(DES MOINES) - Gov. Terry E. Branstad today named Dr. Brad Buck, 44, to be the next Iowa Department of Education director, calling him a visionary leader with the right skills to implement the landmark education reform package passed by the 2013 Legislature.

Buck has served as superintendent of the 1,300-student Saydel school district in rural Polk County since July 2011. He previously worked as a school administrator in the Waukee, Hudson and North Mahaska school districts from 1997 to 2011. Buck began his education career in 1992 as a science teacher at Parkview Middle School in Ankeny.  He is also a past president of School Administrators of Iowa.

"Dr. Buck's passion for giving all students a world-class education and his knowledge of how to better utilize teacher leadership to accomplish that goal played a critical role in his selection," said Branstad. "He understands the importance of collaboration as educators and parents work together to assure students are prepared to compete in the global economy."

Better utilizing teacher leadership is the centerpiece of Iowa's 2013 education reform package. Each of Iowa's 346 school districts has the option to adopt a teacher leadership system that will use the expertise of top teachers to improve instruction and raise student achievement.  Districts can apply for planning grants in September, and the teacher leadership systems will be phased in over the next several years. When fully in place in 2016-17, the price tag is expected to be $150 million annually.

Buck has a head start on understanding how to put a teacher leadership system in place. Working closely with the Saydel Education Association during the 2012-13 school year, Buck helped secure a federal Teacher Incentive Fund grant that will allow the Saydel school district to implement its own teacher leadership system starting this month.

"Brad Buck's strong record of service in Iowa school districts and willingness to think outside the box make him a great choice to lead the Iowa Department of Education at this point in time," said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Buck said, "The Governor and Lt. Governor, the Legislature, and the Iowa Department of Education have cast a bold vision for school improvement efforts in our state. As importantly, they have recognized the importance of providing the necessary tools and supports needed to implement this work. I am excited and humbled to be chosen by the Governor to serve the students, families, and educators of Iowa in delivering on the promises contained in this legislation and making our education system the best performing in the nation."

Buck's official start date has not been finalized, but will be no later than September 1.  He and his wife, Traci, live in Urbandale and have 6 children.

When budgeting for back-to-school expenses, parents generally include routine fare like clothes, school supplies and maybe a new backpack. But if your kids participate in extracurricular activities, whether it's sports, music lessons or art classes, you could be on the hook for hundreds - or even thousands - of dollars in additional expenses throughout the year if you're not careful.

As parents, we hesitate to stifle our children's athletic and creative urges, especially when it can be so difficult to drag them away from their iPods and Xboxes. But sometimes you've just got to step back, weigh the different options available and decide what you can afford without upsetting your other financial goals and responsibilities.

You'll face tough questions like, "Is it better for my child's future to spend $500 on a soccer day camp he'll really enjoy or to invest the money in a 529 College Savings Plan?"

My wife and I commonly wrestle with these types of questions. For example, last fall our son had outgrown his baseball equipment and was begging us for a new bat that cost $125. A year later, it sits on the sidelines because he prefers to use a friend's bat. (We're not complete pushovers, however: When he recently obsessed over a $200 pair of high-tech gym shoes, we said no.)

Among the best advice I've received from other parents is, when your kids are exploring new activities, don't overcommit your time or money until you know whether they'll stick with it or quickly move on to the next thing.

For example, before you sink a small fortune into private swimming lessons, start small with a summer class at your local Y or recreation center. If your kid shows a genuine aptitude and doesn't balk at long hours of practice, then you can explore more costly alternatives. Just remember who'll be driving to practice and out-of-town swim meets; in other words, make sure you can honor the time commitment before signing on.

Here are a few tips for prioritizing extracurricular events and keeping your costs down:

• Focus on one sport or activity per kid, per season, especially if they involve multiple practice sessions or games per week.
• Form carpools with other parents. You'll save gas money and time, especially if your kids are practicing at different locations.
• Learn how much equipment and instruction the sport requires. Some, like soccer and basketball can be relatively inexpensive; while others, like horseback riding, golf and ice skating involve expensive equipment or facility rental time.
• Rent or buy used sporting equipment (or musical instruments) until you're sure they'll stick with the activity. Visit Play It Again Sports stores, online ad sites like Craigslist and yard sales.
• Seek out or form a sports equipment exchange in your community where families can donate outgrown or cast-off equipment and uniforms for others to use.
• It's probably better to invest in new safety gear, like helmets and masks, than to buy it used - and potentially damaged. The same goes for items like shoes or baseball gloves that become molded to a child's body - unless they were hardly used.

Sometimes the cost of an elective program is worth making sacrifices elsewhere in your budget. Our daughter loves theater arts, so we decided it was worth shaving our vacation budget to send her to theater camp. She'll make new friends and hone her dramatic and social skills in an environment that public school just can't duplicate.

LA CROSSE, WI (08/01/2013)(readMedia)-- Benjamin Kammel, of Moline, graduated from Western Technical College in the Bio-Medical Electronics program. Kammel is one of the 1,456 graduates to receive an associate's degree, technical diploma, or certificate in 2013.

Western Technical College is part of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Each year, more than 400,000 Wisconsin residents receive education and training from the state's 16 technical colleges.

To learn more about Western Technical College programs and services, please call 608.785.9200 or visit the website at www.westerntc.edu. For more information on WTCS, visit www.witechcolleges.com.

Washington, D.C. - Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement today after the House passed compromise legislation that would bring down the interest rates for new student loans. Due to inaction of House leadership, interest rates for new student loans doubled on July 1^st, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent. This legislation will tie the interest rate of the loan to market rates, but is capped at 8.25 percent. As a result, this year undergraduates who borrow for college will save nearly $1,500 in interest over the life of the loan. The legislation has already cleared the Senate and is expected to be signed into law.

"I could not have gone to college without the availability of student loans and other financial assistance programs, so I am pleased Democrats and Republicans finally came together to pass this legislation. It is shameful that students were caught in the middle of this political posturing in the first place. Neither side got exactly what they wanted, nor is it the deal that I would have authored, but it demonstrates that compromise can actually happen when people sit down and work through their differences. I continue to have concerns that in the long run this bill may allow rates to rise above the current 6.8 percent cap, and look forward to addressing this issue and the rising cost of college as work begins on reauthorization of the Higher Education Act."