There's an initiative on the ballot this November to increase the sales tax by a penny on the dollar. All those pennies will go toward improving the state's beleaguered education system. Much of the money would go to teacher raises.
But folks in Iowa might say that the sales tax raise isn’t going to be enough. Iowa bleieved simply giving teachers raises wouldn't be sufficient to fix the state’s schools. Instead, the state instituted an effective new method, reports Oklahoma’s News 9.
In Iowa, you'll find two kinds of teachers: one for the kids, one for the teacher. Instructional design strategists spend time in every classroom observing. This is followed by a planning session with the classroom teacher. Together, they review strategy and look to the week ahead. The intention of the program is to empower and support teachers.
Education experts in Iowa say they’re excited about the results they're seeing.