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Gov. Kim Reynolds has made restructuring Iowa's local education agencies a top priority this legislative session.
But a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa poll shows that most Iowans have a favorable opinion of the AEA, which provides special education services and a variety of other programs and resources to school districts across Iowa. It turns out that I have it.
When asked about their feelings toward Iowa's local education agency, known as the AEA, 56% of Iowans had a positive opinion, compared to 56% who had a negative opinion of the agency. It was only 20%.
24% said they were not sure.
AEA's 56% favorability rating is higher than any elected official tested in the poll. And at least 50% of all partisan groups give the AEA a positive rating, compared to 63% of Democrats, 59% of independents, and 50% of Republicans.
AEA also has approval ratings of 50% or higher in Iowa's four congressional districts, all income brackets, and all age groups.
Among Iowans with children under 18, AEA has a 59% favorable rating, and 68% of college-educated adults view AEA favorably.
This is the first Iowa poll to ask Iowans their opinions on the AEA. The findings suggest that Reynolds' calls for a major overhaul may be out of sync with how most Iowans feel about the agency.
The poll, conducted by Selzer & Company between February 25 and 28 among 804 Iowa adults, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Reynolds originally proposed an overhaul of the agency during his annual State of the Nation address in January, introducing a plan that would allow school districts to seek private providers for all services provided by AEA.
She said the current AEA system is “failing” students and aims to tighten supervision and narrow the scope of institutions.
But her plan proved unpopular among many lawmakers, education groups, and advocates who have championed the AEA as a critical part of Iowa's education system.
Republicans in the House and Senate are each working on their own bills. Democrats argue that any changes to the system are hasty and unnecessary, and Reynolds' criticism that the AEA system is “failing” is based on a flawed premise, specifically a report by consulting firm Guidehouse. It claims to be built on the .
“In my opinion, there is absolutely no merit to this bill,” said Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, during House debate on the issue last week. “It’s built on false information from an outside company.”
What Iowans Polled Say About AEA and Education
In a follow-up interview with the Register, poll respondent Penny DeVos, 46, of Hospers, told the Register that she is working closely with the AEA to develop an individualized education plan for her son, who needs special education services. he said.
He is currently a sophomore in high school and an honor roll student, and AEA's resources have been “a huge help,” she said.
DeVos has been monitoring news from Capitol Hill about changes to the AEA, which she said is “tense.”
“It's something that's been done for a long time. It works,” DeVos said. “I'm a living example of the fact that it works. If you hire privatized talent, you're not going to get very good talent. They're going to go with the lowest bidder.”
Several poll respondents with negative views of the AEA cited broader concerns they had with the public education system as a whole, including the curriculum.
Susan Parrish, 77, of Keosauqua, said she appreciates AEA's efforts, but has concerns about the way her great-grandchildren are being taught reading because of their struggles.
“They just keep extraditing him and extraditing him. AEA is involved. Really, that's the only thing I have against them. A lot of kids they have problems with. I know you're helping us, but they're not.'' It's not going to help him. ”
What are Regional Educational Agencies in Iowa?
Iowa's nine regional education agencies are tasked with providing special education and other services to the state's public and accredited private schools.
It was established in 1974 to meet “the need for equal access to services,” following federal legislation from previous decades that focused on programming for students with disabilities.
They offer a wide range of services including behavioral support, occupational therapy, professional development, crisis management, and more.
What is the status of the bill to change local education agencies in Iowa?
Republicans in the House and Senate are developing separate plans to restructure how services currently provided only by the AEA are handled and contracted for.
The House bill that passed the floor Thursday would retain AEA as the sole provider of special education services, but would allow school districts to seek private providers of media and general education services that AEA also provides in the coming years. It has become. It will now be submitted to the Senate for consideration.
“We all agreed there were improvements that could be made and changes could be made,” said Rep. Schuyler Wheeler, R-Hull, the bill's sponsor.
The Senate Republican bill would allow school districts to receive all services, including special education, through private providers if they choose.
Funds that currently go directly to AEA would be redirected to districts, which would then be able to spend money on these services through other channels. The bill was approved in committee but has not yet been debated on the floor.
“Improving student outcomes is always at the forefront,” Reynolds said in a statement last week. “This system provides transparency and accountability to school districts closest to students, and he must drive consistency across the AEA region to improve services for students with disabilities.”
Democrats remain staunchly opposed to changes to the AEA and have repeatedly called on Republicans to drop the issue.
“What sometimes seems to be forgotten in this political fight are the children who need services,” said House Minority Leader Jennifer Confirst, D-Windsor Heights.
Galen Bakarie covers politics for the Register. Contact us at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440 and follow us on Twitter. @galenbacharier.
About the Iowa Poll
The Iowa Poll, conducted Feb. 25-28, 2024, by Selzer & Company in Des Moines for the Des Moines Register and Mediacom, is based on telephone interviews with 804 Iowans ages 18 and older. Quantel Research interviewers contacted households using randomly selected landline and mobile phone numbers provided by Dynata. The interview was conducted in English. Based on recent American Community Survey estimates, responses were adjusted by age, gender, and congressional district to reflect the general population.
The maximum error for questions based on a sample of 804 Iowa adults is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. This means that if this survey were repeated 19 times out of 20 using the same questions and the same methodology, the results would not differ by more than plus or minus 3.5 percentage points from the true population value . Results based on a small sample of respondents, such as by gender or age, have a larger margin of error.
Republishing the copyrighted Iowa Poll without credit or linking to the original content of The Des Moines Register and Mediacom on digital platforms is prohibited.