A lot of school board election coverage gives weight to who the candidates are and what they stand for, but students want to know when people will listen to them. The Johnston School District held a candidate forum at Johnston High School last week, where all eight...
Sometimes the only standing between you and following in your father’s footsteps is a broken leg—or at least that was the case for Amber Romans. Romans’ father became a teacher after his time in the US Navy. She initially went to college intent on becoming an educator...
Twenty years ago, Kaycee Schippers moved to Johnston for its schools. Her daughter, now 27, went through the district and now her 16-year-old son is in school at Johnston too. But during an interview this week, she said she wouldn't move into the Johnston Community...
About 11 years ago, the Brennan family was preparing to move from the Philadelphia suburbs to Iowa. They had a number of options to choose from—as long as the city was by a John Deere plant—but picked Ankeny because of the reputation of the public school system. “I...
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...
The Ankeny Chamber of Commerce pulled out of co-hosting Tuesday’s Ankeny School Board candidate forum after it received unspecified “threats,” but the Ankeny Police Department says nothing has been reported. KCCI reported on Oct. 18 that the chamber withdrew its...
When she first ran for Ankeny School Board four years ago, Amy Tagliareni wanted to make a change for students who didn’t have a good experience in the district. Now, Tagliareni is running again because she knows there’s more work to do there. “I want to see every...
Considering the turmoil that has surrounded the Ankeny School Board over the last few years, no one would blame Katie Claeys if she decided not to run for a second term. However, she is not afraid of a challenge. “We still have a lot of work to do,” Claeys said when...
One of the first things you should probably learn about Lya Williams is that her name is pronounced Lee-Uh and not Lie-Uh. Another thing you should know is that she cares deeply about the future of public education in the Johnston School District. Williams has thrown...
The demographics of the Johnston School District are becoming more diverse, which is why the district has tried to place an increased emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. Part of the district’s mission statement is to “commit all district...
