Thirty-six years after the Reagan administration began a long-delayed public education campaign about HIV/AIDS, Gov. Kim Reynolds and Republicans in the Iowa Legislature have decided that education about HIV/AIDS is no longer needed in public schools. One of the provisions of SF 496 — a bill introduced by the governor’s office that makes major changes […]
Iowa Education
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds’ ESA program, fast-tracked through the Iowa Legislature, goes into effect May 31
Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office announced on Thursday morning that the new “Students First Education Savings Accounts” program will begin accepting applications on May 31. In the same statement, the governor’s office unveiled the administrative rules for the voucher-style program and other information. Passing a law to create a program to divert money from public to […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Set to close after 181 years, Iowa Wesleyan University is ‘disappointed in the lack of state support’; Gov. Reynolds rebuffs blame
Iowa Wesleyan University announced on Monday it will permanently close at the end of the current semester. In a statement posted on its website, the 181-year-old private university in Mount Pleasant cited financial problems, including a decline in donor support and Gov. Kim Reynolds’ refusal to provide assistance using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
State lawmaker accuses some educators of promoting socialism
An Iowa House subcommittee advanced a bill Wednesday that would require high school teachers to hold class discussion comparing political ideologies “that conflict with the principles of freedom and democracy that were essential to the founding of the United States.” House File 12 specifically mentions communism and totalitarianism. Iowa Rep. Steven Holt, a Republican from […]
Posted inStatewide
In Condition of the State speech, Gov. Reynolds boldly pushes for changes unpopular with most Iowans
During her Condition of the State Speech on Tuesday night, Gov. Kim Reynolds called on the newly expanded Republican majorities in both houses of the Iowa Legislature to ignore critics, including the media and “so-called experts,” and push to eliminate state regulations and agencies she considers unnecessary, increase protection for doctors sued for malpractice and […]
Posted inLetters
Op-ed: As Banned Books Week turns 40, it’s time to unequivocally condemn censorship
By Mickey Huff, Project Censored In her best-selling novel Speak, young adult author Laurie Halse Anderson wrote, “Censorship is the child of fear and the father of ignorance.” Since the American Library Association (ALA) and Association of American Publishers helped launch Banned Books Week 40 years ago, that dysfunctional family of censorship has unfortunately grown […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘We are under spiritual attack’: How Iowa’s anti-mask parents became a GOP force — and why they’re leveraging their power to ban books
This month, central Iowa parents seeking to have books they deem “pornographic” removed from school libraries prepared to kick things up a notch. A few of the parents crafted a letter to send to Polk County Attorney John Sarcone, asking for a criminal investigation of the West Des Moines Community School District. “On a continuous […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 1619 Freedom School aims to empower the next generation of Black leaders in Waterloo
Nikole Hannah-Jones describes herself as “just a girl from Waterloo.” But her career suggests so much more. Hannah-Jones was the recipient of the 2020 Pulitzer Prize for Commentary for her introductory essay to The New York Times’ The 1619 Project, which discussed slavery as foundational in American history and its legacy seen today in U.S. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Historic Iowa City women’s seminary paved the way toward equal access to education
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]I live in a female seminary. It’s an apartment building now, mostly remodeled, but I can imagine the history trapped between the brick walls. I sleep in the same rooms where some of the first young girls in our nation were allowed to educated themselves. I make coffee in the same spot where I imagine […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Branstad signs executive order to combat school bullying
In an effort to combat bullying in Iowa schools, Gov. Terry Branstad signed an executive order Monday that establishes the Governor’s Office for Bullying Prevention, designed to provide schools with resources to create a more “Safe and respectful” learning environment. Branstad signed the order alongside Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds while attending a ceremony at […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa’s 2015 legislative rundown: Red light cameras, medical marijuana and flag burning, oh my!
Another year, another legislative session. State lawmakers head back to Des Moines this month, fresh off last November’s legislative races. State government…
Posted inCommunity/News
Opinion: Stop over-funding the bloated UI administration
Recently, the University of Iowa has been making some questionable decisions in the name of finances. Courses are being cut in Intermedia (despite waiting lists and TA’s ready to teach them), fellowships that traditionally fund underrepresented minorities are being eliminated, graduate students are inconsistently funded or underfunded and the number of part-time, non-benefit-receiving adjunct faculty […]
