Education
Analyst: Iowa student loan delinquency dropped 36% in early pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic sent the U.S. economy into a short but drastic recession, generating a wave of layoffs and business closures. But a new analysis found that the first seven months of the pandemic actually ended with fewer Iowans delinquent on credit card and student loan debts. “I think it really shows us how, in […]
State board prepares to launch new charter school process
The Iowa Board of Education is moving ahead with the implementation of a new state law that changes the way charter schools can form and operate. Thomas Mayes, general counsel for the Department of Education, said the first few charter school applications may be a “choose-your-own adventure” as the state adjusts to the new law. […]
Judge: Iowa agency forced out disabled worker after citing messy handwriting
The Iowa Department of Education forced out a long-time employee after accusing her of sloppy handwriting and repeatedly suggesting she retire, according to state records. Faced with a civil rights complaint over the matter, the state allegedly offered the woman her job back, which she refused. According to the recent findings of a state administrative […]
Virginia parents, GOP lawmakers vow national push for ‘parents’ rights’ in public schools
WASHINGTON — Republican lawmakers and Virginia parents trying to capitalize on their success in the November election gathered Tuesday across from the U.S. Capitol to voice their opposition to mask mandates and lessons about racism in public schools. The ranking Republican on the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee, Virginia Foxx of North Carolina, told […]
Iowa Board of Regents launches free-speech survey for students, staff
The Iowa Board of Regents launched its first free-speech survey on Tuesday, part of a multi-step plan to protect freedom of expression at the state’s public universities. The survey asks university staff and students to respond to a set of statements about free speech, ranking them from “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.” The survey ends […]
College cost calculators aren’t precise, but they could easily be made better
By Aaron Anthony and Lindsay Page The best way to figure out how much you have to pay for college is not to go by the sticker price. Instead, it’s to go by a college’s net price, which is often much lower. That’s because the net price tells you how much you have to pay […]
Iowa announces over $200 million in child care ‘stabilization grants’
Gov. Kim Reynolds announced several new child care initiatives on Wednesday, including over $200 million in grant programs and incentives for businesses to offer child care to employees. The programs come directly from the Governor’s Child Care Task Force Report, a 32-page document released Wednesday. The report, compiled by a group of state officials, business […]
Reynolds: Election results show that ‘parents matter’
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday that the election — especially the victory for Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia — was “a great indication that parents matter.” “(Virigina parents) made the determination that they weren’t going to be told to go home and shut up, that these are their children and they’re going to engage in […]
U.S. attorney general defends FBI probe of threats against school board members
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate Republicans grilled Attorney General Merrick Garland for more than four hours on Wednesday about a Justice Department investigation into threats made to local school board members in multiple states. Garland at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing declined to revoke a memo he wrote asking the FBI to meet with local law enforcement to […]
National school boards group apologizes for requesting probe of threats against local officials
WASHINGTON — The National School Boards Association is walking back its letter to President Joe Biden asking for federal help for school board members who have been harassed and threatened over masking requirements and discussions of race in public schools. The shift came after Republican members of Congress led by Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley raised strong objections […]
The wacky extremes with ‘two-sideisms’
The requirements for becoming a teacher were always straightforward: Earn a college degree in education, take enough classes in your area of specialty, practice your teaching skills for a semester as a student teacher. Politicians have added a new skill this year in some states: Be a mind reader. That’s what teachers in a Texas […]
Federal judge: Iowa schools can keep mask mandates until case is settled
Iowa schools can keep their mask mandates in place after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction against a state law which prohibited schools from requiring face covers. Parents of children with disabilities sued the state in early September, arguing that the state’s prohibition on mask mandates was a violation of the Americans with Disabilities […]