Sioux City Journal

Culver signs curriculum mandate bill

By Charlotte Eby Journal Des Moines Bureau | Posted: Friday, May 02, 2008

DES MOINES -- Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation Thursday establishing a curriculum mandate for Iowa K-12 schools, which departs from Iowa's tradition of allowing local school administrators to make those decisions.

The law will require both public and private schools to adopt a model core curriculum set by the Iowa Department of Education. The measure has been a priority of Culver, a former high school teacher.

"Students must learn to think critically, work with others, manage their own affairs and contribute to their community. Today, we're standing up for our students, our teachers and living up to our tradition of excellence in education," Culver said in a statement.

Some outside groups have criticized Iowa's lack of standards, and some pushing for the core curriculum argued that smaller school districts needed help keeping up with federal mandates such as No Child Left Behind.

Conservatives in the Iowa Legislature opposed the core curriculum measure, arguing it forced schools to adopt ineffective teaching methods.

Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck, R-Sioux City, said Republicans wanted instead to pass classroom standards, requiring students to meet certain proficiency levels before they can move on to the next grade.

"They ought to have the right to teach what they want to teach as long as they can meet the standards that are set," Wieck said.

One of the core curriculum's leading proponents in the House, Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, was pleased to see it signed into law.

"It is just as much about how students learn and the learning opportunities they have as it is about what students learn," said Winckler, an education consultant who helps schools develop their curricula.

Charlotte Eby can be reached at (515) 243-0138 or chareby@aol.com. {M7

Story Comments

C Serum wrote on May 2, 2008 3:21 PM:

" I am a teacher in California who is now forced to teach according to California Standards. Teaching has become so routine and boring and the same can be said of learning. I left the regular classroom because I no longer felt challenged and I could no longer teach effectively. Before the State Standards and No Child Left Behind act I felt my students were inspired to become thinkers and learners. Before State Standards when I could decide how to teach, my students came to school with hopes and enthusiasm. After the big change I saw students lose the same enthusiasm and my students' attendance also declined. Education has now become a quest for high test scores to prove we are meeting standards. How very sad for all of us here. I encourage you to let your teachers decide how to teach and I guarantee more learning will take place and more students will choose to become "life long learners". Once the legislators decide then many students will be left out of the learning process and teachers will be left out of the teaching process. "

Joe Lunt wrote on May 2, 2008 11:00 AM:

" This is the best thing that can happen for a student who wants to further thier education following 12 grade with some form of uniformity to learning with our population more trainsit then ever before chasing jobs and opportunitys parents will know that thier will be no difference in courses or teaching from one school to another. "