On this episode, it's summer school! We talk about the summer slide with University of Iowa expert Leah Zimmermann. The University of Iowa launched a literacy hub to help caregivers develop literacy skills whether at home or on the move. We also hear from Kathleen Locher, an elementary teacher librarian in Iowa City. She shares how a book that hadn’t been checked out in a decade has had a profound impact on her students. We hear poems read by rising fourth-grade Poetry Invaders Lina Ahmed, Sadie Linder, Kate Fina and Etta Schons. Then, Iowa State’s University Museums announced its new director, David Schmitz. We talk with him about how he found a passion for supporting other artists and plans for the future at University Museums.
Madeleine Charis King
/
Iowa Public Radio
John Pemble
/
Iowa Public Radio
-
Republican lawmakers have approved a 2% increase in K-12 funding, sending the bill to the governor for final approval. -
House lawmakers advanced a bill Wednesday that would end vaccine requirements for Iowans to enter elementary and secondary school. -
The Cedar Rapids school board is working toward reducing next year’s budget by nearly $13 million through salary and spending freezes, staffing reductions, and some school consolidations. Leaders are trying to right-size the district as it faces declining enrollment.
-
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4 — the final day for Iowans to vote in the 2025 election. Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday for in-person voting. The deadline for returning an absentee ballot is also on Tuesday. -
Facing termination over a comment posted after Charlie Kirk's death, a Creston teacher is pushing back and suing the school district for violating her first amendment rights. The lawsuit points to pro-Republican posts from the superintendent over the past few years. -
The All Iowa Reads committee reveals the titles for 2026. First, we revisit a conversation with educator Amanda Jones about her book, That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America.
-
Former Des Moines Public Schools Superintendent Ian Roberts of Guyana has been charged with illegally possessing four firearms while in the U.S. without legal status. A federal criminal complaint states he is under a valid deportation order and has not been authorized to work since 2020. -
Des Moines schools face uncertainty after Superintendent Ian Roberts’ arrest. Then, expert guidance on COVID-19 and flu vaccines this fall. -
Gov. Kim Reynolds is seeking federal approval to receive education funding as block grants. She said Iowa's improving K-12 public school performance shows the state is ready to have more control over federal funding.
