Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds announced changes to the funding and operations of Iowa’s nine local education agencies, as well as establishing state funding for public schools and public teacher training, during a signing ceremony in the Iowa Governor’s Office. He signed a bill that includes salary increases. Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines. Photographed by Erin Murphy.
Once the Iowa Legislature completed its work, Iowans wondered what happened to our state. Iowa has long pioneered high-quality public schools where students thrive and parents support. We were the envy of other states. State governments and businesses used public schools as a major driver of economic development, attracting more businesses and increasing the population. Unfortunately, we don’t see that kind of approach to public schools anymore. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republican lawmakers are damaging our once-proud public education system with unwarranted attacks and years of underfunding.
The coordinated attacks on Iowa’s public schools and education professionals reached a climax during the past two legislative sessions. Last year, a massive private school subsidy was issued that would ultimately result in $1 billion of taxpayer money being transferred to private schools. These private schools educate less than 10% of Iowa’s students and are not required to meet the same curriculum or student support standards as public schools. Imagine what $1 billion in new funding could do for the 90% (500,000) of her children who attend public schools.
The 2023 legislative session also included legislation that would ban the sale of books in public schools that do not fit the political and social agenda of the governor and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature. Fortunately, this law was brought to light by ISEA, Penguin Random House Publishing, four authors, three Iowa educators, one Iowa student, and one parent who filed a lawsuit to block this law. It has been put on hold because of what happened. Our children and families have the right to choose what they want to read and what they don’t want to read, not the politicians on Capitol Hill.
This session, Reynolds and other Republican lawmakers “redesigned” Iowa’s Area Education Agency (AEA). Despite overwhelming support from thousands of Iowans for local AEA professionals and services, Des Moines politicians refused to listen. For the past 50 years, AEA has helped level the playing field for students and their families. Currently, these critical services will be unevenly distributed depending on the availability of private companies and the limitations of the Department of Education bureaucracy in Des Moines. This has the potential to negatively impact the education of thousands of Iowa children, and this is a situation that should deeply concern us all.
Near the end of Congress, a bill was passed that would introduce a prescriptive social studies curriculum to bring politics into the classroom. Decisions about curriculum and instruction are best made locally by individual school districts, leaders, and education experts, rather than top-down mandates created by politicians with no education expertise.
This session also passed a new substitute teacher certification program, which all public education organizations have opposed for years. Those who receive this certification are not required to have special training in early childhood development, special education, and other intensive and specialized instruction necessary to provide a quality education to students.
Finally, a bill was passed to arm school personnel and introduce weapons into public schools. The bill, approved by the Board of Education, would make it legal for school employees to anonymously apply for and receive permits to carry guns to school. This information will not be disclosed to school administrators, colleagues, parents, or guardians of students. Our public schools need proven strategies, medical resources, more qualified adults, and improved safety measures, not more guns.
This session provided a small amount of support for educators. It would increase first-year and 12-year veteran pay for education specialists and provide $14 million to schools to increase salaries for education support specialists. ISEA has long advocated for better wages and wages for education professionals. Unfortunately, these new funds represent only a small piece of the pie to support public schools.
Dismantling the public education system will only push more educators away from this noble profession. We need to support educators and not make their jobs even harder. We need to respect their work and expertise. We need to come together to stop the destruction of our public schools. ISEA will fight hard in the November elections to ensure that pro-public education candidates advance and win. Our children deserve better. We hope you will join us in this fight.
Coy Marquardt is the executive director of the Iowa Education Association. He is a former educator from eastern Iowa, where he worked for over 15 years as a field director and deputy executive director at ISEA.
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