Education
Parents, educators speak out on private school scholarship proposal
About 100 Iowans, most of them parents or educators, lined up Tuesday to speak during a public hearing about Gov. Kim Reynolds’ controversial plan to fund scholarships for private school students. Republicans are moving fast on House File 68, which would create an education savings account (ESA) program to cover students’ private-school tuition and other […]
Few Iowa families will have more choices with GOP ‘school choice’ plan
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says her plan to use taxpayer money to pay for private schooling gives people a choice to educate their kids where they want. But that’s not what her plan says. Just look at the details: Only certain families with kids in public schools will get that choice. What this plan really […]
Four steps the Iowa Legislature can take to end hunger
As we begin 2023 and a new General Assembly of the Iowa Legislature, Iowans are experiencing record levels of hunger. This need is well-documented in recent reports of increased demand for emergency food aid due to an end to pandemic-era relief programs, inflation and rising food costs. Addressing immediate needs is important, but to truly […]
Senate panel advances private school scholarship bill
Teachers, parents, students and lobbyists overflowed into the hallway Thursday at the State Capitol as senators advanced the governor’s private school scholarship proposal. A Senate education subcommittee gave initial approval to Senate Study Bill 1022, a proposal from Gov. Kim Reynolds. It would establish an educational savings account (ESA) program providing government funds for Iowa […]
House Republicans introduce bills on school LGBT, curriculum policies
Iowa House Republicans released their first slate of legislation for the year Wednesday, including a batch of proposed new requirements for schools on curriculum and student gender identity. One bill, House File 9, would prohibit school districts from providing any accommodations intended to affirm a student’s change in gender identity without written consent from the […]
New federal student loan repayment plan aimed at low-income borrowers
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Education unveiled a proposal Tuesday that would overhaul a federal student loan income-driven repayment plan, and, if implemented, could help millions of low-income borrowers. However, it’s unclear how the agency would be able to finance the program. Many student debt relief advocates also criticized the proposal for leaving out […]
Conservative Iowa PAC launches six-figure ‘school choice’ ad buy
Priorities for Iowa, a conservative political action committee, launched a six-figure ad buy across Iowa in support of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ “school choice” legislation. The group announced a new ad Monday featuring the governor in a classroom, discussing the need to give parents more choices for their children’s education. One of the governor’s priorities heading […]
Iowa legislators must support state universities, not just student scholarships
When I started my freshman year in college, I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I graduated. I knew I was a writer, but I had no clear job goal in mind. For the first two years at Iowa State University, I registered for courses that would fit into either an English or […]
School choice, property tax and tort reform: What to expect in the 2023 legislative session
The Iowa Legislature opens its 2023 legislative session Monday with a Republican agenda that includes a return to discussions about “school choice,” tort reform and pipeline legislation which did not move forward in previous years. While Republicans already held the majority in both chambers of the Statehouse, the party won a supermajority in the Senate […]
Iowa’s public universities prepare program expansions in 2023, 2024
Iowa’s three public universities are planning to expand several programs over the next two academic years. Starting in 2023, Iowa State University is helping students retain the flexibility of the online options originally offered during the COVID-19 pandemic while the University of Northern Iowa works to finalize its new nursing program by 2024. The University […]
Here’s why this Iowa parent supports educational savings accounts for private schools
We’re nearly three years past the start of the COVID pandemic and life is returning to pre-pandemic times, except for one area — education. Parents got an unprecedented opportunity for an up-close view into the education their children were being provided. Awareness brought about an increased demand from parents for more educational options for their […]
Report: Black, straight-A student was in ‘racially hostile environment’ at Iowa school
The repeated racial harassment of a Black, straight-A student at an Ottumwa middle school was not adequately addressed by the school district and might have led to the student’s diminished academic performance, according to the U.S. Department of Education. The department on Monday outlined the findings of its investigation into the Ottumwa Community School District’s […]