Iowa Gov. Reynolds Addresses Concerns Over Special Education Reform

Governor Kim Reynolds proposed reforming Iowa's Area Education Agencies (AEAs) to focus solely on special education services, but after meeting with educational leaders and lawmakers, she revised her proposal to allow districts to control whether they use AEA services or reroute funding to other providers. Reynolds claims that AEAs have expanded beyond special education, but a Legislative Services Agency report contradicts this. Reynolds also argues for reform based on the poor performance of Iowa's special education programs overseen by AEAs, citing consistently low rankings in national assessments. However, a fact check reveals that Iowa's students with special needs do lag behind their peers in most other states.