Remarks Prepared for Delivery; Mike Beranek Third Grade Teacher Western Hills Elementary School

DES MOINES, IA (01/18/2011)(readMedia)--

Remarks prepared for delivery by

Mike Beranek

Third grade teacher at Western Hills Elementary School

Public Hearing on House File 45

January 18, 2011

My name is Mike Beranek and I am a third-grade teacher at Western Hills Elementary in West Des Moines. I have been teaching for 23 years and have seen all sorts of bandwagons coming down the road. Most of the time it seems political leaders don't leave anything in place long enough to even see if it works.

For instance right now, when we are focusing our efforts on the Iowa Core Curriculum, the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for four-year olds, and our Area Education Agencies --- all of these programs are founded in fact-based research and time-tested systems that deliver what is best for students in a 21st century learning environment, you all want to change them.

Iowa's Core Curriculum was years in the making and represents the best in collaboration. Educators, administrators, and other experts all worked tirelessly to develop a curriculum which provides academic expectations for Iowa's K-12 students. The Iowa Core assists schools in delivering great education and it does so by helping educators take learning to a deeper level by focusing on a well-researched set of standards and skills. The Core Curriculum is barely out in the field and, after having spent millions in research and development, you want to throw the "baby out with the bath water" and look at the "next best thing"? On top of that, many of you want to look at this "new thing" without even collaborating with those of us in the classroom? That doesn't make any sense.

Our Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program is the envy of the country. I can't imagine anyone wants to banish a program that all credible research shows has a meaningful impact on language, literacy, and math development. Other evaluations show that children in quality learning environments are less likely to drop out of school, repeat grades, need special education, or get into future trouble with the law than similar children who do not have such exposure. According to the director of the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University, the "most practical and cost efficient way" of making an economic impact may be on providing access for all children. But, you don't have to go that far to find out the impact. Just ask me. I can tell you from my own experience which kids had the leg up and which kids didn't. I can tell you which kids are better prepared from the education they received pre-kindergarten. Why would do you want to throw this out when you're telling us we have to compete with Finland and China and other countries? Why are you tying our hands and taking away another avenue of learning --- and at the same time telling us our kids must be better educated? It doesn't make sense.

Finally, Iowans are pragmatic by nature. We don't understand why on earth the Legislature wants to cut a resource-sharing service like our Area Education Agencies when it saves money to combine resources not duplicate them? AEAs offer some of most efficient education services for public and non-public schools in Iowa. What is the aim in cutting them? What is your plan for replacing their special education services in our schools? What is your plan for replacing their media, library and technology services? Our AEAs (which have been around for over 30 years) provide invaluable services to our schools which allow district's to spend that money on other programs. Ask any special needs parent if he or she has benefitted from an AEA service provider. Ask any librarian, elementary teacher or media specialist if their students have benefited from the resources provided by the AEAs. Isn't that what we are all here for ---- to benefit our students?

I can tell you that after almost a quarter of a century in Iowa's classrooms I have learned a thing or two about bandwagons and which ones to jump onto and which ones to let run on by. The ones that tell us they will cure all of our woes and the ones that tell us we have to cut all of the money in order to save our schools are the wagons to steer clear of. This bill is a wagon to steer clear of. Please consider Iowa's students when you consider what you are doing this year and ask yourself if you are truly helping them get the best education they deserve.

Thank you for your consideration.