The Des Moines Register's recent education articles have shown major cracks in Iowa's educational system. To solve a number of these issues, the Governor, Legislature, and education leaders need to support those on the front lines daily, the teachers.

As an educator myself, here is what I would suggest teachers need to work in Iowa's challenging educational environment: A strong, caring, and experienced principal; incentives especially to teach math and English; additional compensation for getting results; high quality professional development; instructional coaches; smaller class sizes; and a return to a rich and broad curriculum.

The reasons I have highlighted these needs - they are what the research suggests, but more importantly, what has and will occur in the Ankeny Schools. As the father of two Ankeny students, I have firsthand experience in the advantages of strong, caring, and experienced principals and smaller class sizes.

As a member of the Ankeny School Improvement Advisory Committee, I have seen the details of next academic year's unique professional development program that the entire district will benefit. This professional development also includes the incentive of graduate courses on math as Ankeny moves to a new math curriculum.

Thus, the stake the PK-12 teachers put into developing the new curriculum is still in their hands and receiving implementation support even before taught to a single student. Ankeny is also adding instructional coaches to assist the teachers and provide feedback and approaches to effective instruction.

Bravo to the Ankeny Schools for remembering better teachers equal better schools.



- Jason Follett, Ankeny