Hart visits middle school, talks education

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Rita Hart, the Democratic hopeful for Iowa lieutenant governor — and a Charles City High School alum — met and talked with a small gathering of teachers, administrators, students and a few members of the public at the Charles City Middle School on Tuesday.

The stop was part of a statewide “Priorities for Iowa” tour to discuss governor candidate Fred Hubbell and Hart’s vision to “prioritize people first” through investments.

Hart made her first campaign stop in her home town of Charles City earlier this month, when she visited about 25 locals at a “meet and greet” event at the Floyd County Museum. Hubbell announced last month that Hart was his running mate choice for lieutenant governor.

Republican incumbents Kim Reynolds and Adam Gregg are the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor running against Hubbell and Hart. Reynolds was formerly lieutenant governor, and became governor in May 2017, when Gov. Terry Branstad resigned to become U.S. ambassador to China.

Hart attended Immaculate Conception school in Charles City through eighth grade, then graduated from Charles City High School in 1974. Tuesday was the first time Hart has visited the new Charles City Middle School, which opened in August of 2016, and she said  she was impressed.

“There are such awesome things happening, and people need to come in and see you guys in action, because it’s truly amazing,” she said.

Eighth-grade students Harper McInroy and Anders Haglund gave Hart a tour of the building, and Hart seemed as much impressed with them as she was with the new building.

“Those two young people are an example of how, when you engage young people properly, they can create a future of their own,” Hart said.

Hart, 62, is currently a Democratic state senator, representing all of Clinton County and part of Scott County in the far eastern part of the state. She was first elected in 2012 and was re-elected in 2014.

She and her husband, Paul, have raised five children and have been operating his family’s century farm near Wheatland, about 25 miles northeast of Davenport, since 1986. She was also a teacher for more than 20 years in the Calamus-Wheatland and Bennett Community school districts.

“I go back into the classrooms now, and I’m just in awe at what teachers do,” Hart said. “It’s so much more of a difficult job than it ever was — and it’s always been a difficult job.”

New Charles City Superintendent Mike Fisher talked at length with Hart about school funding issues, and the difficulties school districts face — especially rural districts.

Talking about the district’s current project of improvements at the high school building and other facilities, Fisher said, “We have a limited tax base, just 7,500 residents in this town. To put all of the facilities on taxpayers is a bit much.”

Hart agreed.

“I know that 1.1 percent for several years just does not cut it for funding,” she said, referring to recent state educational annual spending increases. “We have to invest in education. The smaller the town is, the more they are dependent on the strength of their school district for their economic health.”

She said that education and health care are two issues that she and Hubbell are very committed to.

“If we can get this budget under control, and adequately fund education, then we can start talking about some of these other fundamental great things that we can be doing with education and elsewhere, things we can’t even talk about now,” she said.

During some questions and answers with the teachers, Hart was told that sometimes it feels like the elected officials in Des Moines don’t place the same importance on teaching children as educators do.

Hart, who serves on the education committee in the Iowa Senate, said she sees proposed legislation all the time that clearly doesn’t have the best interests of teachers and students in mind.

“There are times when teachers are not listened to when they should be,” she said. “That makes them feel like they’re not respected the way they should be.”

She said one of the things she and Hubbell want to do if elected is to find ways to restore that respect, and restore the trust of teachers.

“I think it’s funny that some of the people who are the most critical, are the ones who would be least likely to be able to take 17 third-graders and hang out with them,” Hart said.

Hart grew up with eight brothers and sisters, and several of them still live in the Charles City area with their families. She is the sister of long-time Floyd County Treasurer Frank Rottinghaus.

At the end of the tour, Charles City Associate Principal Larry Wolfe invited Hart to come back in 13 months, as lieutenant governor, to give a first-day-of-school address to staff and students.