Jordan Zakery is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds opened 2024 with a bold vision for Iowa’s education system.
In her Condition of the State Address, she outlined a transformative plan aimed at reshaping learning and workforce development. Gov. Reynolds celebrated the success of the Future Ready Iowa initiative while setting ambitious goals for the year ahead. Her priorities included boosting early literacy, raising teacher pay and expanding parental choice.
This year’s legislative session brought that vision to life, delivering key victories that will empower students and educators. From strengthening early literacy policies to investing in teachers, Iowa laid the foundation for a stronger education system.
The legislature approved Gov. Reynolds’s HF 2618 , a law to improve early literacy that prioritizes teacher education in the science of reading, personalized reading plans and parent notification, and empowered parents to give their struggling readers an extra year of learning so they can catch up before moving to the next grade. Ensuring students are reading on grade level before moving on to fourth grade is crucial to their long-term academic success.
The measure was championed by Senate President Amy Sinclair, Sen. Ken Rozenboom, Sen. Jeff Taylor, House Speaker Pat Grassley, Rep. Skyler Wheeler and Rep. Thomas Moore among others.
Key requirements of the law include:
By ensuring every struggling reader gets individualized support and every teacher receives training in evidence-based instruction, Iowa is establishing a strong foundation for excellence in early literacy.
The legislature granted teachers a pay increase as requested by the governor in her state address. Under HF 2612, the minimum annual salary for teachers in Iowa will rise to $47,500. Teachers with 12 or more years of experience in fiscal year 2025 will have a minimum salary of $60,000. Those minimums grow to $50,000 and $62,000, respectively, starting in 2026.
As states like Indiana work to redesign high school, Iowa is set to take important first steps to assess its system.
Gov. Reynolds signed HF 2545 , which requires the Iowa Department of Education to conduct a comprehensive review and make recommendations for improving state standards, core curriculum, core content standards, social studies standards and graduation requirements.
The Department must submit a final report, including findings and recommendations for policy changes, to the Governor and the General Assembly by July 1, 2025.
The legislature expanded work-based learning in SF 2411 by establishing a $30 million Workforce Opportunity Fund that will provide schools with more flexibility to offer core credit for work-based learning. It also finalizes Iowa’s recognition as a State Apprenticeship Agency, which supports the growth of industry-driven, high-quality apprenticeships across the state, including registered apprenticeships for classroom teachers and paraeducators.
With these changes, Iowa students will have more access to work-based learning that will strengthen their career opportunities in the future.
Gov. Reynolds signed The Senate Committee on Education’s SF 2368, which adjusts per-pupil funding to support educational freedom. It also allows vacant or underutilized public school district facilities to be available for lease or purchase by public charter or nonpublic schools.
The law, designed to help education providers meet their classroom and facility needs, prohibits the sale of public school-owned buildings to outside bidders if a charter school or institution of higher education or a community college submits the highest bid.
Since the passage of this legislation, Gov. Reynolds has announced two rounds of charter school start-up and facilities grants totaling $11 million.
This new measure combined with these new investments will ensure more students have access to high-quality charter school options in the Hawkeye State.
As the 2024 legislative session drew to a close, Gov. Reynolds expressed her pride in the strides made and optimism for the future. “Iowa has charted a course for transformation,” she said, noting the significant focus on early literacy and teacher pay.
These student-centered milestones position Iowa’s education system to thrive for years to come. With a strong foundation now set, the path forward promises continued progress and innovation in Iowa’s schools.
