Iowa
News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Iowa
School & District Management
A Superintendent's Balancing Act Amid Trump's DEI Crackdown
Districts are trying to navigate a dizzying pace of new federal orders and continue working with as little fanfare as possible.
Standards & Accountability
States Are Testing How Much Leeway They Can Get From Trump's Ed. Dept.
A provision in the Every Student Succeeds Act allows the secretary of education to waive certain state requirements.
School Choice & Charters
States Are Spending Billions on Private School Choice. But Is It Truly Universal?
More than half a million students in eight states last school year took advantage of private school choice open to all students.
Science
A Marine Science Program in a Surprising Place Shows Students New Career Options
It's hard to find teachers for STEM subjects, but a school system in a landlocked state has found a way to make it work with marine science.
School Choice & Charters
How Private School Choice Complicates Public School Budgets
Districts are seeing higher costs and fuzzier enrollment projections as more states give parents public funds for private education.
School & District Management
Public Schools Launch Marketing Campaigns to Compete With School Choice
“It signals that public schools want to be the schools of choice in a choice environment," says one researcher.
Law & Courts
Iowa's Book Ban Is Reinstated by Appeals Court But Case Against It Will Continue
The Iowa law bars books depicting sex in school libraries and discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in preK-6.
Ed-Tech Policy
Tracker
Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?
See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools.
Budget & Finance
Spending ESSER Funds Will Come Down to the Wire for Some Districts. Here's Why
Schools have until September to commit federal relief dollars. In some cases, spending every last penny could be tricky.
School & District Management
Teacher Layoffs Are Mounting. How Districts Can Soften the Blow
Layoffs are coming in districts large and small. Here's how district leaders can handle them.
Reading & Literacy
The 'Science of Reading' in 2024: 5 State Initiatives to Watch
These actions join a mounting tide of reading legislation across the country.
School Climate & Safety
6th Grader Killed and 5 Others Injured in Iowa School Shooting
The shooting was reported early Thursday, before classes began.
Law & Courts
Appeals Court Blocks District Policy That Requires Students to 'Respect' Gender Identity
The federal appeals court panel holds that the policy is likely unconstitutionally vague under the First Amendment.
Reading & Literacy
An Iowa District Used AI to Figure Out Which Books to Ban
An Iowa school district used AI to decide which books to ban to comply with a state law that bans materials with depictions of sex.