Decorah School Board Members

Tonight I attended the lecture by two members of the Decorah school board. We talked a lot about the budget and how it works. I found it interesting how in Iowa, your spending is divided up into different sections. Those sections can't be mixed, even if there is left over money in some.

We also talked about how big, rich schools like West Des Moines, and small schools like Calmar, all get the same funding per student. I think that is a good thing. That way, even if your poor, your child is getting the same education and opportunities that a wealthy family's child is getting. We talked about implementing a foreign language into schools. I think that is a very good idea. Sometimes it's easier for little kids to soak up knowledge, and by starting to teach them a language at an early age could greatly benefit them. I was in Postville for my J-term 115 class, and that was an interesting experience. Everyday multiple lessons were taught in Spanish. I felt that not only was it a good thing because the students were becoming fluent at two languages, but it also helped bond the kids together. The native speakers would help the non-natives, and their roles would switch when the teacher switched back to a lesson in English. Although I understand it's hard to find funding to introduce foreign language programs into school districts, I think it is something all districts should look into.