(Radio Iowa) — An Iowa teacher who attended last (Tuesday) night’s “State of the Union” speech says federal officials need to boost spending for public schools. Shannon Baity teaches in Altoona, at an elementary school in the Southeast Polk School District. “We’re losing more and more funding to take care of our children which is completely the future of our society,” Baity says. Baity’s grandfather was a teacher and her 70-year-old father is still teaching. “I just want to be able to be a voice for all of the teachers in Iowa,” Baity says, “teachers around the country.”

Baity was the guest of Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne. Axne says more teachers like Baity will leave the profession if policymakers fail to act and that’s why she invited Baity to Washington. “Because that’s more important than what happened in the Caucuses in Iowa,” Axne says. Axne — along with Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and Congressman Dave Loebsack — issued a written statement late yesterday afternoon, expressing disappointment in delayed reporting of the Iowa Democratic Party’s Caucus Night’s results.

Axne and Finkenauer endorsed Joe Biden before the Caucuses. Loebsack endorsed Pete Buttigieg.