Chelsea Sims is a teacher librarian at a public school in Iowa City.

“I loved that book you found for me!” is one of the best phrases a librarian can hear.

As a teacher librarian in one of Iowa’s public schools for more than ten years, I have had the opportunity to recommend countless books from all genres and topics to students. I have watched them find themselves in literature and discover new perspectives. I have seen them develop empathy for all kinds of people in all kinds of situations and grow into more thoughtful young people. I have seen students put down a book they realized wasn’t for them. Literature is powerful.

Now, some legislators in Iowa find that power dangerous. Coordinated political groups around the country have decided that school libraries are a threat to their children, rather than a safe haven filled with wonder and connection.

The Iowa GOP has joined this effort to discredit and defame the incredible work of educators and librarians, claiming we are distributing obscene materials or teaching a false version of history. Although we can’t help taking these attacks personally, we also know they are part of a decades-long effort to defund public education and funnel public dollars to private schools and the corporations that benefit.

Bills including House File 2498, House File 2198, and Senate File 2349 will, amongst other things detrimental to public schools, either criminalize or deprofessionalize the work of teacher librarians. While House File 2498 and Senate File 2349 are best known for their provisions to redirect public funds toward private schools as “scholarships,” both bills also would remove the requirement for teacher librarians to earn a master’s degree.

While that change may seem slight, it is one step toward justifying not employing school librarians at all. It will have a widespread impact on Iowa’s public education.

In this age of disinformation, misinformation, and attempted censorship in our public libraries and schools, we need critical thinking and reliable sources of information more than ever. As a teacher librarian, I can tell you that the graduate level work and degree I earned are essential to the successful execution of my job. Being a librarian at schools teaching every single grade level is a complex, unique position that requires specialized training. Especially today, teacher librarians play a critical role in supporting and advocating for our students.

The same legislators attempting to ban books and divide teachers and parents are attempting to remove the people best trained to fight against attacks on intellectual freedom and keep our democracy strong.

These bills simply underscore the continued underfunding of Iowa’s public schools by the GOP. Republicans want less qualified teachers whom they can pay less and control more easily. They want to drive successful and passionate educators out of the classroom by vilifying them and their already underpaid labor. They have stripped collective bargaining rights so we cannot organize effectively against these attacks.

Teachers want what is best for students, and this is not it. This is not how we help our students and our schools and our state. We need to pay teachers what they’re worth and support those working toward higher education. 

Would hiring a librarian without a master’s degree have any big impact on a district’s budget? Doubtful, but it will certainly perpetuate the cycle of underpaying education professionals for the critical role they serve in our communities.

In reality, hiring a teacher librarian is one of the best money saving decisions a school could make, since we serve many roles in the building with just one salary. We are teachers of specialized content, who also provide prep time for classroom teachers. We are collaborative partners, helping fellow educators connect their lessons to new and high quality literature and the best, most age-appropriate and vetted information available. We are leaders, serving on many committees in our school communities, as we have a unique perspective of the entire school building – much like an administrator. 

And we are experts at collecting amazing information and literature for our students at just the right age level, interest level, and curricular need – all in a welcoming and safe environment that is key to school culture. Not just anyone, with just any degree (or no degree) could do what we do effectively. The money a masters degree for one person costs a district is well worth it for the students, as decades of school achievement research studies can show you.

We can give every student in Iowa an excellent education, but only if we provide every public school the resources necessary to hire the teachers and teacher librarians we need to do the job. Instead of sending taxpayer dollars to private schools, as House File 2498 and Senate File 2349 would do, the Iowa legislature should invest in our state’s public schools so we can attract and retain the best education professionals from around the country.

Iowa was once ranked near the top of the nation for our K-12 schools. We can get there again, but only if we invest in our public education system. We need to provide schools with enough funding to pay their faculty and staff a salary that matches the professionals that they are.

Attacking teachers and staff with bills like these will drive education professionals out of state. We need to invest in teachers and schools to not only improve education, but also build strong communities. Every town and community relies on strong schools to educate our kids and bring neighbors together – for athletic events, town halls, and even voting.

If we invest in Iowa schools, teachers and teacher librarians, we can make Iowa towns more attractive places to live, work and raise a family. Our students deserve it.