George Orwell’s 1984, a dystopian classic novel, is a staple in American high school English and social studies curricula. 1984 is taught in 9th or 10th grade and used to introduce themes of totalitarianism, propaganda and censorship. Likewise, studying Adolf Hitler’s accession to power ...

It’s the week before funnel! It’s the week before the first legislative funnel deadline. Most House bills must pass a full committee by the end of next week in order to stay alive. This was a busy week full of subcommittee and committee meetings as we work to make sure our priorities ...

It’s funny how a government body can learn and teach an important civics lesson in the time it takes a student to go from kindergarten through 12th grade. In 2012, the Atlantic Community School District won a lawsuit to keep information secret about disciplinary measures taken against two ...

Every February, we celebrate Financial Aid Awareness Month with tips on the types of financial aid students can use to pay for school and the tools needed to navigate financial aid. Those lessons matter. But if we stop there, we miss a more complicated truth: many students are not struggling ...

This week the House introduced House Study Bill 696 dealing with welfare reform. This bill aims to protect the integrity and sustainability of Iowa’s public assistance programs so it can provide proper care for the Iowans who really need it. It does this by empowering disabled Iowans. It ...

I started my career in rural Iowa in 1974 as an English, speech and reading teacher. Our students were top performers and the state’s education system was the gold standard. Educators and public schools in general were revered and respected by their communities. We didn’t have a lot of ...