You Go Iowa!
I have often said that I am not a fan of charter schools if they have to adhere to the same curriculum as other schools. I firmly believe that it is the curriculum that prevents most kids from learning – see the Chicago public schools. Well in Iowa, the public charter schools are free to innovate. The state has received a $43 million grant from the federal government to support its public charter schools. Iowa’s public charter schools are authorized by the State Board of Education, tuition-free, operate under a governing school board, and are not required to adhere to state laws that govern public schools’ curriculum and instructional methods. Hallelujah!
Iowa’s governor Kim Reynolds said “Public charter schools provide yet another school choice for parents and guardians looking for the education option that’s best suited for their children’s abilities and needs. This $43 million grant recognizes Iowa as a leader in educational freedom and supports our innovative work to expand high-quality, tuition-free, public charter schools as an option for Iowa students and families.” The state’s education head said “With the support of this grant, Iowa’s dedicated educators will continue to improve, innovate and grow new learning environments that see every child, meet them where they are and provide what they need to realize their incredible potential.” I wonder what the Iowa teachers’ unions had to say about all this?
In announcing the grant Education. Secretary Linda McMahon said “A one-size fits all education system is not working for our students. Charter schools allow for innovative educational models that expand learning opportunities for students. The Trump administration will continue to use every available tool to advocate for meaningful learning, advance school choice, and ensure every student is well-positioned to succeed.” Since charter schools have been shown to dramatically increase the reading and math skills of minority children, the Trump administration is continuing republican efforts to push forward on this issue in the face of opposition from the left, the teachers’ unions and those who profess to have minority kids interests at heart.
Also Iowa is a leader in STEM education in k-12. My esteemed niece who is a renowned professor of engineering and now president of California’s Harvey Mudd College – the country’s leading science focused undergraduate institution – probably loves that Iowa has a Govern’s STEM advisory council “to ensure that every Iowa student in every geographic location and from every background has access to cutting- edge educational opportunities.”
With all these accomplishments it should come as no surprise that Iowa is the first state granted an education funds waiver meaning that the state’s funds are unrestricted. Iowa can now use the funds as it sees fit and doesn’t have to incur all the federal compliance costs. This is a step in returning education decisions to the states. McMahon said “Iowa now has the flexibility to cut paperwork and simplify a hundred percent of state activities funding streams. It can invest in proven strategies to build a world-class teacher pipeline, close achievement gaps, and open post secondary opportunities to prepare for a great career.”
I couldn’t agree more. Iowa is only the first of many more to get this waiver as part of the Trump administration’s effort to wind down the Department of Education. Of course the democrats are hopping mad. Bobby Scott of Virginia said “Congress must not sit idly by as the Trump administration makes every effort to drag students, educators, and parents back into an era where students were denied the opportunities and resources they needed to succeed.” Well what I want to know from Rep. Scott is what are the reading scores in your district? If they are at or above grade level then keep talking. If they are not then shut up.
Lastly, I would hope that the administration will grant the waivers only to those states that are actively trying to increase their students’ reading and math proficiencies like Mississippi, Arkansas and maybe Tennessee. States like Illinois, California and New Jersey should never get the waiver.
haroldblackphd.com 
If there is any foundation to education, it’s:
if you think education is expensive, try ignorance..
So I’ve never resented taxes for education, altho I’ve never had kids in school. But I do resent my money going to education corporations..
Dr Black is the education guy, so I have to bow to his thoughts. I’d like to know what Milton Friedman said as well- since he was all in for vouchers..
But there is opposition to vouchers, and not all fm unions..
TN Campaigns for state legislature was affected by pro -voucher dark money, where conservatives who didn’t take to Government re-engineering were defeated..
Schools with vouchers I find are white, religious- and what would happen if a school corporations founded by Muslims came to TN?..
I do recall busing, another socialist re- engineering that I think had some good effect. If busing was wrong, as all the white people said, then here is a wrong- thru financial segregation ..
“Trump…Republican…TN/Ark/MS vs Democrat states… union vs state government”— no, I don’t see any freedom for academics, as this is politics as usual.
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Larry, Freidman was solidly in the voucher camp having written on it in Capitalism and Freedom. Here is a summary of his views on education https://www.edchoice.org/2025-five-milton-friedman-ideas-every-student-and-parent-should-know/ BTW I was for busing only if shown empirically it raised the proficiency of those who were bused. Ninety percent of school funding is at the state/local levels. I would rather have the Feds out of it entirely so block grants are preferable to how funding is done historically.
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…”The free market system creates efficiency equally, regardless of the differences that often lead to biases and unfair systems. Friedman said…”
Thank you for the Friedman link. I have a picture of Friedman with Thomas Sowell, altho my wife cautions me about AI. But I assume the pic is real..
The headline of the picture is about entitlement- thinking relabeled inequalities..
Was it you that said early, original Black schools were very academic-focused, and that integration ruined Black education? Would you support a return to Black schools?..
I know an Hispanic kid who speaks better English than the usual TN hillbilly. Thanks to public education and a dedicated teacher. I don’t know if his parents are legal. Would you grant Dreamer status to someone who excelled and assimilated?..
There are many good Friedman points. But all I can see is his disregard for government..
And who promotes vouchers in TN but Bill Lee-
Who the Admin Trump45 called a Communist dupe; who Trump 47 called a RINO; and who’s plan for Blue Oval was “ I don’t know where these Blacks are going to live, but they ain’t living here .”
Do you think he will leave academics alone?
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Integration did not ruin black education. It was a combination of the welfare state, equity and deteriorating standards along with the destruction of the two parent households. By the way, that has been true for “white “education too. It has just taken a bit longer.
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Yes! But we have moved into the degeneracy of America- and who that belongs to. A very large topic for a Saturday morning.
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Hooray Iowa!
It’s so ridiculous to believe that education implementation and learning can be mandated from the sinkhole called Washington. With every union boss having a hand in the till, it’s corrupt, and winding it down is itself, genius.
I heard just yesterday that $3.5m of the education budget had been going to “raising eduction standards” in 4 different foreign countries. How about raising the standards in OUR country?
My first 8 years were spent in a parochial school in Savannah, being taught by Franciscan Nuns. We had 30 in the class, and nary a misbehavior incident in those 8 years. Reading, Penmanship (lost art), Social Studies, a Science, and Math were the core curriculum, with a dose of Religion and “the Arts” a few times each week (and you’d better be actually singing in once per week Mass….). The Franciscans were excellent teachers and required both diligence and performance.
In (public) High School, we had equal doses of English, Math, Science, and Social Studies (including Civics), with available electives in “old fashioned” areas such as “Home Economics” (should be required by every student), auto shop, drafting, Chorus and Band. And clubs galore to supplement school at the student’s choice (Beta, Math, DECA, etc Clubs).
In college, there were no classes that taught one how to become a professional activist, or completely worthless outcome classes around sexuality and indigenous histories. English Literature, Economics, History, Chemistry, Engineering, Education Theory, Mathematics, Physics, Biology…….no gender studies…..
Freedom and accountability are amazing things. At least they used to be….
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