Iowa plans to reshape social studies classes & review school standards pass House

Lawmakers in the Iowa House passed a pair of bills Wednesday that would reshape curriculum in K-12 schools, outlining a list of required social studies topics and establishing regular reviews of the state's educational standards.

Under House File 2544, first- through sixth-graders' social studies classes would be required to include themes such as the "cultural heritage of western civilization" and the "study of and devotion to the United States' exceptional and praiseworthy history," in addition to a range of historic documents and people. It passed on a 58-37 vote.

And House File 2545 would require the state's education director to conduct a "comprehensive review" of Iowa high school graduation requirements and curriculum and recommend a statewide literacy plan by July 2025. It passed 61-33.

The GOP-sponsored bills come as conservatives both in Iowa and nationally continue to scrutinize how race, U.S. history and other sensitive subjects are broached in classrooms, and urge a "back to basics" approach focused on core subjects.

"It's clear that our current education system is failing in history and civics," said Rep. Brooke Boden, R-Indianola. "Our standards are too broad and vague to provide useful guidance."

Democrats have pushed back hard against the proposals, expressing concern that prescribed curriculum would limit teachers' time and resources, was not age or grade-appropriate, and was sourced from out-of-state conservative group Civics Alliance without proper input from Iowa educators.

"It is not the job of the legislature to prescribe curriculum," said Rep. Heather Matson, D-Ankeny. "That is the job of the state board of education and curriculum development experts."

In an hours-long debate Wednesday evening, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle invoked stories from their families and social studies classes from childhood that tied them to U.S. history.

Rep. Helena Hayes, R-New Sharon, spoke on her mother's immigration to the U.S. as an orphan. And Rep. Steve Holt, R-Dension, recalled his teacher's passion about the Battle of Iwo Jima, which he said inspired him to later join the Marines.

"Maybe it would not be a bad idea if our young people were taught about this epic battle," Holt said. "That's real history. And it's the good, the bad and the ugly."

Several Democrats who spoke agreed with that sentiment, but pointed to their own families' histories as a reminder of the dark spots throughout U.S. history that needed to be included in classrooms.

Rep. Ross Wilburn, D-Ames, said his great-great-grandfather, who escaped enslavement in Missouri and enlisted in Iowa, struggled to find housing after he served. And his father's exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam led to Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, being born with spina bifida, he said.

"This bill instructs teachers to teach about the many failures of communism, but not the inequality of unregulated capitalism," Turek said. "It instructs teachers to teach about the Emancipation Proclamation, but not about Jim Crow South."

The standards review bill was amended by Republicans on the House floor to remove language that would have led to the banning of "critical race theory" and "social emotional learning" in classrooms.

House adds Holocaust education to required social studies curriculum

Citing a "severe lack of awareness" among Iowans about the Holocaust and antisemitism, lawmakers on Wednesday added language requiring educational materials on the Holocaust to both curriculum and teacher training.

Districts are required under the measure to add "age-appropriate and grade-appropriate" instruction on the Holocaust into middle and high school curriculum.

Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, who brought the amendment forward, said the current environment around Holocaust education "sucks," and cited recent surveys of generation Z and millennials.

"I'm not going to sit here and say that there are schools that aren't doing this," Wheeler said. "But certainly, there are a lot of alarming trends out there."

That instruction would include the Holocaust's causes and ramifications, the "impact of personal responsibility" and "societal response" in the Holocaust and the role of U.S. forces in World War II, among other topics.

Districts would also incorporate Holocaust education into the professional development plan for those who teach courses in which the subject is taught.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at [email protected]m or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa legislature: Social studies revamped under House-approved plan