Education
Governor candidates focus on future of public education in Iowa
Gubernatorial candidates focusing on public schools is far from new. But in the Iowa race for governor, both candidates have spent significant time on the campaign trail discussing their plans for the future of education in Iowa amid rising polarization on issues from vaccine and mask mandates to book bans and state funding. While Gov. […]
Iowa joins five other states in suing the Biden administration to stop student debt cancellation
College borrowers banking on President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt hit a potential snag Thursday, when Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republican attorneys general in five other states filed a lawsuit challenging the Department of Education’s authority to do so. Theirs is the second major lawsuit filed by […]
Indiana lawyer files first significant lawsuit against Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan
A public interest lawyer in Indiana is suing to block President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan on the basis that he would be forced to pay state taxes on the canceled debt. It’s one of the first significant legal challenges to Biden’s plan. The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court […]
More than 408,000 Iowans will see student loan debt decrease, officials say
More than 408,000 Iowans will be eligible for student loan debt forgiveness under President Joe Biden’s plan, according to White House data. The Biden administration’s loan forgiveness program, announced in August, is set to eliminate $10,000 in college debt for people who earn $125,000 annually or less. For Pell Grant recipients, up to $20,000 will […]
An ‘unprecedented flood’ of book bans engulfs U.S. school districts, PEN reports
WASHINGTON — More than 1,600 book titles across 32 states were banned from public schools during the 2021-22 school year, with the bulk of the ban requests coming from a handful of right-wing groups pushing for censorship of books that feature LGBTQ+ characters and characters of color, a new report issued Monday said. “What I […]
Loras College sued over alleged student housing break-ins, Title IX violations
A former Loras College student is suing the Dubuque school for allegedly failing to properly investigate a break-in at her student-housing apartment. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa by former varsity soccer player Rachael Swift, alleges that in September 2020, Swift awoke in her apartment to find an […]
Iowa Board of Regents to request more funding in upcoming session
The Iowa Board of Regents on Thursday unanimously approved plans to ask the Iowa Legislature for a budget increase of more than $34 million. Board members also unanimously passed a $1 million amendment to the total appropriations request of over $630 million, which would provide added funding for mental health services at the state’s public […]
Cedar Rapids school district reaches settlement with DOJ over seclusion, restraints
The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced Monday a settlement agreement with the Cedar Rapids Community School District over its use of seclusion and restraints in dealing with disabled students. The department said its investigation concluded the school district had inappropriately and repeatedly secluded and restrained disabled students, some of whom were kindergarten-age, […]
Reynolds calls for Biden to withdraw student loan forgiveness program
Gov. Kim Reynolds joined a group of 22 Republican governors Monday opposing President Joe Biden’s plan to forgive student loan debt. In a letter sent to Biden, the governors called for the administration to withdraw the program announced Aug. 24, which cancels $10,000 in student loan debt for people with an income of less than […]
As enrollment recovers, Iowa Board of Regents eyes a request for more state aid
As Iowa’s college enrollment numbers improve following a dip due to the pandemic, the Iowa Board of Regents is considering raising its budget request to match inflation and increased costs at the state’s public universities. The Board of Regents will discuss plans next week to request $630.46 million in 2024 fiscal year appropriations during the […]
U.S. education secretary urges boost in teacher pay, touts college debt relief
WASHINGTON — Amid K-12 teacher shortages, book bans and attacks over critical race theory, U.S. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday stressed the need for higher salaries to attract prospective educators to the profession. Cardona, in a meeting with reporters, also touted the Biden administration’s recent student debt relief announcement in late August. The White House […]
Who is worthy of federal help? It’s time to ask different questions.
The debate over President Biden’s college debt forgiveness plan reminds me a bit about the floodwall Davenport never built. People who live in the Quad-Cities know Davenport has stubbornly gone its own way when it comes to Mississippi River flooding. Even after disastrous floods in 1965 and 1993, the city refused to put in place […]