Legislation

The Urban Education Network is committed to addressing the needs of all children, regardless of where they may reside.  Of particular interest, however, are the often unique needs of students served by the eight member districts.  Because most education issues addressed by the Governor and General Assembly are applicable to a wide-range of students, the UEN functions as an active partner with other organizations to promote legislation beneficial to the mission of Iowa's public schools.  These organizations include, but not limited to:  School Administrators of Iowa; Iowa Association of School Boards; Iowa State Education Association; Iowa PTA, and Child and Family Policy Center.

Representatives of these organizations meet regularly to discuss legislative priorities of their respective organizations, and to monitor the progress of legislation.  For information relating to the status of legislation, please click on one of the following sites:

Iowa General Assembly
Iowa Association of School Boards

Click on the above sites to access the Iowa General Assembly/IASB for legislative action, bill status and proposed legislation.

UEN Legislative Priorities

UEN legislative priorities are identified prior to each session of the Iowa General Assembly.  Suggestions submitted by each of the member districts are reviewed by the Executive Director and Chairperson of the UEN, who formulate proposed legislative priorities.  Adoption of UEN legislative priorities occurs as part of the November annual meeting.

UEN legislative priorities are the focus of lobbying efforts by the Executive Director and UEN members

2008 Legislative Priorities are:

FUNDING -Allowable Growth, Local Option Sales Tax, Uniform Tax Levy

SUSTAINING - Class Size, Professional Development, Technology

EARLY CHILDHOOD - Pre School, Comprehensive Early Childhood

The Governor and General Assembly are encouraged to:

Allowable Growth: Establish an allowable growth rate that is adequate to meet the increasing expectations and cost of addressing the learning needs of all students.  A minimum increase of 6 percent in the allowable growth rate for each fiscal year is necessary to meet this goal.  Equivalent state categorical funding is not a substitute for adequate allowable growth.

Statewide Sales Tax:  Extend the school infrastructure sales tax to a statewide penny with revenue adjusted annually to the statewide per student average.

Funding Equity:  Fully fund all programs.  Build on student and taxpayer equity investments of the 2006 Legislative session, buying down the highest additional property tax levies in the state to the state average, and holding harmless districts with additional property tax levies below the state average.  Ensure stability of funding sources by expanding the foundation formula to include all general fund programs.

Restoration/Continuation:  Restore and/or continue state categorical funding of reading instruction/class size, technology, professional development with the eventual goal of including categorical funding in the foundation formula.

Pre-School:  Build on the initiatives of the 2007 session by increasing funding to ensure that ALL four-year olds have access to a voluntary, high quality pre-school program.  Revenue must not be diverted from current K-12 funding sources, and should be allocated through public school districts to literacy-based programs with well-articulated standards to assure high quality and accountability.

Early Childhood:  Support comprehensive early childhood initiatives that assure every child, beginning at birth, will be healthy and successful.

Professional Development:  Provide state funding of professional development in every school district to a minimum of ten (10) days.  Content and participation in professional development must be the prerogative of local school districts, and must not reduce student instructional time.
                

UEN Lobbying

Influencing legislative decisions on behalf of public school children is a major initiative of the UEN.  The process includes; forming partnerships with other organizations; direct contact by administrators, board members and citizens of member districts; an annual UEN Lobby Day scheduled at the Capitol early in the session; and, each member district assigned one "lobby day" at the Capitol during the session of the General Assembly.