Education
Freedom of speech is under attack in public schools, U.S. House panel told
Students and teachers told U.S. House members during a Thursday hearing that their right to talk about race and LGBTQ+ issues in public schools is being silenced due to an onslaught of new state laws as well as pressure on school boards from right-wing advocates. “To be crystal clear, this is about disrupting and destroying […]
State budget stalemate ends as 10 budget bills advance
An Iowa Senate panel, in a daylong session, advanced 10 budget bills Wednesday after weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations among GOP legislative leaders and the governor. Gov. Kim Reynolds and House Republicans had proposed to spend about $8.2 billion from the state general fund for the 2023 fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2022. The House […]
Lawmakers resume public consideration of state budget
Iowa lawmakers will resume public discussion on the state budget Wednesday, just over four weeks past the 100th day of the 2022 session. The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet Wednesday morning and begin preparing budget bills for floor debate. For the past several weeks, discussion has been behind closed doors as legislative leaders […]
Human-trafficking lawsuit against Iowa college survives legal challenge
A human-trafficking lawsuit brought by 14 international students from Chile against Western Iowa Tech Community College has survived a round of legal challenges and is proceeding in federal court. The school and other defendants are accused of working in concert to entice impoverished students to leave their home in Chile and come to Iowa, where […]
Recent remarks from Justice Clarence Thomas, Gov. Kim Reynolds are soaked in irony
Irony has been so deep in recent days that we shouldn’t be surprised if people start walking around with their chore boots on or with the cuffs on their pants rolled up to avoid the mess. Consider: U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas recently made an observation that caused some people’s eyes to bug in […]
Reynolds pushes private school scholarships in response to Linn-Mar transgender policy
Gov. Kim Reynolds promoted her proposal to fund private school scholarships Thursday in response to a controversial new policy for transgender students in Linn County public schools. The Linn-Mar Community School District voted last week to adopt a new policy allowing transgender students to use their preferred name, pronouns and facilities matching their gender identity. […]
Two views: Should a football coach pray in public?
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When are book bans unconstitutional? A First Amendment scholar explains
By Erica Goldberg The United States has become a nation divided over important issues in K-12 education, including which books students should be able to read in public school. Efforts to ban books from school curricula, remove books from libraries and keep lists of books that some find inappropriate for students are increasing as Americans […]
Congress expands Brown v. Board of Education historic site beyond Kansas
A bill is headed to President Biden’s desk that would expand the Kansas site honoring the U.S. Supreme Court ruling overturning school segregation, adding National Park Service sites in other states to commemorate their roles in the decision as well. The bill would designate sites related to school desegregation cases in Virginia, Delaware, South Carolina and the […]
Iowa State left a prestigious association. What does that mean for the school’s reputation?
Iowa State University ended its membership last week in the prestigious Association of American Universities, a group of nearly five dozen top-tier research universities. Iowa State cited the association’s perceived preference for universities with medical schools as its reason for leaving. “While the university’s core values have not changed since joining the association in 1958, […]
No, actually, book bans don’t sell books | Opinion
By Andrew Karre “Bans sell books.” You don’t have to go far online to find that bit of conventional wisdom. For example, today my delightfully bookish Twitter feed showed me Upton Sinclair’s thoughts on the matter from 1927. And in my two decades in book publishing, I’ve repeated variations on the theme many times. “Bans […]
Statehouse standoff leaves Iowans in the dark
The 100th day of the 2022 legislative session in Iowa is Tuesday. I know that’s probably not a day marked on your calendar. Most Iowans don’t pay much attention to whether the Legislature is in session or not. Those who celebrate Easter, Passover or Ramadan may have been spending time with family. Others may be […]