The Iowa Senate passed a bill requiring Iowa schools to adopt new social studies and civics education standards with a focus on Western civilization; U.S. and Iowa history; the structure, function and role of the state and federal government; and "civic virtues displayed in the lives of exemplary Americans."
Lawmakers Tuesday amended a bill that calls for the Iowa Department of Education director to conduct a review of Iowa school curriculum, education standards and high school graduation rates and give recommendations to the governor and Legislature.
Senate Republicans amended House File 2545, by inserting similar provisions included in a separate bill that passed the House in February but stalled in the Senate and failed to pass a legislative funnel deadline needed to advance.
The amended bill passed the Senate on a 33-14 party-line vote, with Democrats opposed. The bill now goes back to the House for consideration.
The original House bill would have required schools to teach a list of social studies concepts developed by a conservative think tank that focus on the “cultural heritage of Western civilization” and the United State’s “exceptional and praiseworthy history.”
The amendment passed by the Republican-controlled Iowa Senate includes language from House File 2544, which would have mandated Iowa K-12 schools teach students about the structure of the U.S. government, the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and a range of concepts, people and events in U.S. history, including the flag and national anthem, the country’s founding documents and “Admirable Americans” including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Abraham Lincoln.
The language in the bill was modeled by the Civics Alliance, an offshoot of the conservative nonprofit education advocacy organization National Association of Scholars. The group advocates for a curriculum designed to emphasize conservative values, Western civilization and capitalism in civics education and push out instruction on critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social justice.
The Senate amendment includes similar provisions, requiring that “exemplary figures and important events” from Western civilization, U.S. and Iowa history are covered, as well as the "federal and republican form of government“ in comparison to alternative forms of government, ”and the crimes against humanity that have occurred under communist regimes since 1917.”
It would also require history curriculum include the teaching of “secular and religious ideals and institutions of liberty, including political, religious, economic, social, and cultural liberty in Western civilization, the United States, and the state of Iowa.”
The bill directs the Iowa Board of Education to conduct a review and revision of the state’s social studies standards to include these subjects for students in grades 1 through 12 in a relevant and age-appropriate manner. These standards would be adopted by Dec. 31, 2025.
Republicans said the bill was necessary to teach Iowa students about the high points of American history and the achievements of the country’s major historical figures, asserting students have a lack of understanding and appreciation of the nation’s founding principles and role and functions of government at all levels.
Democrats in the Senate argued that the bill was overly prescriptive of schools and ignores essential aspects of U.S. history, like slavery, the Jim Crow South and civil rights movement, Native American treatment and other historical injustices.
The bill does not require general instruction on the history of slavery in the U.S., but it does call for instruction on the Emancipation Proclamation.
Sen. Molly Donahue, D, Cedar Rapids
“This legislature has never put curriculum in the code, and it’s not the job of the Legislature to prescribe curriculum,” said Sen. Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids who has worked for 33 years as a special-education teacher.
“Prescribing curriculum would limit teachers’ time and resources,” Donahue said. “It’s not age-appropriate or grade-appropriate, and it’s sourced out from a state conservative group called Civics Alliance, without proper input from Iowa educators, parents and school boards."
By limiting curriculum to focus on Western civilization, Donahue worried schools would forego instruction on all other cultural and historic figures throughout world history.
She asserted the bill amounts to indoctrination “based on Christian nationalist ideals” focused on “whitewashing history.”
Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, offered an amendment that would have changed references to “Western civilization” to “world civilization,” stressing the need for inclusive curriculum and a global education that understands and values diverse cultures and world economies beyond Western civilization.
Sen. Sandy Salmon, R-Janesville
Sen. Sandy Salmon, a Republican from Janesville, said the language in the bill does not prohibit schools from teaching about non-Western civilizations, but is intended to “focus our youth on who we are.”
“We’re Americans,” Salmon said. “We were born in Western civilization, that’s our heritage. We have to understand that. And it’s really important we do, because that heritage has produced the freest, strongest, most prosperous nation — civilization — in the world. And why wouldn’t we want our youth to understand that? We want them to understand … what we have to offer the world — liberty, the protection of individual rights, the ideas of limited government, the ideas of free market, and so much more.”
Salmon said the bill does not prohibit or say students should not learn about other civilizations, “but they better understand what our heritage is, where we come from, so that they will be able to understand where we need to go.”
Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center
Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, called Democrats’ criticisms “grossly unfair.” He said the focus on Western civilization is important because it is the foundational context of both American history and current culture, from its form of governance to the use of the English language. While recognizing America is a “nation of immigrants” and made up of people from across the world, “because we are a melting pot that … involves assimilation.”
“Their cultures, their languages, the words that they use — it all gets added to this great experience of being an American, and that’s wonderful,” Taylor said. “But also, they blend in, and they start to appreciate not only what they as newcomers bring to our land, but what the Founding Fathers brought to our land.”
Taylor said the broad language in the bill allows schools to teach a range of concepts, people and events in U.S. history, and are “ not ignoring the contributions of people who are Asian American and African American, or Latin American, wherever.”
“We're gonna understand and it's gonna include a discussion on slavery,” he said. “So, you know, I think, in the end when we want to be honest about where the United States came from, at least in terms of our political system and our founding documents — whether for the good or for the bad at times — but at the same time, we also want to be honest about what this bill does and does not do.”
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Lawmakers Tuesday amended a bill that calls for the Iowa Department of Education director to conduct a review of Iowa school curriculum, education standards and high school graduation rates and give recommendations to the governor and Legislature.
Senate Republicans amended House File 2545, by inserting similar provisions included in a separate bill that passed the House in February but stalled in the Senate and failed to pass a legislative funnel deadline needed to advance.
The amended bill passed the Senate on a 33-14 party-line vote, with Democrats opposed. The bill now goes back to the House for consideration.
The original House bill would have required schools to teach a list of social studies concepts developed by a conservative think tank that focus on the “cultural heritage of Western civilization” and the United State’s “exceptional and praiseworthy history.”
The amendment passed by the Republican-controlled Iowa Senate includes language from House File 2544, which would have mandated Iowa K-12 schools teach students about the structure of the U.S. government, the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and a range of concepts, people and events in U.S. history, including the flag and national anthem, the country’s founding documents and “Admirable Americans” including Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Abraham Lincoln.
The language in the bill was modeled by the Civics Alliance, an offshoot of the conservative nonprofit education advocacy organization National Association of Scholars. The group advocates for a curriculum designed to emphasize conservative values, Western civilization and capitalism in civics education and push out instruction on critical race theory, diversity, equity and inclusion, and social justice.
What would students be taught?
The Senate amendment includes similar provisions, requiring that “exemplary figures and important events” from Western civilization, U.S. and Iowa history are covered, as well as the "federal and republican form of government“ in comparison to alternative forms of government, ”and the crimes against humanity that have occurred under communist regimes since 1917.”
It would also require history curriculum include the teaching of “secular and religious ideals and institutions of liberty, including political, religious, economic, social, and cultural liberty in Western civilization, the United States, and the state of Iowa.”
The bill directs the Iowa Board of Education to conduct a review and revision of the state’s social studies standards to include these subjects for students in grades 1 through 12 in a relevant and age-appropriate manner. These standards would be adopted by Dec. 31, 2025.
Republicans said the bill was necessary to teach Iowa students about the high points of American history and the achievements of the country’s major historical figures, asserting students have a lack of understanding and appreciation of the nation’s founding principles and role and functions of government at all levels.
Democrat: Bill a ‘whitewashing’ of U.S. history
Democrats in the Senate argued that the bill was overly prescriptive of schools and ignores essential aspects of U.S. history, like slavery, the Jim Crow South and civil rights movement, Native American treatment and other historical injustices.
The bill does not require general instruction on the history of slavery in the U.S., but it does call for instruction on the Emancipation Proclamation.
“This legislature has never put curriculum in the code, and it’s not the job of the Legislature to prescribe curriculum,” said Sen. Molly Donahue, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids who has worked for 33 years as a special-education teacher.
“Prescribing curriculum would limit teachers’ time and resources,” Donahue said. “It’s not age-appropriate or grade-appropriate, and it’s sourced out from a state conservative group called Civics Alliance, without proper input from Iowa educators, parents and school boards."
By limiting curriculum to focus on Western civilization, Donahue worried schools would forego instruction on all other cultural and historic figures throughout world history.
She asserted the bill amounts to indoctrination “based on Christian nationalist ideals” focused on “whitewashing history.”
Sen. Herman Quirmbach, a Democrat from Ames, offered an amendment that would have changed references to “Western civilization” to “world civilization,” stressing the need for inclusive curriculum and a global education that understands and values diverse cultures and world economies beyond Western civilization.
Republicans: Students need to better learn of U.S., Iowa heritage
Sen. Sandy Salmon, a Republican from Janesville, said the language in the bill does not prohibit schools from teaching about non-Western civilizations, but is intended to “focus our youth on who we are.”
“We’re Americans,” Salmon said. “We were born in Western civilization, that’s our heritage. We have to understand that. And it’s really important we do, because that heritage has produced the freest, strongest, most prosperous nation — civilization — in the world. And why wouldn’t we want our youth to understand that? We want them to understand … what we have to offer the world — liberty, the protection of individual rights, the ideas of limited government, the ideas of free market, and so much more.”
Salmon said the bill does not prohibit or say students should not learn about other civilizations, “but they better understand what our heritage is, where we come from, so that they will be able to understand where we need to go.”
Sen. Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, called Democrats’ criticisms “grossly unfair.” He said the focus on Western civilization is important because it is the foundational context of both American history and current culture, from its form of governance to the use of the English language. While recognizing America is a “nation of immigrants” and made up of people from across the world, “because we are a melting pot that … involves assimilation.”
“Their cultures, their languages, the words that they use — it all gets added to this great experience of being an American, and that’s wonderful,” Taylor said. “But also, they blend in, and they start to appreciate not only what they as newcomers bring to our land, but what the Founding Fathers brought to our land.”
Taylor said the broad language in the bill allows schools to teach a range of concepts, people and events in U.S. history, and are “ not ignoring the contributions of people who are Asian American and African American, or Latin American, wherever.”
“We're gonna understand and it's gonna include a discussion on slavery,” he said. “So, you know, I think, in the end when we want to be honest about where the United States came from, at least in terms of our political system and our founding documents — whether for the good or for the bad at times — but at the same time, we also want to be honest about what this bill does and does not do.”
Iowa lawmakers revive effort to advance social studies concepts developed by conservative group
The Iowa Senate passed a bill Tuesday requiring Iowa schools to adopt new social studies and civics education standards with a focus on Western civilization; U.S. and Iowa history; the structure, function and role of the state and federal government; and
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