Navigating the Future of Iowa’s Educational System

Pinpointing the exact time when Iowa started losing its status as a top-performing state in education can be challenging, as educational rankings can fluctuate over time due to various factors like changes in education policies, demographics, and assessment methods. Perhaps what is more important here is not necessarily working to find the exact time nor the events that led up to that change (sorry History Teachers), but rather what our Students need to be successful in the world they will grow up in!

The issue here is not about knowing what happened to keep history from repeating itself. It's about changing the narrative. Instead of looking back and figuring out what we did wrong, we should examine our current educational systems with a future-focused mindset. This approach will help us determine what measures are necessary in preparing our youth for the future world in which they will grow up and thrive.

So where are we now? The current Governor has made it clear she wants reforms now. The passing of the Charter School Law in 2021, the ESAs (Educational Savings Accounts) in 2023, the workforce development initiatives, the push to close the AEAs (Area Education Agencies), and the reorganization of the Department of Education are strong indications that she wants change and wants it now.

Schools in Iowa have been unchallenged since the day they were created. Parents trusted the school to provide quality education to their children, to care for them while they had them, and to protect them from harm while in their care. This landscape has changed immensely. Parents no longer trust schools to do these things. Additionally, schools are finding it hard to deal with new demands that would not have been present 30 years ago. These demands include but are not limited to learning social and emotional trauma-informed care strategies, preparing for active shooter drills, expanding front door security measures through various methods such as setting up metal detectors, increasing budget considerations, and the list goes on.

So, where do we want to be? We need to ask this question to our Legislators, Educators, the educational institutions that support our schools, and ourselves as Iowans. What do we want from our educational system so that Iowans are thriving, happy, and working for the greater good?

1: We need educated global thinkers who can take in information, analyze it, synthesize it, and create new from it.

2: We need educated global workers who can take information, analyze it, synthesize it, and create new from it.

3: We need educated global citizens who can take information, analyze it, synthesize it, and create new from it.

4: We need educated global citizens who can dialogue, collaborate, and come to a consensus for the greater good and to be able to discern good from evil.

You may notice that none of these ideas state that we need people to regurgitate information, memorize facts, and take multiple-choice tests based on academic standards. None of these ideas state that we want the same cookie-cutter Curriculum that only meets the needs of some. None of these ideas state we want our Students to be great at Math, Science, Social Studies, English, World Languages, Fine Arts, Health, Physical Education, Agriculture, Family Consumer Science, Business, Computer Science, and Industrial Technology. However, THESE are the REQUIRED subjects for study in our schools despite the need for content areas to offer strong starting points for Students to become educated global citizens.

Emphasizing information input, analysis, and synthesis to create new educational pathways is at the core of what we do at Iowa Choice Charter School! Daily, we work to revolutionize education in Iowa and elevate it to a status reflective of the standing it held (and was envied for) in the past.