A Pella science teacher is calling for action in hopes that legislators will respond to what she and many educators are calling a lack of adequate funding for public education.

Bethany Tangen teaches sixth grade science at Jefferson Intermediate School, and recently renewed her National Board Certification after over a decade of teaching in the community.

Tangen tells KNIA/KRLS News she and fellow educators are growing frustrated with legislative action taken in Iowa that she believes has negatively impacted schools — including smaller supplemental state aid increases over the past five years, and collective bargaining restrictions implemented in 2017. She encourages all residents wanting a strong community and public school system for the long-term future to contact local senators and representatives about their concerns.

In her condition of the state address, Governor Kim Reynolds called for a 1.5 percent increase in supplemental state aid, the money used to fund teachers salaries and classroom programs. However, Superintendent Greg Ebeling has expressed the money would not cover the expenses public school districts incur annually. State Senator Ken Rozenboom also expects the funding increase to be smaller than what the Governor projected in her budget for the next fiscal year.

Hear more from Tangen about school funding and its impact in the classroom on today’s In Depth with Dr. Bob Leonard.