The Promise of Iowa campaign celebrates the many successes of Iowa public schools by bringing to life the story of Iowa public education. It’s part of our commitment as locally elected school boards to ensure that Iowa taxpayers know that your investment in public schools is making a difference.
But we can’t rest on our laurels–there is more work to be done. Our next generation faces new challenges we never dreamed of. Iowa public schools are changing and evolving to keep pace with a fast-changing digital and global world. We must continue to find ways to close achievement gaps so that Iowa public schools fulfill the ideal of equity and opportunity for all. We must also keep pace with improvements made in other states, to ensure our public schools provide our students and state with an advantage. The need is especially important now, as Iowa has fallen behind other states in some areas.
State and local leaders came together around an ambitious agenda to strengthen our public schools in 2013 landmark legislation. State policy makers, locally elected school board members, educators and the business community all made a shared commitment to ensure the next generation of Iowa students receives a world-class education.
In this era of competing priorities and limited resources, we can’t afford to lose sight of these important goals. As locally elected citizens entrusted with public education, Iowa school boards are taking on the responsibility to tell the story and rally public support and understanding for continued efforts that ensure: