Ankeny Education Association

The ISEA-PAC has recommended John Calhoun (D) from Polk City in his bid for the Senate District 35 seat previously held by Larry Noble (R).  The special election to fill the seat is Tuesday, January 18, 2011.  Please get out to vote if this is your district!

The ISEA-PAC has released its formal recommendations for the upcoming November elections.  In the Ankeny area, the ISEA has recommended Chet Culver for Iowa Governor and Leonard Boswell for Iowa District 3 U.S. House of Representatives.  As you make plans to vote this November, please inform yourself on the issues and review the reasons ISEA-PAC reached their recommendations at www.isea.org.  (Link Path = Legislative Action Center, Political Action, Election 2010)

SCHOOL BOARD RECOMMENDATION:  The Ankeny Education Association Governmental Affairs Committee, in conjunction with Representative Assembly members and the Executive Committee, hosted a closed-forum for school board candidates on August 13, 2009. The joint committee has decided to recommend to our membership Pat Cahill, George Tracy and Todd Shafer for the three open school board positions.  The Association found the three to be knowledgeable on a variety of issues including curriculum, facilities and communication and have full confidence that these three will perform their duties with due diligence.

The committee encourages you to contact any of the committee members if you desire more information about the candidates or their positions as stated in the forum. Committee members include: Nancy Bakke, Mike Bakker, Elaine Brazelton, Terri Carlson, Jim Cowger, Jason Dagel, Lyle Fedders, Kathy Graeve, Susie Grantham, Mark Hey, Carrie James, Benjamin Joseph, Jan Keese, Mark Maffett, Jan Metheny, Lori Reha Biff Renner, Mathew Safly, and Lisa Thorn. 

BOND REFERENDUM RECOMMENDATION:  Due to the immediate needs for space at the elementary level, the Ankeny Education Association recommends passage of the bond referendum for Elementary #9.

Downloadable version HERE

The AEA Governmental Affairs Committee, in conjunction with Representative Assembly members and the Executive Committee, hosted a closed-forum for school board candidates on August 4, 2008.  The joint committee found the quality of candidates for school board to be particularly high this year, with all candidates greatly involved in the community and highly knowledgeable on the issues and challenges that face the Ankeny Community Schools.  For this reason and because of the complexity of a number of issues involved in the election, the committee decided to recommend that members read each of the following questionnaire responses carefully and give all candidates due consideration.  In this special edition of the AEA Communicator, the complete responses of each candidate are preseThe Cannted unedited.  The committee also recommends that members attend the community forum hosted by the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce on August 27, 2008 at 6:30 PM at the Northview Middle School lunchroom to better educate themselves on the candidates’ stands on important issues.  Responses are presented as the candidates typed or wrote them; no editing has taken place unless noted.  Candidates are presented alphabetically on the following pages.  The committee encourages you to contact any of the committee members if you desire more information about the candidates or their positions as stated in the forum.  Committee members include: Nancy Bakke, Rhonda Bond, Cheryl Cardin, Terri Carlson, Jim Cowger, Jason Dagel, Lyle Fedders, Ginger Johnson, Sharon Jones, Benjamin Joseph, Jan Keese, Biff Renner, Cindy Renner, Mathew Safly, and John Stratton. Please consider each candidate thoughtfully and vote on September 9.

To read candidate responses to the questions, please click here.

Link to downloadable Word document HERE

Text of Document 

The position of ISEA for implementation of a statewide sales tax to replace the current local option sales tax has been modified over the last year.  ISEA does support the statewide sales tax but desires an expanded flexibility in the use.  ISEA’s position is not that the tax should be used  for teacher’s salaries, as was reported by some press, but rather that the use be expanded beyond bricks/mortar and tax relief only, but to also include other educational needs as determined at the local level. 
According to ISEA’s position statement on this matter, expanding the use of the sales tax revenue is crucial because the needs of Iowa’s public schools go beyond bricks and mortar.  Our schools must expand course offerings at all grade levels to maintain rigor and relevance and we need to add more opportunities for early childhood education and at a faster pace.  In addition, we must ensure our elementary schools can provide foreign language programs, that our middle schools have courses that meet the needs of the students in the new world economy, and that our high schools have cutting edge courses for college preparation and in the areas of career and technical education.
Being that Ankeny Community School District is in the unique position of one of the fastest growing school districts in the state, the Ankeny Education Association Executive Board has chosen to support the adoption of a state wide penny sales tax to help local school districts with their infrastructure needs.  At this point and time in Ankeny, our need is definitely based upon a growing student population and the physical facilities needed to house students. In other districts, or as the needs of Ankeny change,  it is  sound judgement to allow the tax  monies to be used to help maintain rigor and relevance necessary to help Iowa schools and students compete more effectively within the state, nation, and world.
The Ankeny Education Association strongly urges our area legislators to vote in favor of a statewide penny sales tax in order to provide the adequate facilities and programming the growing number of students in Ankeny need. 

Downloadable version HERE