When Americans send their children to one of the nation's 100,000 public schools, they expect their children to get more than an education.

     The list of demands that the public -- and state and federal governments -- have added to the public school system over the past century have complicated the educational process.       

     "We need to tell people more about our mandates," V-S school board member Tim Bird said during Monday's meeting.  "The general public needs to take a step back and look at all the things that people demand from public schools."      

     School board members have long known about the mandates that apply to Vinton-Shellsburg; in fact, on Monday, they dealt with three of the more recent mandates: Drug awareness education, a complaint about bullying at the high school, and trying to replace yet another sign language translator, which districts are required to hire when there are hearing-impaired students (some are now enrolled at Tilford, where the interpreter spends each day with a specific student).     

     Another mandate, said Supterintendent Mary Jo Hainstock, is the number of reports the schools are required to file with federal or state education departments.

     "Since Sept. 1, there are probably about 15 reports that had to be filed from this office and another five or so that we will have to file as a district by Oct. 31," said Hainstock.

     Several of the board members recently heard education advocate Jamie Vollmer address the issue of school mandates during a speech to Iowa education leaders.

     Vollmer was a critic of the public schools until during his presentations on school improvement, he learned just how many mandates public education has been given. Now, he is trying to educate the public on this issue and help to bring more understanding and reform.      

     At the presentation, Vollmer listed the dozens of mandates placed on public education since 1900.     

     Things like:  Health. Nutrition. Immunization (these requirements began in the first decade of the 20th Century). School lunch programs (which began in the 1940s). Transportation (the VS district pays more than $500,000 each year to transport students to school).  Sex education. Safety education (added in the 1950s).  Peace education. Leisure education (1960s).  Drug and alcohol abuse education, parental and behavior adjustment classes and character education (1970s). Multicultural/non-sexist education; teen pregnancy awareness; child abuse monitoring and mandatory reporting; anti-smoking education; "Stranger Danger" education; sex abuse prevention (1980s). Death education. CPR Training. Dropout prevention. Homeless education. Bus, bicycle, gun and water safety (1990s).     

     Not to mention the things added since 2000: .          

No Child Left Behind .          

Anti-Bullying education .          

Anti-Harassment Policies .          

Civic literacy .          

Expanded early childcare and wrap around programs .          

Elevator and escalator safety instruction .          

Obesity monitoring (Iowa law requires middle school and high school principals to have daily fitness plans for each student) .          

Organ donor education and awareness programs .          

Personal financial literacy .          

Employability skills development .          

Entrepreneurial skills development .          

Media literacy development .          

Contextual learning skill development .          

Health literacy and wellness programs .          

Race to the Top     

     "All of these items have merit, and all have their ardent supporters, but the truth is that we have added these responsibilities to the list, effectively asking our schools to raise America's kids in an era of declining parental support, without adding a single minute to the school calendar in six decades," Vollmer told the Iowa educators.        

     Vollmer was the executive of an ice cream company that won honors for its blueberry ice cream. The Blueberry Story made it clear to him that there are huge differences between running a successful ice cream company and a successful school. He also shared that story during his presentation.       

     School Board member Todd Wiley said that at the presentation, he also learned that only 20 percent of Iowans have children enrolled in public schools. That makes it more difficult for leaders to motivate people to become informed and involved in school issues.