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The Exchange, Feb. 14, 2018, School Choice, Valentines Day, Martin Puchner

The Exchange 021418

Welcome to the Exchange on Siouxland Public Media. I’m Mary Hartnett. 

The Iowa Legislature this week is deciding which measures will make it to the House and Senate floor.  There have been several contentious bills concerning social and criminal issues, but the so-called educational choice bill brought out dozens of supporters and opponents during recent committee yesterday.  

Under the school choice bill, the state would take most of the money that would normally cover one student’s education in a public school and give it to a family to cover private school tuition instead, up to 5000 dollars. 

The bill’s author estimates that 50 million state dollars would be diverted from public to private schools each year.  The bill was scaled back from a more expensive proposal last year that would have given grants to all private school students in the state.  Cedar Falls Republican Representative Walt Rogers is the

House Education Committee Chairman.   Rogers says the bill is really an effort to give parents of all income levels to afford to send their children to the best school possible.

Rogers  8:10

That was Cedar Falls Republican Representative Walt Rogers is the House Education Committee Chairman.  He was talking about the school choice bill that will likely go the full house and senate for debate soon.

Republicans and Democrats have spilt down party lines on the school choice bill and several other bills that are facing committee deadlines this week. Sioux City Democratic Representative Chris Hall   also opposes the measure. He also has concerns about the viability of other Republican sponsored measures.  First, he gives his take on the school choice bill.

Representative Chris Hall (D), Sioux City

Hall

That was Sioux City Democratic Representative Chris Hall, talking about the school choice bill.

Youre listening to the Exchange on Siouxland Public Media, Im Mary Hartnett.

Today we often say that technology has transformed communication, but that’s not a modern phenomenon.  From the printing press to IPads, advances in printing technology have played a huge part in changing how we connect and the path of history.    Author Martin Puchner writes about this and the role of literature world worldwide in his book, The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization” leads us on a remarkable journey through time and around the globe to reveal the powerful role stories and literature have played in creating the world we have today. 

The Written World, by Martin Puchner

Martin  12:20

Martin Puchner

  That was Martin Puchner, library critic and author of the book, “The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization.”

You’re listening to the Exchange, on Siouxland Public Media. I’m Mary Hartnett.

Western Iowa Tech’s Lifelong Learning regularly provides Siouxland with programming that enriches our lives.  This coming spring continues that tradition. 

Program coordinator Mara Hall joined Mark Munger to talk about what’s ahead.

Lifelong Learning  6:30

You’re listening to the Exchange, on Siouxland Public Media, I’m Mary Hartnett. Just ahead, the story of two people from different sides of the world meet on a mysterious bus, misunderstand each other, and fall in love.  Before that, however, the young women participating in our Siouxland Media Lab project at Girls, Inc. recently asked each other what would make for the perfect Valentine’s Day.

Valentines Day Piece 9:30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJavYYDgL0Y&source=gmail&ust=1518798420019000&usg=AFQjCNER3-dcLibHr8UH-bDj6PNzQRdJGw" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJavYYDgL0Y" style="color: rgb(17, 85, 204); font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px;" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/GJavYYDgL0Y

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