A bill passed out of the Iowa House on largely partisan lines last week requires teachers to post all materials given in classrooms online. State Representative Dustin Hite says House File 2577 requires educators at public schools to upload materials and lesson plans to Google Classroom or Canvas on an ongoing basis throughout the school year — a move he and fellow Republicans say already happens in some fashion in most school districts, and to then share that information with parents.

“Basically, it’s to keep using those platforms to inform parents of what’s going on,” he says. “Some of those concerns we heard about posting every lesson plan and not being able to be flexible, so we really went in and made this workable for teachers.”

The Legislative Services Agency says this bill — which was paired down from an initial proposal by Governor Kim Reynolds, would cost schools statewide approximately $16 million to implement, especially in districts where those practices are not happening and could require additional hires, contract hours, or substitute teachers to allow for training. Hite disputes that number, claiming it would only apply to districts who need extensive training, and he believes the ongoing requirement instead of posting materials several months in advance would lower that cost significantly. He also believes districts can spend federal COVID-19 relief funds to establish online programs, as opposed to state supplemental aid.

If approved in the Iowa Senate and signed by Governor Kim Reynolds, the bill would go into effect over the next few years, and non-complying school districts are subject to civil fines of up to $5,000. House File 2577 also requires school libraries to host an online catalog for all books and materials available to students, and expands avenues for parents to challenge materials on the shelves to local school boards.

Hear more about the 2022 Legislative Session on today’s Let’s Talk Pella.