Proposed education bill to restrict what students can and can’t learn

DES MOINES, Iowa (KCRG) - On Thursday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds unveiled a large education bill that would set new standards for what students can and can’t learn.

Schools would be forced to publish all educational materials like books and lesson plans.

The bill would ban topics like gender identity and sexual activity in grades k through 3. It would remove teaching grades 7 through 12 about HPV and AIDS.

Supporters of the bill argue it would give more control to parents over their children’s education. The bill bans any nicknames or pronouns that are different from a student’s birth certificate unless a parent gives permission, and requires schools to notify parents or the Department of Human Services if a student says they are transgender.

A parent must also give permission for any survey relating to mental, emotional, or physical health.

The bill would also require students to score a 70% on a civics test in order to graduate. Any student that does not reach the 70% benchmark, would be able to retake the test as many times as necessary.