Last week, there was a small break through at the Des Moines Statehouse with education reform.

State Representative Chip Baltimore says that while the education reform bill is in conference committee, both the House and the Senate proposed alternative plans.  Part of the Senate reform bill wanted 4% additional funding for education while the House wanted some policies to be put in place.

Second-term Republican Baltimore states that the House committed to the Senate’s additional funding but policies are still the main focus.  He describes some of those policies as increases in the evaluation process for both students and teachers.

Baltimore notes the goal of these policies is to make sure students are meeting standards at every grade level and that the best teachers are utilized in the classroom.

However, the 47th district representative explains what could happen if a final decision is made.

“School districts would be locked in on the same budgets they were locked in last year as far as the per pupil funding mechanism and none of the policy efforts would go through.  That would be a major, major failure if that were to happen.”

Since the legislators don’t want to go down that road, Baltimore adds, there has to be bi-partisan support to allow schools to receive funding but not at the expense of not increasing evaluations.