Bruce Lear lives in Sioux City and has been connected to Iowa’s public schools for 38 years. He taught for eleven years and represented educators as an Iowa State Education Association regional director for 27 years until retiring. He can be reached at BruceLear2419@gmail.com
In 1989, the movie Field of Dreams painted an idyllic picture of Iowa. The most iconic scene was when a ghostly player asks, “Is this heaven?” Ray, played by Kevin Costner, answers, “No, it’s Iowa.”
More than three decades later, even those with rose colored glasses wouldn’t mistake Iowa for heaven. It’s changed.
Once, both political parties valued protecting children. It was a core value.
But that’s gone. It’s buried next to “Iowa nice.”
Here’s what led to its death.
In 2023, Republican legislators loosened Iowa’s longstanding child labor regulations, allowing 14- and 15-year-olds to work more hours and 16- and 17-year-olds to work more hazardous jobs.
Last year, federal investigators discovered eleven children doing dangerous overnight work at a pork processing plant in Sioux City.
Currently, the state is seeking to reduce fines for businesses that violate Iowa’s child labor laws.
Those who still believe there’s value in protecting children may now have a different answer to the iconic Field of Dreams question.
“Is this heaven?”
“No, It’s a state of neglect.”
But House File 88, a new bill on homeschooling, gives new meaning to reckless.
Iowa already takes a laissez-faire approach to homeschooling. The Department of Education doesn’t collect data on the number of homeschooled students. Instead of receiving assistance from the state, homeschooling parents may choose Independent Private Instruction with few reporting requirements and fewer course requirements.
But apparently, that’s still not enough “parental freedom.” House File 88 sailed through the Education Committee with two Republicans (State Representatives Chad Ingels and Tom Moore) joining all Democrats in opposition. Here’s what’s in the bill.
It exempts homeschooling parents from disclosing their children’s vaccination status or whether their children have been tested for lead.
It removes the requirement that homeschooled elementary students be taught science or social studies.
It strikes the language saying homeschooling providers will not charge tuition for their instruction.
It strikes the provision that says homeschoolers may provide instruction to no more than four unrelated students.
Republican State Representative Samatha Fett, a member of the subcommittee, said, “The bill allows good parents to be freer than they already are.”
But what about homeschooling parents who aren’t good parents? Not having careful oversight can lead to tragedies. In 2016, Iowa homeschool student Natalie Finn fell through the cracks in the system and died from malnutrition and abuse.
House File 88 widens those cracks.
Homeschooling may be a viable option for a limited number of families, where one parent is home all day and is knowledgeable enough to teach all the subjects like math, science, English, social studies etc.
Most parents, however, remember the days of forced homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. They don’t want to relive the kitchen table battles over math problems that rivaled the first minutes of Saving Private Ryan.
I was asked once if I thought Bill Gates was qualified to teach middle school computer science. I said, “Yes, but he’d quit before lunch.”
I’m puzzled as to why the bill allows parents to skip teaching science and social studies to elementary students. Don’t we want young students to understand simple civics, and at least a little simple history?
Also, science often excites and intrigues elementary-aged kids. This provision deprives students of basic knowledge needed for middle, high school, and college. Plus, it takes away the joy of discovery.
Homeschooled kids frequently participate in extracurricular activities with their peers in public school. Not requiring them to be vaccinated against childhood diseases puts kids and teachers from the public schools at risk.
Allowing a homeschooling parent to charge tuition and teach an unlimited number of unrelated children opens the door for homeschoolers to qualify for Education Savings Accounts, commonly known as school vouchers. That could balloon the already costly voucher program, expected to cost the state some $340 million next year.
Iowa doesn’t need to be heaven. It just needs to protect all children. If we don’t, we will lose our future.
Top photo by Fabio Principe is available via Shutterstock.