Opinion: This is what’s really happening at Iowa public schools

• Matthew Pries is a literacy interventionist at Waukee High School.

What is happening in public schools that makes this even a topic of debate?

That was the question posed to me recently. The short answer could be “nothing.” There’s nothing happening in public schools that is causing this. But that simplifies things too much.

I’ve given a good deal of thought to this. What follows is my answer. But it’s not just related to the voucher debate. It’s related to the constant attack on public schools in our state. I come from a family of teachers. I am friends with many people who work in public schools. I cannot sit quietly by when our calling … when our life’s work … when schools and people we hold dear are being hit with such a barrage of hurtful legislation and rhetoric.

So here you go. Here’s what is happening.

The population is growing more diverse, even in rural parts of our state. Our public schools reflect that diversity. Factors such as religion, ethnicity, gender, race, language, giftedness, disabilities (learning, behavioral, and physical), family make-up, socioeconomic status, access to resources, access to preschool, responsibilities at home, homelessness, the need to work, history with mental health, violence in or out of the home, drugs, alcohol, and on and on …

Public schools are doing everything they can to be student-ready. Ready to meet the needs ofall students in the best way possible.

And if that’s still too simple, let’s dig in …

No matter how you slice it, public schools have to be ready for just about anything. I’ve seen it. I’ve seen the kid who fails because he’s bored, but rises because a teacher realizes it and gets him into the TAG program. I’ve seen the blind, deaf, and mute student learn to communicate because of the love of teachers and associates. I’ve seen the patience of teachers who work with kids who throw excrement on the walls. I’ve seen the persistence of a teacher who stays late and comes early to help ensure a student with deficient writing skills meets the standard to pass.

I’ve seen counselors work tirelessly with at-risk kids on the verge of dropping out – and then hug them when they walk across the stage, diploma in hand. I’ve seen the LGBTQ+ transfer student who was bullied at a previous school thrive in a new place because they felt safe. I’ve seen the school-to-work program for special ed students where they get on-the-job training for work they continue after graduation. I’ve seen the kid who hadn’t read a single book cover-to-cover because he didn’t think he could read turn into a kid who reads four books in a month.

Yes … I’ve seen many kids like that in my nearly 30 years teaching; most will never step foot in a private school because the private school won’t take them – even if they do have that shiny $7,600 cash gift from our legislature to help offset tuition. Because those private schools don’t have to do what public schools have to do: be student-ready — for all kinds of kids from all walks of life.

Here's the thing: Being student-ready has gotten harder. An insidious agenda has made it harder. For schools to do their work, they need financial support. Generally, folks agree a 4% increase in aid each year would be close. In the past 10 years, the average has been around 2%. And what has happened in that time? Public schools have continually been tasked with doing more with less. Those in power have played the long game: Don’t fund schools at the level needed. Schools will be negatively impacted. Schools won’t perform as well. People will be frustrated.

Eventually, they can shift money to private schools, while they continue to underfund public schools under the guise of giving people more choice. Case in point? Last month, they haughtily pointed out the financial strength of our state allowing them to fund the voucher bill. Then they turned around and said they couldn’t afford to give more than 2% to 3% to public schools because they need to be careful with the budget.

And as, ahem, sinister as that is, it’s not the only thing that has led to this. The other issue is some people don’t like everything our schools have to be ready for. Our schools don’t look like them. Don’t sound like them. Don’t act like them. Don’t do learning the way they think learning should be done. So instead of realizing our schools are a picture of the world where teachers and staff are doing the best they can to help all kids be ready for the world? They go after the school — which is really their way of going after the world. Because the world doesn’t look like them. Doesn’t sound like them. Doesn’t act like them. Doesn’t do life the way they think life should be done. But it’s hard to go after the world.

Instead, they go after something where they feel they have power to do it. Armed with a false narrative filled with more crap than a litter box and promoted by organizations and people with money to spread it. And those organizations and people will keep trying to bring down public schools — and the towns and people that depend on them — until they can sit on top of the heap smiling down at white-washed history and homogeneity while they count their stacks of money.

I hope it’s not too late when people finally realize how ugly this whole thing is. How unaligned it is with the Christian-values so many espouse. Heaven is a wonderful place — filled with glory and grace. Heaven isn’t homogenous. Neither are public schools. Jesus loves the little children — all the children of the world. Public schools are called to do the same.

Public schools aren’t the problem.

The teachers and staff aren’t the problem.

The students aren’t the problem.

The problem is the people coming after them.

Matthew Pries is a literacy interventionist at Waukee High School.