Iowa Teachers and Parents Call Out Zach Lahn’s Attacks on Public Schools
COUNCIL BLUFFS – Today, Council Bluffs leaders, teachers, and parents gathered to hold Kansas carpetbagger and career political operative Zach Lahn accountable for attacking public education and supporting Kim Reynolds’ unaccountable private school voucher scheme.
New reporting has revealed that Lahn is the president of an unaccredited private school in Kansas that is millions of dollars in debt, underpays teachers, and turns away students with disabilities. Lahn has claimed Iowa “is spending too much money on education,” said he is “all for ESAs,” and wants to expand the school voucher program to include homeschooling — leaving the door open to even more public school funding cuts.
Read what Council Bluffs leaders, teachers, and parents had to say below:
“Zach Lahn is a promoter of private schools. He started one six years ago in Kansas,” said retired teacher Randi Kennedy. “He said he will begin where Kim Reynolds leaves off to increase private school access at the cost of public education. Is this what the majority of Iowa taxpayers want? What about the 44 counties that do not have private schools and their communities are built around their public schools? If Zach Lahn becomes governor, many of those schools may close for lack of state funds.”
“Zach Lahn is for expanding ESA eligibility requirements even further to include homeschool students, along with private and charter school students. If that were to pass, that would mean increasing costs of this program, again without the safeguards or reporting transparency … leaving taxpayers to pay that bill,” said Pat Peters, Council Bluffs School Board member. “If we still believe in education as a cornerstone of what makes us Iowans, we need a governor who believes in investing in our public schools. We need a governor who is an Iowan and has a public track record of accountability and transparency in their positions.”
“I have three kids in Iowa public schools, and I want them to have the best education possible,” said Nina Sass, Council Bluffs mom of kids in public schools. “That’s why I’m concerned about [Zach] Lahn’s support for expanding school vouchers, and his belief we’re spending too much on education. I don’t think the answer is taking resources away from schools that serve the vast majority of Iowa’s kids. I think we should be investing in them.”
“Iowa schools don’t have enough funding, and voucher dollars take money from the public schools and give it to private interests,” said retired teacher Scott Cordell. “Rob Sand’s competitor said that Iowa spends too much money on education. He wants to expand the vouchers and give public money to private interests. He founded a small school in Kansas which doesn’t have accreditation and doesn’t have licensed teachers and is in debt.”
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