Jordan Zakery is a Legislative Director for ExcelinEd in Action.
Iowa’s 2025 legislative session wrapped with Gov. Kim Reynolds championing and signing several significant education bills into law.
Gov. Reynolds, Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow, Senate President Amy Sinclair, House Education Chair Skyler Wheeler, Senate Education Chair Lynn Evans and other state leaders demonstrated a strong commitment to student success and workforce readiness, advancing key reforms to strengthen career education, support math proficiency, promote distraction-free classrooms and enhance teacher recruitment.
With the adoption of HF 316, Iowa leaders have taken a major step toward aligning the K-12 system more closely with postsecondary education and workforce goals.
The new law strengthens career education by:
With this policy, Iowa students should be better able to identify pathways early, build foundational skills and make more informed decisions about their futures.
Strengthening math proficiency remains a priority for Iowa leaders.
Gov. Reynolds’ priority bill, HF 784, carried by Rep. Dan Gehlbach and Sen. Lynn Evans, requires regular math proficiency assessments for K-6 students to identify struggling students early and provide targeted support.
The law also requires additional math instruction training in educator preparation programs, ensuring that teachers enter the classroom equipped with the skills needed to teach math and improve student math outcomes.
Rep. Gehlbach and Sen. Evans’ HF 787, another key bill from this session, strengthens Iowa’s educator pipeline by requiring the creation of an online state job posting system for jobs offered by school districts, charter schools, education agencies, the Department of Education and accredited nonpublic schools.
This new law’s centralized approach will make it easier for schools to find qualified candidates and for educators to explore career opportunities within the state.
More than 90% of teachers nationwide support device restrictions during class, citing cell phones as a major distraction, and research shows 97% of students use phones at school, with some receiving more than 200 notifications daily, contributing to higher rates of anxiety and depression and lower academic performance.
Another of Gov. Reynolds’ priority bills carried by Rep. Jeff Shipley and Sen. Evans, HF 782, creates distraction-free Iowa classrooms by requiring school districts to adopt policies that restrict the use of cell phones and other electronic devices during instructional time.
The new law includes exemptions for students with Individualized Education Plans or medical needs, balancing the need for focused learning environments with the needs of individual students.
Finally, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, Rep. Gehlbach and Sen. Evans’ HF 190 allows students enrolled in online courses to complete statewide summative assessments online, with specific timing, monitoring and verification requirements to maintain academic integrity.
This law provides greater flexibility for students engaged in virtual learning while ensuring that assessments remain rigorous and reliable.
With these bold reforms, Iowa continues to strengthen its education system, ensuring students graduate with the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive economy.
As implementation of these policies gets underway, Iowa is well-positioned to lead with student-centered education policy solutions that expand opportunities for students, families and educators across the Hawkeye State.
