DES MOINES, IOWA (AP) -- Gov. Terry Branstad wants Iowa to be in the top 10 states for student standardized reading and math scores by 2019.
Branstad laid out the goal during a news conference Monday, as he continued to push lawmakers to approve his $187 million education reform plan.
Arguing that the state needs "world class schools," Branstad noted Iowa now ranks 25th in the nation for eighth grade math and 29th for fourth grade reading. He said he wants to get those scores into the top 10 by boosting minimum teacher salaries and pay incentives to senior teachers who take on tasks like mentoring.
Lawmakers are reviewing Branstad's proposal, but there has been some conflict with Democratic legislators who want to first set a general level of school funding.
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