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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
Governor Terry Branstad and Lieutenant Governor Kim Reynolds touted the Teacher Leadership and Compensation plan Monday. The plan takes experienced teachers and makes them mentors and coaches for less experienced teachers. The plan is in its second year and Reynolds says all districts will have a plan in place in the next school year. “When fully phased in in the 2016 and 2017 school year, Iowa’s Teacher Leadership system will invest 150 million dollars a year. And this is a critical investment and one that we are really proud to be making,” Reynolds says. The Department of Education released information today (Tuesday) on the first 39 districts to take part in the program, and those numbers show the other 299 schools had better overall improvement than the first ones in the program. Education Department director, Ryan Wise, says it’s because the first districts to implement the plans are large urban districts.
“Those districts have higher levels of students qualifying for free and reduced price lunch — a higher need population of students. And so, to see growth across all measures is a positive trend,” Wise says. “I would also add, at the same time we see growth, this is also a big transition for districts.” The schools with the T-L-C program saw an increase of three tenths of a percent in reading scores, and two-tenths of a percent in math. The schools without the program saw a one-point-one percent increase in reading and three-tenths of a percent in math. Wise says there is an adjustment period for the new system.
“Those teachers taking on these leadership roles are doing so for the first time. And are being trained up and skilled in how to really work effectively with adults,” Wise explains, “and now it is a transition to have the same impact on adults. So, we expect those results to only grow over time.” Wise says he has heard good things about the program from the districts involved. The Council Bluffs School District was one of the first to implement the plan, and Superintendent Martha Bruckner, says they’ve been pleased with their results.
“Our Iowa assessments in 2014, the district showed increased achievement in 16 of 20 grade level tests in math and reading,” Bruckner says. Bruckner says other surveys also found improvement in district performance, and there was an increase in morale among teachers. Council Bluffs teacher, Samantha Adams talked about her experience with the program. She says it helped to have someone else review her teaching and help her.
“I didn’t even realize changes were needed. We began with weekly discussions about the instruction I was doing and the student data I was seeing,” Adams says. “She asked me questions I had never thought of — some of which revealed that there were things about my teaching that could be vastly improved.” Adams says it helped to have an outside look at her work.
“Our discussion and reflection made me realize I was teaching to the majority — rather than ensuring that each student was challenged to go further and do better. The discussions forced me to reflect on things that I could do in my instruction that would increase all students’ achievement,” according to Adams. “I am not going to lie and say that that was easy to begin seriously reflecting on my current practices and collaborating on ways to get better and improve student achievement. It was seriously challenging work, and I could not have done it alone.”
The state approved three-point-five million dollars in planning grants in the 2014 fiscal year for all Iowa school districts and then 50 million dollars for the 2015 fiscal year for the actual plans. An additional 50 million dollars was approved for the 2016 fiscal year schools to implement programs, and another 50 million dollars will be added in the 2017 fiscal year.
(Radio Iowa)
The Audubon School Board, Monday evening, was notified of a change in classification of their football program from Class A to an 8-player team. Superintendent Brett Gibbs told KJAN News “We will be small enough to play 8-player football, starting next year.” He said “There’s been some talk around town about whether we were or we weren’t so we just wanted to make sure the Board was well aware of where we were at. Our coaches came [to the meeting], and their recommendation is that we do 8-player football. ”
Gibbs said “It looks to me like that at least for sure the next two-years we’ll be small enough. The next time they count [enrollment] the number’s 115…we’ll be right around that number in grades nine through 11. Things might change, but it looks like we could be an 8-player school now, going forward.” He said also the Board approved a change in a cooperative sharing agreement for swimming, from Carroll to Atlantic, beginning with the 2016-17 school year. The move really only affects one or two students.
And, Gibbs said the Audubon School Board discussed a preliminary three-year building and grounds plan. The District he says, just wrapped-up its current 3-year building and grounds plan, which involved remodeling the elementary school, upgraded the football and track facilities. The Building and Grounds Committee met and drafted a list of priorities for future projects and presented that to the Board, which will act on finalizing the plans during their meeting in December, depending on [legislative] funding.
Gibbs said hopefully the legislature can stop handling the issue of Supplemental Aid like a political football and set the rate and get that information to school districts as quickly as possible, so school boards can set their budget.
An Underwood man was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison on sexual abuse and gun charges. The Daily NonPareil reports as part of a plea agreement, 50-year old Michael Weiss pleaded guilty to two amended counts of third-degree sexual abuse.
A third charge of second-degree sexual abuse was dismissed by Fourth Judicial District Chief Judge Jeffrey Larson. Weiss was also facing charges of owning a firearm as a felon. Larson sentenced Weiss to five years in prison for the gun charge, but it will run concurrent with the sexual abuse sentence, so Weiss will not receive additional time behind bars.
Weiss was arrested July 6th on a weapons charge, after he allegedly pulled out a handgun and fired three rounds, none of which struck a 37-year-old man, during a dispute over the storage of property. Weiss also pleaded guilty to weapon charges in 2006. Weiss had been out on bond when he was arrested Aug. 13th on the sex abuse charges.
When he’s released from prison, Weiss will remain on parole for the rest of his life and will have to register as sex offender for the rest of his life.
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) – A Council Bluffs woman has been given 20 years in prison for aiding and abetting the sexual abuse of her daughter. The Daily Nonpareil reports that 37-year old Catherine Provancha also had pleaded guilty to lascivious acts. Prosecutors modified one of the charges and dropped two other counts in exchange for her pleas. The woman’s former boyfriend has been charged with several felony sex abuse counts.
Police say Provancha told investigators that she saw the boyfriend sexually abuse her daughter over several years, starting when the girl was younger than 10. The woman told police she witnessed the abuse as many as seven times and never reported it or protected her daughter.
A regular meeting of the Cass County Board of Supervisors is set to take place 8:30-a.m. Wednesday, at the courthouse in Atlantic. During the session, the Board will discuss and/or take action on: Amending the Cass County Investment Policy; How a telephone-based emergency paging system in the courthouse works – representatives of Access Systems will be on hand to answer the Board’s questions; and, the Board will act on a Resolution determining the depositories for public funds belong to the County.
More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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SAC CITY, Iowa (AP) – An 18-year-old is scheduled to be sentenced next month for the crash deaths of two teenage girls in northwest Iowa. The Sioux City Journal reports that Trevor Feauto, of Clarksville, pleaded guilty on Monday to two counts of felony vehicular homicide. His sentencing is set for Dec. 14.
Sac County authorities say Feauto was driving drunk on Aug. 23, 2014, when his pickup crashed into a car near the town of Breda. Sixteen-year-olds Bailey Jacobsen and Lindsey Quirk were killed. Both were Wall Lake residents.
A traffic stop early this (Tuesday) morning, in Fremont County, resulted in the driver of the vehicle being arrested on numerous drug charges. The Sheriff’s Office reports Trenton Levi Jordan, of Riverton, faces charges that include Delivery of Methamphetamine, Possession of numerous pieces of drug paraphernalia, Possession of prescription medication, and additional methamphetamine.
He was stopped in the 2500 block of Highway 275 and after an investigation, placed under arrest. Jordan was transported to the Fremont County Law Enforcement Center and held on a $100,000 cash bond.
The area’s top news at 7:07-a.m., w/KJAN News Director Ric Hanson
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Governor Terry Branstad says some health care providers are trying to scare the public about the state’s transition to a privately managed Medicaid system. Branstad was asked Monday about the concerns some providers have expressed that they won’t get paid as much under the new system, and some smaller providers might have to go out of business. “Well, that’s just not true. Actually if they become providers under the new system, they’ll get paid at the same level,” Branstad says.
He says the new fees may be based more on outcomes than procedures performed, which could mean lower profits for some providers. “There’s a lot of misinformation being put out by some people who are trying to scare people. You know, I don’t like these scare tactics, I think we need to give people accurate information,” Branstad says. “What we’re doing is what 26 states have already done, including big states like New York and California. Some of the same providers — three of the four we’re looking at — are already providers, providing Medicaid services in the state of New York.”
Branstad says the new system is being phased in. “I understand some providers kind of like the current system, because the more procedures you do, the more you get paid,” according to Branstad. The governor was asked again if some providers might go out of business. “No, no, this is all a scare tactic. Now listen, the providers all they have to do is sign a contract and they will get reimbursed at the same level,” Branstad replied. The privately managed plan is set to go into effect on January 1st.
(Radio Iowa)