Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce Reports to the General Assembly

Members of the Institute for Tomorrow's Workforce, working together since June 2005, held a press conference at the state Capitol January 17th to report their recommendations to state policy makers.

The ITW was headed by co-chairs: Marvin Pomerantz, Des Moines, Chairman and CEO, The Mid-America Group; and Robert Koob, Ph.D., Cedar Falls, President, University of Northern Iowa.

Pictured with me is ITW Board Member Doug Gross, Des Moines, Attorney at Law, Brown, Winick, Graves, Gross, Baskerville and Schoenebaum. PLC.

The report is organized around the actions the legislature must take immediately to prepare for the 21st Century. The greatest of these is the need to raise teacher salaries since the success of most other recommendations is dependent on having quality teachers in the classroom. With an average salary ranking 41st in the nation, it will be difficult to recruit and retain good teachers as large numbers of current teachers retire in the next five years. Iowa is competing nationally for teachers and we must do better in keeping our best and brightest in the state and in the profession.

Teachers already must meet standards passed by the legislature and undergo a comprehensive evaluation to enter the profession and a performance review to remain in the profession. Teachers are accountable for meeting high state standards. Most teachers are doing the best job they can with what they know. It is up to the legislature to fund the professional development opportunities necessary to remain current in the profession.

Teachers, I believe, would welcome a more performance-based approach to measuring student achievement. We have supported multiple measures in the past and continue to believe there is more to student achievement than one score on a standardized test in just a few subjects.

We have always supported a school district being able to meet high standards. If districts of any size can’t meet these high standards, then the legislature must act to correct the problem.

I would encourage all of you to read the section on p.17 entitled PROMISES NOT KEPT. We don’t need yet another report sitting on the desks of Iowa legislators. We need action. This legislature must take immediate action to implement the recommendations for increased funding and teacher pay. To do less is telling Iowans they need to lower their expectations for performance in Iowa’s public schools.

To read the full report, visit the ITW website at www.tomorrowsworkforce.org