"Anti-indoctrination" bill in Iowa

House File 2184, introduced on January 30, 2020, and referred to the House Education Committee, would, if enacted, require the state board of education to adopt a code of ethics to prevent public school teachers in the state from engaging in what it describes as "political or ideological indoctrination."

As Ars Technica (January 29, 2019) explained with reference to a spate of similar measures in 2019, "the bills would call for teachers not to advocate on any topics that have appeared in the platform of a state political party. ... Which is problematic, given that a large number of state party platforms specifically mention evolution and climate change."

Two of the sponsors of HF 2184, Sandy Salmon (R-District 63) and Skyler Wheeler (R-District 4), have previously introduced legislation attempting to block or rescind the adoption in Iowa of the Next Generation Science Standards, in part due to concerns about the NGSS's inclusion of evolution and climate change, as NCSE previously reported.

Glenn Branch
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Glenn Branch is Deputy Director of NCSE.

branch@ncse.ngo