School Choice Success in Des Moines
By offering a customized and unique curriculum, Joshua Christian Academy in Des Moines offers its students hope and opportunity they would not otherwise have had in traditional public schools.
All Kids Deserve Educational Opportunities
From my experience traveling across Iowa and visiting with parents and teachers, I am convinced that having more choice in education is vital. Real-life stories of change from parents and private school leaders illustrate the importance of choice in education. A small private school principal in eastern Iowa shared, “We’ve increased our numbers this past year because of COVID-19. Parents […]
Des Moines Public Schools and Open Enrollment: Putting Schools Before Students
The Kirkwood Institute and the Tax Education Foundation of Iowa (TEF Iowa) released a special investigation into the Des Moines Public Schools and open enrollment. The report details documents, not previously released publicly, that show how the DMPS denies open enrollment requests from families who cite harassment, bullying, and even sexual assault.
Governor Kim Reynolds Placing Students First
Governor Kim Reynolds in her Condition of the State Address proposed the Students First Act, a bold comprehensive education reform plan, which places Iowa students first by removing barriers to educational opportunity. The goal is to ensure that socioeconomic status and zip codes do not limit the ability of parents to provide the best education for their children. The COVID-19 pandemic […]
Eliminate Barriers to Open Enrollment
The COVID-19 pandemic is changing the discussion over education delivery in Iowa. Many Iowa parents are struggling with their children learning from home or balancing a hybrid system of in-school and online learning. In addition, many children are being impacted by the “COVID slide” and are falling behind academically. This has led to a growing call for more parental choice […]
Allowing Greater Choice in Education
The COVID-19 pandemic is greatly impacting how Iowans view education. As a result, many students across Iowa are either learning completely online or in a hybrid model of online and in-class learning. Parents are being forced to balance work from home as well as facilitate their children’s online learning. Many children are not getting the education they deserve based on […]
Empowering Parents with the Right to Choose
We all know a teacher who has greatly influenced our life, but sadly faith in public education is eroding. A Gallop poll found that in 2019 only 29 percent of Americans were confident in the public-school system. Increasingly, public schools are embracing and teaching questionable ideologies, such as The New York Times 1619 Project, which redefines the American Founding as […]
Providing the Best Educational Opportunities for All
The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all aspects of life. The pandemic is especially changing the way Americans think about education. COVID has forced many schools to adopt a hybrid model of in-class and online learning. Many parents, who are working from home, are finding themselves balancing both work and guiding their child’s online education. “The COVID crisis has laid bare […]
Placing Kids First in Education
By Walt Rogers As a former state legislator my top priority was and still is education. Perhaps one of the most memorable and heartfelt moments occurred when I chaired an Iowa House subcommittee hearing on a bill proposing Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). An emotional mother testified that her “public school does not offer my child what he needs, and […]
Education is Not Just About Money
These are just a few of the testimonials from Iowa students and parents who have benefitted from the opportunities provided by Iowa’s school choice policies. Too often the policy discussion over education centers around spending and for good reason. Public education consumes a majority of the state budget and is one of the driving costs of property tax bills. […]
2020 Candidate Education Guide
Recently TEF Iowa polled Iowans to get their view on some key public policy issues. In this guide you will find not only how Iowans think about these issues, but also public policy solutions that align with the interest of Iowans. TEF Iowa has developed this guide as a resource to provide legislative candidates additional information on some of the […]
Are Education Pods the Answer?
As a new school year begins amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many Iowa parents are juggling working from home and facilitating their children’s online education. Schools across Iowa are offering a hybrid of in-class and online instruction. Many parents in Iowa have selected to have their children start school online for the fall semester as a result of the virus. A […]
Are Education Pods the Answer?
As a new school year begins amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, many Iowa parents are juggling working from home and facilitating their children’s online education. Schools across Iowa are offering a hybrid of in-class and online instruction. Many parents in Iowa have selected to have their children start school online for the fall semester as a result of the virus. A […]
How Do ESAs Work?
Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) represent the gold standard for school choice policy. The purpose of an ESA is to allow education tax dollars to follow the student rather than a specific designated school. An ESA provides parents with the flexibility to customize the best education for their children. This includes not only choosing which school their child attends, but also […]
Time for Accountability in Higher Education
Universities and colleges in Iowa as well as across the nation are preparing to welcome back students for the fall semester. In recent years higher education has been plagued with numerous problems. A major concern is growing dominance of radical ideologies both in and out of the classroom. In addition, the cost is accelerating, and many students are finishing their […]
Empowering Parents with Education Savings Accounts
A parent in Arizona argues, ESAs are serving the educational needs of her children. Jenny Clark, a mother of two children with learning disabilities has been able to provide her kids with the specialized resources they need for a successful future. She argues that “children are not mere funding units,” and thanks to ESAs, she has “realized that our children […]
American History’s Educational Decline
“I’m warning of an eradication of the American memory that could result, ultimately, in an erosion of the American spirit. Let’s start with some basics: more attention to American history and a greater emphasis on civic ritual,” stated President Ronald Reagan in his Farewell Address to the nation. President Reagan’s warning still holds true today. We are confronted with a […]
How Does Your School District Compare?
Find the change of enrollment, teachers, and staff in your school district over the last 20 years. Public education in Iowa consumes 55 percent of the state General Fund. On a local level close to 42 percent of property taxes are spent on funding public education. It is a leading budget driver in Iowa and with the ongoing discussion of […]
The Education Funding Debate in Iowa
When the Iowa Legislature returns for the 2020 session next January, there will undoubtedly be declarations from some corners of the Capitol that public education is not being fully funded. Education will not be alone in this regard; the fully funded claim will be applied to multiple policy areas, especially by those special interest groups advocating for more taxpayer funding. […]
Education Savings Accounts
The views expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Tax Education Foundation. They are brought to you in the interest of a better-informed citizenry. Education Savings Accounts in the Hawkeye State: Potential Fiscal Effects on State and Local Taxpayers By Martin Lueken, Ph.D., EdChoice Download PDF