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Reflections from an educator and diversity instructor All School Districts across the country need a diversity specialist. I am following the story of the opening for a diversity specialist in Ankeny, Iowa and the controversy over the superintendent’s halt of that hiring. As a former high School teacher and a current diversity trainer with Heartland […]
The Des Moines School Board voted 7-0 last week to name the newly remodeled East High School auditorium the Ruth Ann Gaines auditorium, in my honor. This has motivated me to do an enormous amount of reflection. I taught at East High school for 40 years. During that time, I worked to encourage other teachers, […]
Public education has long been the foundation of our state. For generations, Iowans could count on a great public education from Iowa schools to set them up for success in life. When we were growing up, our public education system regularly led national rankings. Today, however, many Iowans are watching with dismay as a decade […]
While public schools are reeling from COVID-imposed complications, another bill from the legislature proposes taking away resources public schools already lack, and could cause discrimination based on race, class and disability. During the debate about Senate File 159 last week, Senate Democrats argued in favor of teachers and their administrators while Republicans favored parents’ choices. […]
Iowa families, students, and educators all want the same thing. We want to get back to school, to work, and our daily lives as soon as possible, and as safely as possible. Today the Governor made that harder by forcing schools to return to full-time in person learning whether it’s safe or not. This new […]