New Iowa education laws go into effect with emphasis on parents’ rights

A slate of newly signed Iowa laws officially took effect July 1, including an education bill that enforces parental rights.

Gov. Kim Reynolds signed several bills into law on May 26, which combined several of her top priorities for education such as strengthening parental rights, reducing school regulations and loosening teacher licensure requirements.

“This legislative session, we secured transformational education reform that puts parents in the driver’s seat, eliminates burdensome regulations on public schools, provides flexibility to raise teacher salaries and empowers teachers to prepare our kids for their future,” Reynolds said in a press release. “Education is the great equalizer and everyone involved – parents, educators, our children – deserves an environment where they can thrive.”

Iowa’s parental rights bill, Senate File 496, prohibits “instruction related to gender identity and sexual orientation…through grade six,” and allows parents to request the removal of objectional material. The law also requires schools to notify parents if their child requests to be called by a different name or pronoun assigned with the school district’s registration records.  

The law will also require parental consent before “requiring a student to take part in any survey, analysis, activity, or evaluation that reveals information concerning” topics such as political affiliations, mental problems, sexual orientation and religious practices. 

Senate File 391, which also took effect Saturday, loosens some state education requirements, such as the number of instructional days and required credits, to give flexibility to local schools. For example, students will only need two units of foreign language and fine arts instead of four, and student athletes will be exempted from taking physical education classes. 

In addition, teachers will be able to instruct multiple sequential units at the same time and schools will be able to partner with community college instructors to teach high school classes. 

To further help the teacher shortage in the state, House File 614 will loosen requirements for licensed teachers from other states or countries to teach in Iowa schools.