instructional Design Strategists (IDS) and other teacher leaders in the District on individualized professional development goals.  In addition to the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, you can earn one hour for your license recertification.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners states that “One credit may be earned through verification of the successful completion of an individualized professional development plan as verified by the supervising licensed evaluator.”  As each of us has a Career Development Plan developed with our administrator, our ongoing work and successful completion of that plan can be counted towards our licensure. The form to submit to the BOEE is linked below.

A great resource in the Iowa City Schools for partnering on individualized professional development and Career Development Plans are our Instructional Design Strategists -- our building -based IDS, IDS-Mentors, IDS-SpEd, and IDS-Innovation.  The IDS are teaching colleagues who serve as our unconditional partners as we work on our professional growth goals. They are dedicated and compassionate teacher leaders who love to collaborate. They can be powerful catalysts for thinking and growth.

There are also a great number of people who can collaborate with each of us on professional growth: administrators, curriculum coordinators, our teaching peers, and every adult who works in our building. 

ICEA encourages each of you to reach out to the teacher leaders in the District--they are committing to helping each of us become better teachers.  Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the BOEE’s recertification policy.