State Auditor Rob Sand — the only Democrat in statewide office — is questioning the governor’s plan to overhaul special education programs and create a new division in the Iowa Department of Education to oversee Area Education Agencies.
Sand says he’s also concerned about what the governor’s plan means for the 34-hundred people who work in A-E-As.
The governor says it’s time for a reboot because A-E-A spending has been on autopilot and the test scores of students with disabilities are far below the national average. The governor’s plan calls for A-E-As to focus solely on special education programming rather than the teacher training and other services they’re providing schools. The governor proposes that school districts get to choose whether to stick with their local A-E-A for special education services, switch to a different A-E-A, hire their own staff or work with a private firm to provide the services.
