DES MOINES — Educators are fleeing Iowa’s Area Education Agencies, which cater to families and children with special needs, after Kim Reynolds and Republicans gutted the service, Democrats say.
Democrats are calling the newly-signed AEA overhaul bill signed by Kim Reynolds “disastrous” for Iowa schools, children and workers.
“Nearly 350 workers who provide essential services for Iowa schools including crisis response, mental health support and media services have left their jobs with Iowa AEAs,” Democrats said today in a statement emailed to the NIT Newsroom.
“Seven of nine of Iowa’s AEAs say they already expect higher staff turnover in the 2023-2024 school year than compared with previous years, and five of the AEAs say their turnover rate is the highest in the last five years.
These high turnover rates affect all 9 of Iowa’s AEAs. Here’s how many workers who have already left their jobs:
Central Rivers AEA: 68
Green Hills AEA: 30
Great Prairie AEA: 32
Grant Wood AEA: 50
Heartland AEA: 70
Keystone AEA: 19
Mississippi Bend AEA: 31
Northwest AEA: 15
Prairie Lakes AEA: 26
According to Democrats, Nathan Wood, chief administrator of Great Prairie AEA, told the Des Moines Register that a recent staff survey found 62% of the AEA’s employees said they had searched for a different job in the last month because of the prospect of AEA legislation.
“Iowans haven’t liked this AEA law from the moment it was introduced as a bill because they knew the results would be disastrous for Iowa’s children and schools. These 350 people who are leaving their jobs because of Kim Reynolds’ cuts to AEAs provide essential services to make sure our students feel safe at school and so that all students can receive the best education possible by learning at their own pace,” said IDP Chair Rita Hart. “Republicans went too far by passing this bill. They have made it extremely clear that it’s time to bring some common sense and balance back to the statehouse.”
Despite their posturing before voting ‘yes’ on this bill, the republicans knew exactly what would happen and voted despite their constituents feelings about the AEAs. Privatizing education is their goal. And they are doing exactly what the governor and her donors want.
Elections have consequences
Indeed they do, and the next one is going to have big consequences. Reynolds and her owners know that, which is why they’re moving so fast on these new laws that will make life better for her billionaire puppetmasters, and worse for the rest of us.