Federal

The largest publisher in America and several bestselling authors joined Iowa's teachers union in challenging the state's new education law that bans books depicting sexual activity in schools.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and Lambda Legal announced the federal lawsuit Tuesday, saying the law passed earlier this year by the Republican-led Legislature and enacted this fall “seeks to silence LGBTQ+ students, erase any recognition of LGBTQ+ people from public schools, and bans books with sexual or LGBTQ+ content.”

The budget gap is an expected result of the end of federal pandemic relief programs, which were meant to help school districts manage the impact on student learning. District leaders have been preparing for this day with analyses of how they spent the money, so they can try to preserve what has been most effective for students.

Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton first suggested walking away from the funding because he said it comes with burdensome requirements, like standardized testing mandates. He and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally formed the panel of eight Republicans and two Democrats to delve into the matter.

Head Start, the federally funded early childhood program for low-income children, has rigorous academic requirements and quality standards. Yet the average salary for Head Start teachers of all degree and job levels, across the country, is roughly $38,500.

Date & Time: Monday, December 11 at 2 pm ET <br><br> Attend this web seminar to learn from an insightful panel discussion with leaders from the Ozark School District in southern Missouri about using incentive funding wisely, and how they are modernizing school buildings while prioritizing educational opportunities for students.