Gov. Kim Reynolds continued her war on public schools earlier this month when she narrowly won Iowa Senate confirmation of McKenzie Snow to lead the Iowa Department of Education (DOE). Snow is the wrong choice for the 500,000+ kids who attend our public schools,...
As Bayer, the major pharmaceutical and biotech company, lobbies the Iowa Legislature to enact legislation to protect it from civil suits related to its pesticide products, it is worth noting that Bayer and Monsanto—which Bayer purchased in 2018—have collectively...
"A very large downward variance from the recommended sentence." Those words—a characterization by Kim Taylor's defense attorney to local media—have been on my mind. So too has the phrase "general deterrence" both from the federal prosecutors and U.S. District Court...
McKenzie Snow, Gov. Reynolds' pick to lead the Iowa Department of Education and a former Trump administration staffer, wouldn't answer Sen. Herman Quirmbach’s (D-Ames) questions in a Senate subcommittee about her legal qualifications to be an Iowa educator....
A former Trump administration official and advocate for using public funds for private school scholarships officially has Iowa’s top education job. The Iowa Senate confirmed McKenzie Snow’s appointment as director of the Iowa Department of Education in a 34-15 vote...
A Sioux City Republican activist who was convicted of illegally filling in ballots escaped a far harsher punishment on Monday for her 52 acts of voter fraud, which could have carried a five-year prison sentence for each. Instead, Federal Judge Leonard Strand...
Iowa Republicans are going to say Iowa Democrats don't support teacher pay, but they won't mention that it was part of the unpopular AEA bill.
Story updated after the bill was signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday, March 27. In recent years, it has been rare for Iowa Republicans in the legislature to vote against Gov. Kim Reynolds’ proposals let alone speak out publicly against them, but Sen. Charlie...
The Iowa Senate debated an amended Area Education Agency (AEA) bill on March 18, during which many Democratic legislators focused on the thousands of constituent emails, comments, and testimonies against the governor's initiative to dismantle how the AEA system...
McKenzie Snow’s critics note she has never taught inside an American classroom and that her only degree is in political science; however, some prominent education officials in Iowa believe she is qualified to lead the Iowa Department of Education. The Iowa Senate...
