Education
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Ankeny School Board candidate Amber Romans was almost a teacher. Now she wants to fight for them
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 too, until a leg injury forced her to…
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Johnston parents worry about a Moms for Liberty takeover of the school board
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 School District today. The school board, Schippers said, has gotten…
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Tired of school board drama, Ankeny parents want renewed focus on education
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 was hesitant because Iowa and Philadelphia are…
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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 and a board that just wants to…
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Why did the Ankeny Chamber pull out of hosting a school board forum?
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 support from a school board candidate forum that was slated to feature all 10 candidates.…
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Amy Tagliareni wants to focus on Ankeny students
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 student in our district succeed,” Tagliareni said.…
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Katie Claeys is proud of her record on the Ankeny School Board
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 asked why she was…
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Lya Williams wants to stop book bans, expand STEM in Johnston schools
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 her hat in the ring for a second time…
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Diversity question draws mixed response from Johnston School Board Candidates
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 resources to guide the learning of all students to graduate as confident learners with…
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Combating teacher burnout in Ankeny schools a priority for Shelly Northway
Shelly Northway sees exciting possibilities for the Ankeny Community School District, but she knows it needs strong, focused leadership to keep going on that path. That’s why Northway is running for one of the five available positions on the Ankeny School Board. She doesn’t think the current board has been transparent enough about its decision-making,…
