Gov. Kim Reynolds has made education choices a top priority. She is right to do so.

Among 50 states and Washington, DC, the Heritage Foundation’s newly released 2022 Education Freedom Report Card ranks 22nd for educational freedom.

Iowa ranks ninth for school options on the Heritage Report Card, but current options are limited in scope, compared to states like Arizona, which offers a universal education savings account program for all families. It looks inferior.

In Iowa, low- and middle-income families can take advantage of the School Tuition Organization Tax Credit, which provides scholarships to over 12,000 students to attend 143 private schools. But the benefits are modest, with the average scholarship amounting to just $1,400, or 12% of public school spending per student.

Iowans also have access to small tuition and textbook tax credits that can be used to cover educational expenses such as tuition, books, and school fees. Again, the benefits are marginal. With 111,000 taxpayers participating, the average deduction in 2019 was just $133, or his 1% of spending per student in public schools.

>>> Educational freedom report card

Iowa could have done better. Earlier this year, the Iowa House of Representatives blocked a bill that would provide educational options for thousands of additional families across the state.

Legislators would do well to heed Reynolds’ call to expand educational options by increasing the value of school institution tax credits and removing the existing $20 million cap. We also need to increase the value of the tuition and textbook tax credit, which is currently capped at $500.

But to truly take control of education choices, lawmakers must follow Arizona’s example and establish a universal education savings account program.

While Iowa’s school selection landscape has a lot of room for improvement, selection is the bright spot on Hawkeye State’s report card. Iowa’s standing on educational freedom fades from there.

Heritage ranks Iowa 33rd in the nation for academic transparency. This is an important tool for parents to know what their children are being taught in school. Iowa enacted a law prohibiting the use of racist ideas endorsed through critical racial theories, but the law does not prohibit coerced speech. This is an important protection for students and teachers.

By prohibiting public officials from forcing teachers and students to discuss and agree on policy issues without their consent, Iowa leaders promote the intellectual development of students and promote the free exchange of ideas in the classroom. can be protected. Iowa also introduced state-level requirements for parents to have access to school curricula and materials, to allow public comment at school board meetings, and time to respond to Freedom of Information Act legislation. By shortening and moving all school district boards, we can improve academic transparency. Keep elections “on-cycle” in line with the Iowa general elections and keep teachers unions and other special interest groups from controlling those important elections.

In terms of regulatory freedom, Iowa is slightly better, ranking 28th overall. But Hawkeye has to jump many unnecessary regulatory hurdles to become a teacher in the State. Studies have long demonstrated no correlation between teacher qualifications and teachers’ impact on student learning, yet only 2% of her teachers in the state are qualified instead. I’m here. Also, Iowa does not recognize full reciprocity in teaching licenses with other states.

Iowa could improve its Regulatory Freedom ranking by either significantly increasing the number of aspiring teachers entering K-12 classrooms through alternative accreditation routes, or by eliminating teacher certification requirements altogether. increase.

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There is also room for improvement when it comes to return on taxpayer investment. Here, Iowa ranks her 26th, spending more than $15,200 per student per year adjusted for cost of living, and ties him 24th in reading and math performance. Additionally, Iowa is in the water when it comes to teacher-to-non-teacher staff ratios. In public schools, her 100 non-teachers are employed to 86 teachers.

Iowa can improve return on taxpayers’ investment in education by stemming non-teacher growth and reducing unfunded teacher pension debt, which currently stands at 4.1% of state GDP .

Last March, Reynolds claimed: They have a right to know and have a say in what their children are being taught. “

she is absolutely right. Now is the time for Iowa policymakers to follow the governor’s lead, be transparent about what our children are being taught, and empower families with more educational options.

Doing so will ensure Hawkeye State does well on next year’s Educational Freedom Report Card. As a result, life will be better for Iowa students and their families.