Dear Colleague,
I wrote to you in February asking you to help the American Historical Association oppose HF 2544, an alarming and ill-conceived piece of legislation that would undermine the integrity of history and social studies education in Iowa’s public schools. Unfortunately, on February 28, the Iowa House of Representatives passed the bill. However, there is still time to stop the bill in the Senate.
Last Friday, the Senate Education Committee scheduled HF 2544 for a subcommittee meeting at 10 a.m. CT on Tuesday, March 12. Iowa.gov provides a mechanism for submitting comments on the bill that will be entered into the public record. Follow the “Add comments” link on the page to submit your own.
The AHA has submitted a version of our letter updated to address members of the Senate, urging the subcommittee to reject the bill and respect the state’s mandated social studies standards revisions process. Anyone can share their views on the bill via the public comment form, and we encourage you to consider weighing in before the subcommittee meets on Tuesday. Written testimony from teachers, faculty, and supporters of public education in Iowa may be especially effective. Personal stories about the negative impact that HF 2544 would have on your school, district, or institution are likely the most successful approach to persuade legislators of the danger this bill poses.
March 15 is a funnel date in Iowa, the final day for House bills to make it out of Senate committees. HF 2544 will need to clear the March 12 hearing and be approved by the full Education Committee by the end of the week. As a result, standing up to this bill now might provide the best opportunity to slow or stop its passage.
All names and comments submitted through the Iowa.gov form will be part of the public record. Constituents within the districts of subcommittee members may also write privately to their senator. The subcommittee that will vote on the bill on Tuesday includes three members, Senators Green (Dist. 24, just north and west of Ames), Quirmbach (Dist. 25, Ames), and Rozenboom (Dist. 19).
If you have any questions about this proposed legislation or would like to request updates about its status, please feel free to reach out directly to Brendan Gillis, director of teaching and learning.
The AHA’s advocacy work is more critical now than perhaps ever before. If you believe in the importance of honest history education, please donate to the AHA’s Advocacy Fund to support our advocacy work.
Sincerely,
James Grossman
Executive Director