Dexter Merschbrock is a member of National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 373 from Cedar Rapids, spouse to a public school teacher, former school board member, and father of three. He is originally from Fort Madison. 

As this year’s Iowa legislative session gets underway, supporters of public schools can expect little in the way of substantive policy to make things better for our state’s students and families. Over the past two years, tens of thousands of Iowans came together to advocate against the destructive school voucher program and in support of the state’s Area Education Agencies. Those efforts, while valiant, did not sway most Republican legislators.

This year, with even larger Republican majorities in both chambers and no legislative elections coming this fall, I propose a different approach, to make our voices heard on the local level.

In 2021, at the height of the Moms for Liberty inspired pushback on common-sense COVID-19 mitigation policies in schools, the Iowa legislature approved and Governor Kim Reynolds signed a law to allow citizens of a school district to petition their local school board. If a sufficient number of signatures were gathered, a district would be required to place the proposal on the school board meeting agenda within 30 days.

It is a simple process. (See pages 37 and 38 of the bill.) Even online petitions with electronic signatures are allowed.

So here is my proposal. Instead of going directly to the same legislators who have ignored the people time and again, we start at the local level. Petition for change locally wherever necessary. Petition in support of legislative proposals that make sense. Start small, then grow.

This approach would bring people together wherever they are. It also would guarantee some action is taken. Local school board directors must consider the proposal and allow for public comment. This will broaden support, and hold the local officials accountable if they are unresponsive.

While this would be a small step to take, every big change starts small.

To start the effort, I have published a statewide petition to support Senate File 58, which would create a universal free school breakfast and lunch program in the state. You can sign the petition, whatever school district you are in, through this Google form: https://forms.gle/1emBQco7Un8w5sry8