By Zach Spindler-Krage, News Editor, The Scarlet and Black Members of the Union of Grinnell Student Dining Workers (UGSDW) officially ratified, in a 162-1 vote, the first contract in US history to cover all undergraduate student workers. On Friday, Grinnell College...
Iowa City closing an elementary school, blames underfunding from state
Hills Elementary School will close next school year after nearly 60 years of educating students, and members of the Iowa City School Board cite inadequate state funding as one of the reasons why. “It is the result of chronic and persistent underfunding by the state...
Linn-Mar cutting 19 teachers, 31 staff, cites ‘underfunding’ from state
One of the largest school districts in Iowa announced it was cutting 50 staff positions, including 19 full-time teachers, beginning next school year. The Linn-Mar Community School District announced Thursday it would be forced to cut $2.5 million from its budget for...
Casey’s staff shelters students fleeing Perry school shooting
A Casey’s General Store in Perry became a place of refuge for several students Thursday morning after a gunman opened fire at nearby Perry High School. Store Manager Jocelyn Kirchner said she received a call at 7:30 a.m. about what was transpiring at the high school....
Hawkeye, ISU marching bands among Top 5 in Metallica contest
Grammy-winning, Hall-of-Fame thrash metal rockers Metallica are making marching band competitions cool for a whole new crowd. In April, the band announced a marching band competition, "For Whom the Band Tolls," offering instruments and equipment music programs at high...
Guest post: My name is mine, not the government’s
In the fall of 1972, I was a shy ninth-grader entering Mt. St. Ursula in the Bronx. My legal name was Mary Bernadette, but I always went by my middle name, Bernadette. The first day of classes, teachers had us standing in the front of their rooms until our names were...
If you want to retain Iowa teachers, vote in school board elections
Want to stop the mass exodus of quality teachers from leaving Iowa? Want to make sure they're not only paid fairly, but feel like their district has their back? Turns out, your vote on Nov. 7 could mean the difference between a school board that cares about teachers...
Guest Post: I’m a Teacher Wasting Valuable Time on Iowa’s Nonsense New Laws
School started last week. It was crazy—but, like, actually crazy. Typically, before it actually starts and during our back-to-school meetings, we go over the standard back-to-school spiel: Be welcoming, get to know kids, remember to finish trainings, explanation of...
Guest Post: What Private Schools Get Wrong About Iowa’s School Vouchers
The Students First Act will continue to hobble Iowa’s public schools while providing subsidies to private school parents who typically have the resources to cover the cost of their children’s tuition. The claims some are making—that such a program is more...