Head Start is a free, federally-funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood education, health, nutrition and parent-involvement services to low-income children and families. A new proposal from the Trump administration would do away with many of the federal regulations that guide the program. On this episode, we talk with stakeholders across the state about what the proposed changes may mean for Iowa families. We talk with Chris Juett, executive director of the Iowa Head Start Association, and Drake University Head Start Director Lisa Proctor. We also hear from Mimi Solis, Head Start teacher and former Head Start parent. Later in the episode, the Library Bill of Rights was adopted by the American Library Association in 1939. We listen back to a conversation with former Des Moines Public Library Director Sue Woody about the purpose of the Library Bill of Rights, and the threats it faces today. (Part of this episode was originally produced March 1, 2023.)
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The Cedar Rapids school board voted to close six schools in an effort to right-size the district’s finances. District officials said they see it as an opportunity to give students the best chance at a high-quality public education as the district faces pressure from state-funded education savings accounts and new charter schools opening nearby. -
Gov. Kim Reynolds gave final approval Thursday for a 2% funding increase for Iowa's K-12 schools for the next school year. It sets the state cost per student at $8,148, which amounts to an additional $160 in funding per student compared to the current year. -
Republican lawmakers have approved a 2% increase in K-12 funding, sending the bill to the governor for final approval.
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Since its inception in 1965 in President Lyndon B. Johnson's "war on poverty," the federal Head Start program has served nearly 40 million children and their families in preparing to succeed in school and life. Head Start has faced a number of challenges in recent years, including flat funding, new mandates, attacks from the Trump Administration and a proposal to eliminate the program entirely. On this episode, we here from different Head Start stakeholders in Iowa about the services this program provides to young children and their families, how they are managing this changing landscape and what the future may hold for this program. -
Iowa leads the nation with a federal education funding waiver — what does it mean for classrooms and students? We also explore farmers’ struggles, Iowa’s ties to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and other headlines from the week. -
This election, voters in the Cedar Rapids Community School District will decide if they want to finance renovations at three middle schools and one high school through a $117 million bond. It will be the second time the district has brought the proposal to voters, but this time, it no longer includes plans for a new middle school.
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Iowa wants to send money to schools with fewer strings attached under a first-in-the-nation proposal. D.C.-based advocacy groups say it could jeopardize services for vulnerable populations, while superintendents say the lack of detail makes it difficult to predict impacts of the plan. -
On this Newbuzz edition of River to River, we hear about Iowa's abortion landscape, community college loan defaults and plenty more.
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Harvard University refused to follow Trump administration demands, risking the loss of federal funds. On a visit to Iowa, a Harvard professor shares his view on the university's position.
