Advisory council comes on the heels of announcement at 2016 Future Ready Iowa Summit
(DES MOINES) – Today, Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced at their weekly press conference the creation of a Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council to address chronic absenteeism in Iowa schools. Branstad and Reynolds were joined by Jean Kresse, President and CEO of United Way of Story County and current Board Chair of the statewide United Ways of Iowa organization. Plans to create the Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council were announced at the 2016 Future Ready Iowa Summit, which began a statewide conversation about how to close the skills gap, one of the biggest challenges Iowa faces.
Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing 10 percent or more of schools days for any reason, excused or unexcused. In Iowa, that means at least 18 days of school a year, or nearly a month. Chronically absent students are more than one and a half times less likely to be proficient in reading by the end of third grade according to analysis by the Child and Family Policy Center. In Iowa, nearly 25 percent of students did not read proficiently by the end of third grade in 2014-2015. Those numbers reflect the skills gap that could potentially be keeping students from graduating from high school ready for college or career training.
The Council will meet once a month starting in August and make final recommendations to the Administration in November. The Council includes many educators, school board representatives, non-profit and business leaders as well as state legislators.
The Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council members include:
1) Lisa Bartusek, Iowa Association of School Boards executive director
2) Irma Becerra, English Language Learner and Migrant Program assistant, Marshalltown Community School District
3) Connie Boesen, Des Moines Community School District School Board member
4) Martha Bruckner, Council Bluffs Community School District superintendent
5) Charles Bruner, Child & Family Policy Center emeritus founding executive director
6) Anne Discher, Child & Family Policy Center communications director/senior research associate
7) Linda Fandel, Branstad-Reynolds Administration special assistant for education/Iowa Chronic Absenteeism Advisory Council facilitator
8) Jaci Feuss, Cedar Falls Community School District kindergarten teacher
9) Ruth Ann Gaines, state representative, Des Moines
10) Rita Hart, state senator, Wheatland
11) Roark Horn, School Administrators of Iowa executive director
12) Chad Jensen, Fifth Judicial District of Iowa chief juvenile court officer
13) Kevin Koester, state representative, Ankeny
14) Jean Kresse, United Way of Story County president and CEO/ United Ways of Iowa board chair
15) Kari McCann, Iowa Council of Foundations president
16) Becky Miles-Polka, Campaign for Grade-Level Reading senior consultant, Iowa lead
17) Pam Nation, Ankeny Community School District middle school at-risk resource/special education teacher, and Professional Educators of Iowa representative
18) Scott Parry, Kluckhohn Elementary School principal, Le Mars Community School District
19) Deborah Reed, Iowa Reading Research Center director
20) Jerry Riibe, Muscatine Community School District superintendent
21) Amy Sinclair, state senator, Allerton
22) Elliott Smith, Iowa Business Council executive director
23) Chad Steckel, New Albin Elementary School principal, Eastern Allamakee Community School District
24) Annette Taylor, assistant Polk County attorney
25) Tammy Wawro, Iowa State Education Association president
26) Amy Whittington, PK-6 elementary principal, Central Decatur Community School District
27) Paulette Wiley, Des Moines community activist and family advocate
28) Thatcher Williams, Iowa PTA
29) Amy Williamson, Iowa Department of Education Bureau of School Improvement chief
30) Ryan Wise, Iowa Department of Education director
The meeting schedule is as follows:
Dates: Tuesday, August 16 – Basement Room 100
Tuesday, Sept. 20 – ICN Room, Second Floor
Tuesday, Oct. 18 – Basement Room 100
Tuesday, Nov. 15 – Basement Room 100
Location: Grimes State Office Building
400 E. 14th St.
Des Moines
Times: All meetings will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
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