Reynolds said in her Condition of the State address that AEAs “have grown well beyond their core mission of helping students with disabilities”.
Reynolds’ original proposal sparked a lot of conversations, which led to Reynolds speaking with lawmakers, teachers, parents and superintendents on the best steps going forward.
Originally, Reynolds proposed that AEAs would focus solely on special education needs, and funding would move to the hands of school districts with oversight from the Iowa Department of Education.
“AEAs have grown well beyond their core mission of helping students with disabilities, creating top heavy organizations with high administrative expenses,” Reynolds said during her Condition of the State.
However, after meeting with key stakeholders, Reynolds changed her proposal to allow AEAs to continue providing general education services to school districts that request them, so long as the request is approved by the Iowa Department of Education.
AEAs have three branches that can provide services for …