By MARK NEWMAN Courier staff writer
March 21, 2008 11:09 pm
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DES MOINES — State legislators battling a bill that Senate Republicans believe weakens the power of school boards have bought themselves some extra time.
The Democrat-supported bill is the first expansion of the state’s collective bargaining law governing public-sector workers since 1974. The bill, which could have been decided on Friday, is now set for debate Monday. It would expand a list of issues that are subject to bargaining, for example letting teachers raise matters like class size and others address discipline rules.
“It was an emotional issue; we had a lively debate,” said state Rep. Kurt Swaim, D-Bloomfield. “OK, lively debate may be an understatement.”
Republicans against the measure forced a marathon debate in the House, which approved it on a party-line vote. Democrats said they were confident the bill would pass in the Senate and head to Gov. Chet Culver.
“My whole problem is how they went about doing it. They slipped it in with another [larger bargaining] bill,” said Davis County school board member Rita Grob. “We weren’t informed until Thursday, so we weren’t even able to contact our representatives until after the House already passed it.”
She said she’s disappointed in the Democrats who support a bill she feels could make the job of local school boards more difficult.
“... and I’m a lifetime Democrat. A lifetime Democrat and an advocate of teachers.”
Grob said she has already fired off e-mails to several local lawmakers.
Carol Mitchell, president of the Ottumwa school board, said she planned on contacting her representatives to express her concerns.
“I would preface it this way: I don’t think we have enough information to see how it will impact our students in the classroom,” she said.
But when people in power start knocking the volunteers who serve on boards, she feels it.
“I’m a little disappointed in what the Democrat from Des Moines had to say,” Mitchell said, referring to a comment from Rep. Rick Olson, D-Des Moines.
A media source quoted Olson as saying “Many folks that are elected to school boards know little about curriculum [or] class size.”
Grob had seen the quote, too.
“Just because we’re not a ‘representative’ doesn’t mean we can’t add and subtract,” she said. “Representatives, unless they’re teachers, wouldn’t know more about education.”
“Why does he think we run for school board?” Mitchell said. “We do it because we want to see a quality education for kids. School board members are elected by a community, and they’re put in that position to make those tough decisions.”
Republicans contend such a change could ultimately cost taxpayers.
That’s because, said Grob, if the union pressures the school board to yield, the only way the board can raise extra money is to raise property taxes.
“Criteria, class size, benefits — I understand them wanting to take some of that power to themselves,” said Grob. “But I think it’s really going to hurt taxes when we as a board can’t say, ‘We just can’t do that this year.’”
“With the strong relation we’ve had with our union, it’s a shame to fix something that isn’t broken,” said Mitchell. “We’ve always kept our classroom size down, allowed adequate prep time, our teacher pay is high ...”
Democrats argued the expansion of bargaining rights is needed so public workers have the same rights as those in the private sector.
“In Iowa, we don’t allow our teachers to strike,” Swaim said. “So it is incumbent upon us to have a fair and equitable bargaining process. We [must] strike a balance between management and the employees.”
The “deciding factor” for him at this point was not the school issue; it was the testimony of correctional officers and police officers, he said. They were willing in some cases to take a smaller raise if it meant they could negotiate for safer working conditions, like ordering bulletproof vests.
“It has seemed to be working well in those other states that already adopted it,” Swaim said. “We were comfortable with the vote.”
Under the bill, teachers could bargain for smaller class sizes while negotiating, a prospect that is better for students. But under the bill, could they, for example, negotiate larger class sizes in exchange for more money?
“I don’t think that’s likely,” said Swaim. “It’s a fair question. It is conceivable, but I don’t think that’s in the cards.”
He said teachers have similar goals as school boards: good conditions for students and teachers.
Board members, too, said teachers may want better compensation, but never at the expense of children. Ottumwa Education Association Co-presidents Cec Barron and Mary Jo Knight had not heard enough about the bill to comment. Local union representative Carol Haupert of the Iowa State Education Association could not be reached for comment Friday.
Grob stressed that at least in Davis County, the teachers she has worked with are not the kind of people who would do something to hurt their schools.
“Just because they have these new [powers] implemented doesn’t mean it will be abused,” she said.
Mitchell said ultimately this isn’t about power.
“It boils down to this — if it’s good for kids,” she said. “So it may work out OK.”
If not, Swaim said he’ll be watching.
“If it doesn’t work out as it has in other states, we may need to [revisit] the issue,” he said.
After its arrival in the Senate, minority Republicans refused to emerge and allow debate on the measure. By Senate tradition, debate rarely moves forward without both parties present.
Under the deal announced Friday, the Senate will delay debate until noon Monday and a vote is scheduled at 6 p.m.
“We give up the scheduling and the minority party gives up extending the debate beyond six hours,” said Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal, D-Council Bluffs.
Senate Minority Leader Ron Wieck, R-Sioux City, had threatened to keep Republicans locked in their Statehouse meeting room throughout the Easter weekend in an effort to delay a vote.
The standoff prompted a handful of Democrats and Republicans to spend the night at the Statehouse. Some brought beverage coolers and sleeping bags, stretching out on benches and watching basketball games on television.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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