Des Moines, Iowa — A bill, HF 5, introduced in the Iowa House would require that school library catalogs be posted online and teachers would have to list all the instructional materials they plan to use.
The concept was considered in the House and Senate last year, but did not become law. Melissa Peterson of the Iowa State Education Association says parents should have access to school curriculum, but the bill would prevent teachers from adding new material that would benefit students.
Supporters of the legislation say parents have a right to know what materials will be used in their child’s classroom and opt out of anything they object to. Another House bill calls for a fine of up to $5,000 against a school district that violates the ban on teaching certain ideas about racism and sexism. Under a 2021 state law, schools are not allowed to teach that Iowa or the United States are fundamentally racist. Republican Representative Steven Holt of Denison says setting up fines would send the message that the law must be followed.
If the bill becomes law, the Iowa Department of Education would field any complaints that a school is teaching those concepts and determine if the district should be fined.
HF 5 does allow for modifications to course syllabi, provided the school, or “teacher of record” update the information provided to parents on or before the end of the school week when the modification occurs.
