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Education

572 posts

Education policy, school choice, local control in education and homeschooling

Roosevelt High School Teacher Promotes Student Walkout for Gun Control

A social studies teacher at Roosevelt High School in Des Moines announced a student walkout calling for gun control over the school’s PA system on Wednesday morning along with a call for people to call their elected representatives to change gun laws and mental health approaches.

Anti-Common Core, School Choice Bills Die in Iowa House

HF 2317, a bill that would make the Iowa Academic Standards voluntary for public schools and accredited non-public schools and HSB 651, a bill that would expand school choice in Iowa, died in the Iowa House Education Committee without a vote.

Iowa Student Opportunities Act Introduced in Iowa House

HSB 651, the Iowa Student Opportunities Act, was introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill would create an educations savings grant program and a new charter school program to expand school choice for Iowa’s public school families.

Bill Overriding Iowa Department of Education’s Assessment Choice Advances

A bill, HSB 578, making the University of Iowa’s Iowa Testing Programs the vendor who develops and administers Iowa’s statewide student assessment passed the Iowa House Education Committee 21 to 1.

Bill Allowing Homeschoolers in Iowa Learning Online Initiative Advances

A bill, SSB 3030, allowing families that homeschool under competent private instruction or independent private instruction to utilize the Iowa Learning Online Initiative passed in the Iowa Senate Education Committee.

Robbins Advocates for Student Privacy Before U.S. House Education Committee

Jane Robbins, a senior fellow with American Principles Project, was one of four witnesses for the House Committee on Education and the Workforce‘s hearing on “Evidence-Based Policymaking and the Future of Education.”

All Iowans Should Benefit From Open Enrollment Law

A bill up for consideration in the Iowa Legislature would eliminate the implementation of a voluntary diversity plan as a reason to deny open enrollment of a student that allows certain school districts to hold higher-income families hostage.

Iowa Senate Considers Tweaking School Year Start Time

The Iowa Senate Education Committee will consider a bill that will allow public school districts and accredited non-public schools to start their school year on the Monday following the end of the Iowa State Fair if it falls earlier than August 23.

McCoy Wants Independent Private Instruction Parents to Notify Schools

State Senator Matt McCoy (D-Des Moines) introduced a bill into the Iowa Senate that would require parents who homeschool under independent private instruction (IPI) to submit a written notice to their local school districts by September 1st of their intent to do so.

K-12 Education Bills of Note Before Iowa Legislature Early in 2018

Shane Vander Hart provides a round-up of K-12 education bills of note that are before the Iowa House and Iowa Senate Education Committees after the first week of the 2018 session of the 87th Iowa General Assembly.

The Des Moines Register’s Obsession With Homeschooling Crops Up Again

Shane Vander Hart: Since it is the start of a new legislative session, The Des Moines Register takes yet another shot at homeschooling in 2018.

The Battle to Mold the American Mind

David Lantz: After a century of going down the progressive path to get to where we are at it won’t change overnight, but more and more see the need to act.

Five Concerns About Iowa’s ESSA Accountability Plan

Shane Vander Hart shares five primary concerns he has about the final draft of Iowa’s Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) accountability plan.

Five Concerns With Iowa’s Winning Student Assessment Vendor

The Iowa Department of Education announced American Institutes for Research (AIR) was selected develop Iowa’s new student assessment. Here are five concerns.

ACT Says Only 31 Percent of Iowa Graduates Are College-Ready

ACT released a report this week that shows only 31 percent of Iowa’s graduates who took the ACT met all four of ACT’s college readiness benchmarks.

Fifteen Ivy League Professors’ Advice for Students: Think for Yourself

“Open-mindedness, critical thinking, and debate are essential to discovering the truth. Moreover, they are our best antidotes to bigotry.”