Former Decorah school board member joins movement promoting public schools

Melanie Tietz of rural Decorah is behind a grass roots effort in the community to promote public schools.

Tietz, who formerly served for more than a decade on the Decorah School Board, believes public education is under attack in Iowa and across the nation.

Tietz shared information about the Public School Strong with the local school board earlier this month, saying the campaign is taking shape in the state.

The movement aims to support public education by advocating for students and staff as well as pushing back on what members see as negative policies.

“There are forces at work at the state and national level to undermine our system of public education,” Tietz said.

Tietz pointed to recent state decisions she sees as detrimental to public schools, such as the de-funding of public education and Iowa’s Educational Savings Accounts — sometimes called the voucher system — which provide public funds for families to cover tuition, fees and other expenses at nonpublic schools.

Tietz said she and others involved in the movement must be vigilant and speak out with a loud voice.

“Our goal is that all children can receive competent, safe and equitable education,” she said. “There are those of us supporting public education, and we’re not going down without a fight.”

Full article available in the January 30 Decorah Leader.

Melanie Tietz of Decorah shows off some of the Public School Strong t-shirts, which are part of a campaign aiming to train volunteers to attend school board meetings, write letters to the editor and take other action in support of Iowa’s public schools. (Photo by Roz Weis)

Opportunities to get involved

Online orientations will be offered at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25 and 6 p.m. Tuesday, March 25. The orientations are designed to provide historical context for the movement, and dig into what school boards do. Presenters will also share how local groups are making an impact at the ground level.

Those interested in learning more sign up by visiting the Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement website at iowacci.org/pss.

Submit A Comment

Fill out the form to submit a comment. All comments require approval by our staff before it is displayed on the website.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comment
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments