$how me the money!

Say it with me, Terry: "Show me the money!" In Tuesday's issue of the Northern Iowan, many got their beaks wet learning about Governor Branstad's education reform bill. After discussion with some University of Northern Iowa faculty about the proposed changes, this bill seems ripe for bipartisan support.

Among a few themes, teacher accountability stands out as an emphasis. The governor wants to better test new teachers with a five-year probationary period. All teachers must graduate with a 3.0 GPA from college. Iowa will "raise the bar for teacher candidates on an initial screening assessment into teacher preparation programs." These very specific goals both encourage and haunt me.

It's easy to see how these goals could produce better educators. These high standards will hopefully weed out unfit candidates. However, while the governor's outline for weeding out bad teachers appears to be well-laid-out, his plan for attracting good teachers seems hazy and too rudimentary. In both of his blueprints, "Brief: Branstad-Reynolds Administration Recommendations for World Class Education" and "One Unshakable Vision: World-Class Schools for Iowa," the governor fails to do one important thing: "show me the money!"

The governor lays out a tract for educators to follow in order to become well-paid "Master Teachers" and promises "substantial pay increases at each level" of the tract. But these statements need meat on the bones. The hundreds of potential teachers in Schindler do not need vague goals; they need cold, hard numbers to better plan out their futures.

Many times, the best potential educators never become teachers because other fields lure them away. Better-paying jobs and, in too many cases, better job security lead bright minds away from lighting the classrooms of Iowa. UNI produces hundreds of teachers every year and many must find employment in places like Houston or California. As we see our state's population dwindle and ask ourselves where young people are going, one easy place to look is better schools.

In the State of the Union address, President Obama made many encouraging remarks on the importance of education in America, including the fact that "a good teacher can increase the lifetime income of a classroom by over $250,000." I hope Governor Branstad recognizes that young teachers deserve good money and Iowa deserves good young teachers. So Terry, it's very simple: stop talking generalities and "show me the money!"

Also, to education majors looking to work in Iowa, check out what the governor has in store for you at governor.iowa.gov.