Education (Teachers)

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 16, 2026

HSB 682: A bill for an act relating to the revocation or denial of educator licenses and certificates for publicly celebrating assassinations or acts of politically motivated violence, and including effective date and retroactive applicability provisions.

This bill requires Iowa's educator licensing board to deny or revoke licenses for educators who publicly express approval of politically motivated violence, such as the killing of Charles J. Kirk. It defines "celebrate" as publicly stating phrases like "good riddance" or "one less fascist," and a single verified instance of such expression - via social media, public statements, or any public medium - would trigger license denial or revocation. The law specifies that this applies if the celebration demonstrates moral unfitness, risks disrupting schools, or undermines public trust in educators. However, it explicitly prohibits license revocation solely for protected First Amendment speech, such as political expression, unless it involves celebrating violence. The law takes effect immediately upon enactment and applies retroactively to September 10, 2025.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts educator speech by mandating license revocation for public approval of politically motivated violence, limiting professional expression in education.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

Track

died · Iowa · House Mar 9, 2026

HF 2393: A bill for an act permitting school districts to use certain categorical funds generated from pupils participating in the education savings account program for any school general fund purpose.

HF 2393 allows Iowa school districts to use specific categorical funds - generated from students enrolled in the state's education savings account program - for any general school budget purpose, rather than restricted uses. This change applies only to funds tied to students participating in the education savings account program under Section 257.11B. Previously, these funds had to cover teacher salary supplements, professional development, or leadership program costs, but the bill removes those restrictions starting July 1, 2026. The policy directly affects school districts receiving these funds and provides greater budget flexibility for general operations.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases fiscal flexibility for school districts by removing restricted fund uses, promoting efficient budget management within school finance.85% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRemoves requirement for funds to cover teacher salaries/professional development, allowing diversion to general purposes instead of dedicated educational support.85% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget School Choice School Funding Teachers

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 17, 2026

HSB 718: A bill for an act relating to practitioner preparation programs, including by modifying the preparation required to be included in practitioner preparation programs and the duties of the state board of education and the director of the department of education, and including applicability provisions.

This Iowa bill (HSB 718) requires teacher preparation programs to remove specific concepts from their curriculum by July 1, 2027. It prohibits instruction on "diversity, equity, and inclusion" theories, multicultural classroom management frameworks, and social-emotional learning models. Instead, programs must include explicit training in "authority-centered" classroom management techniques - such as clear rules, teacher-led instruction, and consistent discipline - and analyze historical management approaches prior to 1990. The law applies to students admitted to approved programs on or after July 1, 2027, and directs the state education board to enforce these changes through program approvals.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits DEI concepts in teacher prep curricula, replacing them with authority-centered methods - direct curriculum restriction per topic description.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Teachers

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 23, 2026

HF 2451: A bill for an act relating to student instructional technology standards, including elementary school digital instruction limits, technology use policies, and governance of one-to-one digital device programs.

HF 2451 sets a 60-minute daily limit on digital instruction for Iowa students in kindergarten through fifth grade, excluding uses like IEP-required technology, teacher demonstrations, or state assessments. It requires school districts to adopt written technology use policies for these grades, including daily limits, a list of digital platforms, parent opt-out rights, and a statement that technology should support foundational learning. The bill also mandates a technology adoption checklist for one-to-one device programs, covering instructional purpose, age appropriateness, content filtering, and student data practices. These policies and checklists must be published online for public access. The bill applies to all school districts, charter schools, and innovation school zones in Iowa.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts digital instruction time to 60 minutes daily in K-5 and mandates policies limiting tech use, aligning with OPPOSE indicators of restricting educational technology access.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyImposes 60-minute daily digital instruction limit for K-5, mandates restrictions on tech use, and requires opt-out policies, directly limiting technology integration in schools.92% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Special Education Teachers Data Privacy Online Safety

Track

introduced · Iowa · House Feb 23, 2026

HF 2685: A bill for an act relating to student instructional technology standards, including elementary school digital instruction limits, technology use policies, and governance of one-to-one digital device programs.

HF 2685 establishes Iowa's first statewide standards for student instructional technology in elementary schools (K-5). It limits digital instruction to 60 minutes daily, excluding uses like IEP-required technology, teacher demonstrations, assessments, and computer science classes. School districts must adopt written policies detailing daily limits, digital tools used, and parental opt-out rights for reduced screen time, and publish these policies online. The bill also requires transparency around one-to-one device programs, including data practices and parental choice options, but excludes online learning programs.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill imposes 60-minute daily limit on digital instruction in K-5 schools, restricting technology use in classrooms with specific exceptions.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyImposes 60-minute daily limit on elementary student digital instruction, restricting technology use in schools per bill's core provisions.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Special Education Teachers Data Privacy

Track

in committee · Iowa · Senate Mar 7, 2025

SSB 1211: A bill for an act modifying supplemental aid and modified supplemental amounts for certain school districts relating to open enrollment, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

This bill modifies how Iowa school districts receive supplemental funding based on open enrollment. It sets a 35% threshold for open enrollment (students from outside the district) to qualify for aid, requires districts to hold a public hearing before applying, and caps aid at 50% of the net enrollment increase multiplied by specific per-pupil costs (like teacher salaries and professional development). Districts where over half of open-enrollment students use private online instruction are excluded. The changes apply to school budgets starting July 1, 2025, and repeal a prior tax levy limitation.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill caps supplemental aid at 50% of net enrollment increase, restricting school district funding access under budget management rules.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationCaps supplemental aid at 50% of net enrollment increase, restricting funding for districts with open enrollment beyond 35% threshold.85% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding Teachers

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Feb 24, 2025

HF 554: A bill for an act relating to public schools, including by modifying provisions related to school district library programs and requests to remove educational materials from classrooms and school libraries.

HF 554 modifies Iowa public school library requirements. It requires school districts to employ a licensed teacher librarian (starting July 1, 2025), removing the previous option of hiring someone previously employed at a public library. The bill eliminates enforcement mechanisms like written warnings and hearings for library program compliance, removes confidentiality protections for parents requesting book removals, and deletes prohibitions against student involvement in material removal decisions. These changes directly affect school districts, library staff, and parents making material removal requests.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill removes library compliance enforcement, confidentiality for book removal requests, and prohibits student involvement in material removal, enabling easier censorship and restricting educational access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Libraries Teachers

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 5, 2025

HSB 137: A bill for an act relating to education, including by modifying provisions related to mathematics instruction, civics assessments, practitioner preparation programs, and the duties of the director of the department of education.

This Iowa bill (HSB 137) modifies education requirements for K-12 schools, directly affecting public, nonpublic, charter, and innovation zone schools, along with teachers and students. It requires schools to administer math screeners three times yearly for K-6 students, identify those "persistently at risk" (scoring below benchmark twice), and provide weekly progress checks with personalized intervention plans. For civics, it mandates using the U.S. citizenship test (60% passing score) for high school graduation, with accommodations for students with disabilities. The bill also establishes a state math plan focused on foundational concepts like counting and number sense, and requires teacher training in evidence-based math instruction methods.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationImposes mandatory testing (math screeners, civics assessments) and intervention requirements on schools without funding, restricting curriculum flexibility and increasing administrative burden.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers Testing & Assessment

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 5, 2025

HSB 106: A bill for an act relating to electronic devices in schools, including student access during instructional hours, school safety plans, and instruction related to the effects of social media in grades six through eight, and including effective date provisions.

This bill requires Iowa school districts to adopt policies restricting student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instruction by the 2025 school year. It mandates that health classes in grades six through eight include age-appropriate instruction about the effects of social media. The policies must cover device storage, emergency communication methods, and exceptions for students with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. Schools must also develop model policies for device use and provide teacher training on social media effects, as outlined in updated health curriculum standards.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts student device use during classroom instruction, limiting tech access in learning environments per bill's core requirement.95% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student device use during class, mandating policies limiting personal electronic device access in educational settings, directly opposing unregulated technology use in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum School Safety Teachers Social Media

Track

in committee · Iowa · House Mar 6, 2025

HF 810: A bill for an act relating to granting supplemental aid or a modified supplemental amount for school districts with high open enrollments, and including effective date and applicability provisions.

HF 810 modifies Iowa's funding formula for school districts with high open enrollment (over 45% of students enrolled through open enrollment). It removes the "teacher salary supplement" from the calculation for supplemental aid, expands eligibility beyond the 2024 budget year, and requires school boards to hold public hearings before requesting aid. The bill also limits property tax increases for districts receiving aid after 2025, capping the next year's tax rate at the level of the aid year. It applies to school budget years starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill limits property tax increases for districts receiving aid, promoting fiscal responsibility in budget management by capping tax rates after 2025.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRemoves 'teacher salary supplement' from funding calculation, reducing direct support for educator compensation in school finance formula.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice School Funding Teachers

Track