Iowa State Education Association Wants Teachers Involved in Stimulus Discussion

(Des Moines, IA) — The state teachers union is calling on superintendents and school boards to include teachers and school staff in discussions about how districts plan to use 770-million dollars in federal pandemic relief. State law limits teacher contract negotiations to a discussion of salaries, but I-S-E-A president Mike Beranek said U-S Department of Education guidelines require “all school employees” to be engaged in “meaningful consultation” in how federal funds approved in March are used. Beranek says “we want to want to make it perfectly clear that Iowa’s educators who bravely and consistently worked on the frontlines of this pandemic, who understand first-hand what their students needs will be at the table when the ideas for use are discussed and the final decisions are made.” The funds can be used to hire new teachers, mental health counselors, and school nurses or to finance summer school programs.