"Parents for Great Iowa Schools" is publicizing its work

With state budget concerns and a voucher movement looming, leaders of the group Parents for Great Iowa Schools will meet with Decorah area community members Monday, January 15th, from 6:00 p.m. until 7:15 p.m. in the Carrie Lee Auditorium. This all-volunteer grass roots organization will share how and why it is important to advocate for our schools. Decorah native Cindy Elsbernd, vice-chair of the Des Moines Public School Board, will also present.

The public is encouraged to attend to learn how decisions made at the Capitol impact the local schools. Representatives from Parents for Great Iowa Schools will share what bills they are anticipating at the state level and Decorah Schools Superintendent Mike Haluska and Elementary Principal Rick Varney will explain how these bills could impact the Decorah Community School District.

The organization's Director of Community Partnerships Louisa Dykstra says one of the group's aims is to encourage people to get to know their legislators and communicate with them cordially, as they would their own neighbors. Dykstra and others from the organization will be at Monday's event to share simple and easy tools to effectively communicate with legislators and influence the decisions they make.

Parents for Great Iowa Schools is group of parents, grandparents, and community members that actively monitors Iowa education-related legislation and advocates at the state legislature for success for all Iowa public school students. According to the organization's website, public schools serve 92% of Iowa's children, but only about 5% of the calls legislators receive about schools come from public school advocates. Parents and community members from all political parties need to let legislators know why public schools are a priority.

This event is sponsored by the Decorah Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and the Decorah Shareholders. For more information, contact Rose Green, Parents for Great Iowa Schools, rosecgreen@yahoo.com.