Des Moines, Iowa — Republicans in the Iowa Senate have voted to repeal the requirement that Iowa K-through-12 schools employ a teacher librarian.
Schools could instead hire someone who has worked in a public library. The bill would also let schools offer two rather than four units of a world language and offer two rather than three fine arts options, like music and art, but not theater. Senator Tim Kraayenbrink, a Republican from Fort Dodge, says rural schools, in particular, are unable to hire teachers for some courses.
Senator Herman Quirmbach of Ames and all other Democrats in the Senate voted against the bill.
The bill would remove a requirement that sex ed classes include information about AIDS, but that section of the bill was not debated by the Senate. The bill also says schools would no longer be required to teach technology literacy to all students.
