History was made: The school choice war is finally over in Iowa
~by State Senator Jesse Green
January 27, 2023
Thank you to those who have fought so long and hard on behalf of the parents and children in Iowa. It’s an honor to serve during this historic time of our state’s history as we pass transformative, pro-family legislation like this. The school choice legislation the governor signed this week will honor the values of many families who have become disenfranchised by our one-size-fits-all education system.
The recent pioneer in the school choice movement was Polly Williams, a Democrat state representative – yes, a DEMOCRAT state representative from Milwaukee. In 1989, she was successful in her efforts to create the first school choice program for Wisconsin. As a result, she was ridiculed by her Democrat colleagues. She was quoted in the Milwaukee Sentinel in 2010: “People were saying to me that I was in bed with conservatives. Well, no I wasn’t. I was just fighting to give parents, regardless of their economic status, the right to have a say about the education their children were receiving.”
The former Milwaukee public school superintendent said of Polly, “There would not be any parental choice movement had it not been for the courage of Representative Williams.” During his time as the governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton sent a letter to Polly in 1990 urging her to keep up the good work! I am proud that were able to follow through on Bill Clinton’s wishes this week in Iowa.
Around that same exact time during the late 1980s there was a movement for educational choice taking place right here in Iowa. Memories are short, but during this time, homeschooling was actually illegal. Our state witnessed the high-profile case of Pastor T.N. Taylor and his wife, who were jailed for homeschooling their children even though their children were excelling academically and with their character development.
Due to the leadership of Governor Terry Branstad, a task force was formed, and it was soon discovered that homeschooling was thriving across America, except in Iowa. In 1991, homeschooling finally became legal in Iowa. This monumental legislation didn’t just barely pass, it passed easily, but many Democrats were on the wrong side back then as well. As a result of those efforts, Iowa is now looked to as a leader in the home-school world. During this same time period, Iowa developed district open enrollment laws, as well as STO tax credits. The reason more school choice became legal in Iowa is because it worked, and it was proven that by giving families this extra choice there were benefits to the state.
The issue of school choice has been quiet in Iowa until a few years ago when Republicans were beginning to take control at the Iowa Capitol under Governor Reynolds’s leadership, and tension in our society was reaching a boiling point for what is acceptable to be taught in our schools. Following last year’s “red wave” in Iowa, we finally had the votes to make transformative change this year. Within three years, every family will have access to their state tax dollars ($7,600) they have paid for the purposes of education. Families will be able to invest those dollars into whatever accredited school environment they feel best represents their values.
This is the best policy I can think of that honors all parents, all students, all teachers, and all values. Regardless of your worldview, my desire is for your dollars to be more reflective of your values. This is how we create a healthier society. This is what was accomplished this week under the Golden Dome.
