Meeting Public Comments

Subcommittee meeting and times are as follows:

A bill for an act providing for the reduction of certain funding and budgets for public schools, community colleges, and regents institutions following the use of specified curriculum and including effective date and applicability provisions.

Subcommittee members: Wheeler-CH, Smith, Stone

Date: Tuesday, February 9, 2021

Time: 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Location: RM 19

Names and comments are public records. Remaining information is considered a confidential record.

Comments Submitted:

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02-08-2021

Kari Tietjen []

This bill that would remove funding for any school (including K12, community colleges and Regents institutions) that uses IN WHOLE OR IN PART any of the 1619 Project developed by the New York Times OR ANY SIMILARLY DEVELOPED CURRICULUM. The 1619 Project is a longform journalism historical project developed by Nikole HannahJones (originally from Waterloo, IA) in conjunction with writers from The New York Times. It "aims to reframe the country's history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of the United States' national narrative." The bill is broadly written so it could defund any school that tries in its US history curriculum to reveal the nature and consequences of slavery, center Black perspectives, and include Black American contributions in the narrative.

02-08-2021

Chris Noth []

It is very unclear what this bill is trying to accomplish. The 1619 Project is factbased; a legitimate historical resource among many, the use of which is rightfully determined by teachers with input from school administrators. The selection of curriculum materials is their job, not the legislature's. At no point does the state enter this equation. To do so would directly contract the principle of local control. Stop fighting divisive culture wars and focus on improving public education.

02-08-2021

Brian Carter [Iowa annual conference of the United Methodist Church]

The United Methodist Church is declared against this bill. I AM bRIAN cARTER A RETIRED MINISTER from Windsor Heights, Iowa. We believe that students should be taught the truth about slavery and discrimination and racism in this country. By admitting the truth. we can move forward as a multicultural nation which faces all of its flaws and moves forward to a greater future. We don't want to make America great again. we want America to be greater than it has ever been, facing the truth about ourselves and doing away with systemic racism in our nation.I just read the essay written by a native of Waterloo, Iowa, a black women of clear insight and courage. She tells it like it is.ON.Before I became a united Methodist pastor, I got a degree in secondary Education, planning on teaching history and civics in high school. This curriculum, 1619, would be the honest, thorough material which I would be proud to teach. Lets not hide our mistakes, but confess them and learn to live together as brothers and sisters of all races and nationalities. We can still be the greatest nation in the world, and a beacon of hope to all people who wish to be free and live in equity and democracy. Please vote NO to HF222. tHANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND ATTENTION AND CONSIDERATION

02-08-2021

Micah Benes []

I cannot support HF 222. As a graduate of Iowa public schools, I would have gladly studied a curriculum that properly and accurately portrayed American history. Our students deserve openness of mind and thought within curriculums. This bill opens a door for schools to determine what is taught based on whos voting in our legislatures rather than by the expertise of Iowas educators.

02-08-2021

Lesley Christensen []

I am writing as a parent of two children in Iowas public schools. Im also a Masters level educated Social Worker who benefited from a public school education. I first, want to apologize to Representative Smith for having to be exposed to legislation that promotes white supremacy. I understand the effects of secondary trauma and the very fact a bill like this was written, let alone has made it thus far into committee is damaging to all Black Iowans. Im sorry that you have to experience this from the seat of a position of leadership and I hope this was acknowledged by your fellow representatives. This bill has no business being in Iowa and no business even giving it time for discussion. It belongs in the garbage. Lets instead celebrate the contributions and success of Nikole Hannah Jones an Iowa native and leave school curriculum to school boards and Masters and doctorate level educators and the Iowa Board of Education. If you would like more information about secondary trauma please do not hesitate to reach out. Lesley Christensen LMSW, MSW from U of IowaEducated by Iowa Public Schools

02-08-2021

Pamela Mohr []

I am a constituent in Senate District 10 writing to ask that you please oppose bill HR222. I am lifelong Iowan, educated in our public and private schools. I am now a parent of a multiracial family with three children in our great public school system. "The 1619 Project" is a great supplement for our kids to learn about the true founding of our country, the role of slavery and how we're still influenced by it today. It is compiled by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist from the New York Times and fellow Iowa native, Nikole Hannah Jones. I do not fear our past, instead I fear our ignorance of it. We owe our children an education rooted in truth. Anything less is whitewashing history.

02-08-2021

Nicole Reed []

A nation touting freedom as its foundation should not proactively and intentionally restrict freedoms by silencing speech regarding history... especially not for purely political reasons. The free flow of thought and idea is the basis for growth. Dont stifle the nations growth as a result of what I imagine can only come from a place of hatred, ignorance, and/or fear.

02-08-2021

Liz Gunkel [Public school teacher and parent]

Students need to be taught all sides of US history and not just the colonists' view. Only through acknowledging all of our past can we make informed decisions and move forward as a society. Suppressing this and other similar curriculums continues white supremacy by not allowing other voices to heard or empowered.

02-08-2021

Theron Hobbs []

As an AfricanAmerican, father of a school aged child, and employee of the Des Moines Public Schools, I find this bill disrespectful to and rejection of what it means to educate. The opening of this bill declares that the 1619 Project denies or confuses (obfuscate) the fundamental principles upon which the United States was founded. Below are verbatim quotes from the 1619 Project, and if you cannot prove that these words deny or obfuscate the fundamental principles upon which the United States was founded then this bill must die.Our Declaration of Independence, signed on July 4, 1776, proclaims that all men are created equal and endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. But the white men who drafted those words did not believe them to be true for the hundreds of thousands of black people in their midst. The 13th Amendment is credited with ending slavery, but it stopped short of that: It made an exception for those convicted of crimes. Despite the guarantees of equality in the 14th Amendment, the Supreme Courts landmark Plessy v. Ferguson decision in 1896 declared that the racial segregation of black Americans was constitutional. With the blessing of the nations highest court and no federal will to vindicate black rights, starting in the late 1800s, Southern states passed a series of laws and codes meant to make slaverys racial caste system permanent by denying black people political power, social equality and basic dignity.Do the previous quotes deny or obfuscate the fundamental principles upon which the United States was founded? No, they do not. I understand the allure of the American exceptionalism ideology, but an education system can express love for country while also teaching hard truth about when the country missed the mark in living out its own espoused values. Too many Iowa schools are under resourced to provide marginal to adequate education, don't financially punish schools for wanting to provide a resemblance of a robust education through use of the "1619 Project."

02-08-2021

Beth Aslin []

I do not support HF 222. With all the relevant issues the legislature has to busy themselves with right now, it is beyond my comprehension as to how certain members even deem this bill relevant. The level of ignorance, bigotry, and disrespect this bill represents should make our state ashamed of itself. The legislature does NOT know more than professional educators, nor do you have the right to interfere and rewrite factually based curriculum to suit your own narrative and biases. It is arrogant to think you have the right to dictate what our children are allowed to learn and not learn. Not only are you presuming you know more than professional educators, you are also presuming that you know more about what children should learn than their parents. Stay in your own lane and focus on issues that actually need your attention, not biased partisan drivel.

02-08-2021

Julanda Taylor []

The mere fact that this bill has been proposed is disgraceful and a slap in the face to every African American living in Iowa. Slavery is American History and not the watered down version so often shared. To deny the teaching of its history to students is unconstitutional. The reality is that this bill absolutely needs to be opposed and those who proposed it should be removed from their seats immediately.

02-08-2021

Julia Weber [Instructional Coach at Monroe Elementary, DMPS]

I DO NOT support this bill. I can only imagine a bill like this stems from fear, although Im not sure what there is to fear but truth. Do not punish the masses because of a few small minds. Our students deserve better. Leave the big decisions about curriculum to the people who know education. Do not pass this bill!

02-08-2021

Megan Redhead []

HF 222 is an embarrassment to our state and an injustice for our students and educators. As the parent of a student in Iowa, I would be relieved to know that my student was receiving lessons which incorporated the vital information in The 1619 Project, supplementing current US history lessons which miss crucial components to a fundamental understanding of the continued legacy of slavery in America. I implore you to do the bare minimum of at least reading the project, which can be found in its entirety online. Whats apparent to many of us in the state, and across the nation, however, is that this bill isnt about the 1619 project at all and is instead rooted in an unwillingness to confront white supremacy. A little learning, indeed, may be a dangerous thing, but the want of learning is a calamity to any people. Frederick Douglass

02-08-2021

Edward Kelley []

Support of this bill does the exact opposite of its stated purpose. General assembly has a strong interest in promoting an accurate account of this nations history through public schools and forming young people into knowledgeable and patriotic citizens

02-08-2021

Nathan Kirstein [Attorney at Disability Rights Iowa]

I DO NOT support this bill. Not only does it seek to stop essential historical truths from being shared in the classroom learning environment, but it tramples on the local control that Republican legislators claim is so important in the State of Iowa. Let educators make curriculum decisions not the State.

02-08-2021

Jeff Wachuta []

Misinformation about our past equals misinformation about our present and future. I dont support any attempts to stifle information to mislead students about our history. Give students the freedom to make their own decisions. I do not support this bill.

02-09-2021

Rachel Bruns []

I do not support this bill. The state should be giving schools MORE MONEY, not finding ways to take it aways. The state should be incentivizing use of the 1619 project to reveal the consequences of slavery, center Black perspectives, and include Black American contributions in the narrative of US history.

02-09-2021

Heather Isaacson []

This is blatantly racist legislation that must be unequivocally voted down. Our dutybound state leaders must never, ever provide Iowa as a home for such nonsense. This is not a hard decision. This is not complicated. Vote no.

02-09-2021

Maegan Slechta []

I may not currently live in Iowa, but I was born and raised in Iowa. I went to school through the DMPS (Hoover) and attended college in Iowa (UIowa) as well. As an Iowan it has been disheartening to see what's been happening to our education system. I do not support this bill, and urge you to vote no.

02-09-2021

Maegan Slechta []

02-09-2021

Angela McLeran []

As an educator of 22 years, I find this bill ludicrous. Had my coworker not sent an email stating that this was an actual bill I would have been oblivious, similar to what this bill is trying to do to students. A white washed curriculum falsifies history and gives all of our students false hope that the Civil Rights Movement ended discrimination. If our students aren't taught the reality that racism still exists then they will grow up to be misinformed, thus, the cycle will continue. We can do better than that.

02-09-2021

Sharlene Yuille []

I oppose HR 222 in every possible way. This bill would set a dangerous precedent for educational institutions in this state. I am a person of color raising a Black 3rd grader in this community. My child has attended public schools in Iowa for the past six years. One of the things that adds value to our experience here, is the fact that her school curriculum includes historically accurate portrayals of the African American experience in this country. Any attempt to smother those truths should be seen as a direct affront to truth and should be summarily rejected by all! To clarify, I reject this proposal and so should all of you!

02-09-2021

Aaron Thien []

The 1619 Project is factbased; a legitimate historical resource among many, the use of which is rightfully determined by teachers with input from school administrators. The selection of curriculum materials is their job, not the legislature's. At no point does the state enter this equation. Our students, parents, and teachers need this legislature to find ways to build up, improve, and find more resources for public schools, not fewer.

02-09-2021

Karrie Schachtner []

This curriculum is very important for all of us to understand adults and children so that we more broadly understand and impact systemic issues that are a product of our history. Those who do not know our history are destined to repeat it. George Santayana

02-09-2021

Kari Taylor []

Please vote no to this harmful and completely unnecessary bill. The broad scope of the bill could have devastating consequences to any school who alters their curriculum to teach the true impacts of slavery and systemic racism in the United States. We need to learn from our history, not attempt to erase or rewrite it.

02-09-2021

Brent Osborne [Concerned Parent]

Spanish philosopher George Santayana is often credited with the aphorism, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. These words ring in my ears as HF 222 is being considered. In truth, that a bill defunding schools for teaching the ugly side of our collective history is sickening. My children have benefitted from having curriculum and educators that do not shy away from difficult topics; rather, they have been given honest instruction regarding many of the people, perspectives, and events that have led us to the inequities based on race that we find ourselves faced with still today. When I am being taught by my high school kids about events from our past that were not a part of my education, I cant help but wonder how things might be different today had we had access to the voices, experiences, and perspectives of the oppressed and marginalized. Seems the quote is born out my generation, having no memory (for lack of education) of the past, has indeed been condemned to repeat it. Dont condemn our future by telling one side of our collective story. Please vote no on HF 222.

02-09-2021

Chandlor Collins []

This bill is frustrating for any number of reasons. It is closed minded, punitive, and seems to be focused on a head in the sand mentality. Additionally, this bill removes local control for education by threatening the budget. For far too long, it has fallen on uncomfortable conversations, often in adulthood for people to learn or embrace the uncomfortable history of this country. Black people have bore the brunt of a history that has often not been told and now carry the water to educate people in adulthood about the history that their schools did not provide. This bill seeks to continue that practice in search of historical ignorance. This bill does that under the guise of protecting America's history, when in reality, it is seeking only to show the polished history of America. America is not polished, and it's history should be taught as such. The goal has always been a push for a "more perfect union," because the same founders that this bill tries to protect, knew that they were flawed. The 1619 Project seeks to show the flaws, show the missteps, and provide students the right to a complete historical education. Not a selective one. I simply hope that we as a State are at a place where we can reconcile the country's history, good and bad and just tell the true history of it all. For far too long history has been subjective. Told by the "victor." The 1619 Project seeks to rectify that and a school choosing to institute all or part of that curriculum should not be punished.

02-09-2021

Heather Schott []

I do not support this bill. This is our history and we are furthering shameful behaviors by not teaching the full history of our country to our kids. We need to ask ourselves why those submitting this bill are afraid of our children having the full story? Honesty, integrity and the ability to understand root causes of problems are key to being lawmakers. Study our full history and then submit bills to help us move forward, not backward.

02-09-2021

Abby Smull []

I am strongly opposed to HF222. As a parent of two high school students who attend public schools, I feel strongly that my children and all Iowa students be taught facts even when the facts are unflattering and inconvenient. Iowa has historically been a state that valued education. This bill is another sign that many of our legislators do not value public education or fact based information.

02-09-2021

GRANT WILSON []

This is a nonstarter. There is no reason for the legislature to restrict curriculum on partisan whim and political trend in an overly broad, impossible to enforce, hopelessly ambiguous fashion. The specifics of education is to be left to local control and common standards with deference to those with expertise. It sets a wretched precedent. There is no way to ascertain whether any given idea or fact is derived from a given source. There is no debating the historiography if you wish to cease all debate. It is unamerican.For instance, you will debate this bill in polk county. Polk being named after James Polk, who never passed up the opportunity to purchase an underaged slave. Now, was this fact derived from the 1619 project? No, because facts exist independently. Yet, if it was mentioned or in the ballpark of a participating historian in said project, does it all of a sudden become unteachable? Has it become unreal?Did any attorney read this bill first? I graduated with Jack Whitver, surely he mentioned its immediate lawsuit risk in time, cost and likelihood of success..... In current conditions, where PTOs constantly fundraise for basic educational items, this is an absurd priority and indicates a disconnect with on the ground realities and a misunderstanding of the critical thinking skills we presume to teach students.The bill is a nonstarter.

02-09-2021

Margaret Buckton [Urban Education Network and Rural School Advocates of Iowa]

Thanks for the opportunity to comment. UEN and RSAI are both registered opposed the HF 222. School boards in collaboration with their communities have authority to determine what curriculum is appropriate for their students. The state sets standards and the local board determines how best to meet them. This bill erodes the local control of school boards and crosses a line previously unimagined regarding a budget penalty. Many educators work with other groups to find engaging lessons and content for students. An educator could unknowingly use shared content for a lesson that originates from the 1619 project but isnt identified as such. That would place the district in peril for an innocent violation. The social studies portion of the school day averages between 1015% but the penalty for a misstep is the whole day. Imagine if such a penalty was later added for using the wrong book in reading, or the wrong science content or the wrong math strategy with which a future legislator disagreed. This penalty is a slippery slope precedent we would strongly oppose.The UEN and RSAI are opposed to this infringement on local control and urge the state to stay out of specific curriculum decisions, but if there is directive that schools comply with a certain curriculum state mandate, the better way to enforce it is through the accreditation process.

02-09-2021

Sandy Wilson [Citizen Engagement 411]

I am registering IN FAVOR of this bill. The 1619 project does not represent the true history of Americas founding. There are factual inaccuracies and i invite everyone to read about them from the New York Times article here:https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/09/opinion/nyt1619projectcriticisms.htmlAs a result of these inaccuracies, academics with the National Association of Scholars (NAS) have called on the Pulitzer Prize Board to revoke its award to the projects chief essayist, Nikole HannahJones.https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/16/1619projectfoundermeltsdownatcriticismofherfakehistory/I urge you to support this bill.

02-09-2021

Diane Howe []

I grew up in small town Iowa & was not exposed to any diversity. Although I received a quality education, my education was not well rounded at all. And, this limited my abilities. This curriculum is sorely needed for our Iowa schools & for us to provide quality education. Diversity is at the heart of our abilities to survive in the future. This should not be censored. Please do not support this bill.

02-09-2021

Claire Wilson []

This bill is ridiculous. Why should factual, historical education material be removed from our schools? As a lifelong Iowan, this is deeply disappointing to see even proposed. I am adamantly against this bill.

02-09-2021

Sophia Joseph []

I am sickened and disgusted that at a time of national reckoning over the our country's long record of racism, that a group of people who have very little diversity among their ranks, would choose to look at the concerned citizens of their state and tell us, they do not care. You don't care we fear for our children, you don't care to create a more equitable environment for our families, you don't care Iowa has ranked among the worst in racial disparities. Many people grow up in rural communities and don't encounter much diversity. It is vital that they hear different perspectives. I am unbelievably disappointed. My family goes back generations in Iowa and I was proud to have my beautiful biracial children in my hometown. It feels like you all are trying to say that Black people are not welcome here. That my biracial children are not welcome here. Truly disturbing and disappointing.

02-09-2021

Daron Richardson []

This bill is a travesty. This bill is a naked attempt at protofascist historical revision. This would be sociopathy codified. To deny people the truth of their history is to do violence. It is to lie through omission. I wish legislators would be honest about what this bill truly is. A white supremacist counterinsurgency plan, an attempt to whitewash the US' sins, and a vindictive recrimination to calls to defund the police. I am not fooled.

02-09-2021

Julian Seay []

I do not support this bill. It is an attempt to hide history fromOur youth, which in turn will deprive them of creating solutions for our future. This bill is disgusting and a repeat of violent history.

02-09-2021

Wendy Marsh [--None--]

This bill is a blatant attempt to literally whitewash our children's curriculum. As a lifelong resident of Iowa I have always been proud of our state and especially what has been, until recently, its stellar educational system. Please stop forcing your political agenda on Iowa's educational system and our children and start focusing on legislation that actually assists public education.

02-09-2021

Amner Martinez []

The miseducation of this country led us to the insurrection on January the 6th, 2021. It is only when we confront the real history of this country and its citizens are educated with the truth, only then, is when this country begins to move on.

02-09-2021

Jill Niswander []

Vote NO on HF 222. This bill is offensive, disrespectful and hurtful. It is the antithesis of what it means to educate. This bill is a waste of government time and money. I'm embarrassed for our state that we would even have such a bill be drafted.

02-09-2021

Kent Christen []

While I support the main thrust of this bill, I would amend it to require schools and teachers who use the curriculum to fully disclose the fact that the 1619 Project is a fraud, letting students understand how some "journalists" can play fast and loose with history and put forward a set of "alternate facts (to quote Kellyanne Conway)" that draw wrong conclusions or (worse) trick people into believing that what they've been taught is a lie. We have a great opportunity to provide students with the ability to learn and apply critical thinking skills with something that's both contemporary and relevant.https://pjmedia.com/newsandpolitics/tyleroneil/2020/09/22/thenewyorktimesjustgavedefinitiveproofthe1619projectisafraudn954008 outlines how the New York Times and author Nikole Hannah Jones have been stealthediting the project to obscure the fact that their "research" is a sham.Even Smithsonian Magazinehardly a rightwing publicationdisputes a foundational claim of the 1619 Project: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/misguidedfocus1619beginningslaveryusdamagesourunderstandingamericanhistory180964873/One of the project's factcheckers publicly announced she was ignored when she pointed out the errors in the project's "research:" https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/03/06/1619projectnewyorktimesmistake122248In this nowdeleted Tweet, Nikole HannahJones admitted that the 1619 Project is not "history:" https://twitter.com/SirajAHashmi/status/1306709531603460096/photo/1 (the Tweet is copied from someone who preserved it, you can see the archive.org version here: https://web.archive.org/web/20200727180659/https://twitter.com/nhannahjones).Finally, four noted historians openly disputed the 1619 Project's claims and wrote to the Times: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/12/historiansclash1619project/604093/.So, we know that much of the project is a fraud where history was skewed by ideology and then published as "history" and "journalism," then the author and NYT quietly protested when people did research and refuted their claims, then went back and started editing what's available in Orwellian fashion. People who argue that the 1619 Project is "history" need to read more.So, as a compromise, I offer that we give teachers the option of presenting the 1619 Project in their classes, but that they caveat it correctly AND that they offer the rebuttals for the students to evaluate. If they don't caveat it and provide the counter documents, THEN pull their funding.Critical thinking is a thing this country sorely lacks. We've seen it in our politics, entertainment, and "journalism." We have here a true opportunity to show two very different sides of the same story and something students can use to learn and apply critical thinking. Let's not waste it.

02-09-2021

Erica Spiller []

Please note there are factual errors in this bill itself. It should be removed. Also, you mentioned you are concerned about promoting accurate information about our nations history. I dont want to alarm you, but numerous history books currently in use across the state are wrong. I hope a thorough audit by an independent third party is planned if you actually think this is anything other than racism.

02-09-2021

Sara Albright []

In order for Iowa to grow and thrive its public schools must offer a first class education that stands out among other states. Stripping money from public schools will make Iowa less competitive and attractive to business owners, corporations, and an educated workforce.Private schools do not have to except all learners and wont. This leaves public schools to take the lion's share of students who have special needs with fewer resources to accommodate these learners. Providing public dollars toward discriminatory practices is unethical if not illegal.Providing dollars to private schools takes money away from small, rural community schools where there is no school choice.

02-09-2021

Erin Sheriff []

Our children should learn accurate history lessons. Have we done everything right? No. And we need them to understand the consequences of our historical laws and policies. How does it impact the present and future? How can we avoid making the same mistakes again? How can we make it right? These are great lessons for all children. I do not support a bill that is designed to ignore our mistakes as a country.

02-09-2021

Sara Albright []

I apologize for pasting in my previous comment clearly meant for the school choice / voucher bill. I OPPOSE this bill. This is clearly an attempt to hide from an embarrassing past. Students must be given access to accurate and complete curriculum. They must graduate from Iowa schools with a knowledge and skill set that prepares them for the reality of our current place in time. Having politicians make decisions about curriculum is a slippery slope that can lead to personal whims and agendas. We must trust the experts in history and education, who have spent their lives and careers in pursuit of best practice.

02-09-2021

Amanda Amanda []

Vote NO. This bill is blatant racism. Learning accurate history is not divisive. We have been learning out of inaccurate history books which have made heroes out of monsters for generations why would anyone want that to continue?

02-09-2021

Christine Sommers []

I do NOT support this bill. We should endeavor to always offer factbased curriculum inclusive of the many histories experienced by Americans of all kinds, and it is unfathomable to specifically target the 1619 Project or the wildly vague "or any similarly developed curriculum". We should not be shutting down new, open, inclusive, and engaging ways of teaching slavery and systemic racism in the US, and we should leave those decisions in the hands of our educators, rather than our legislators. Vote NO to HF 222.

02-09-2021

Stephanie Oppel []

As an educator, parent, and proud Iowan, I strongly oppose this bill. The 1619 project is a factbased analysis of the often (and generally intentionally) overlooked history and impact of slavery in America. This legislation seeks to exclude truth from our classrooms and as such should be removed from the legislative agenda. The fact that Nikole HannahJones, the founder of the project, is from Iowa should be celebrated. This content curriculum, articles, podcasts, all of it, matters and is deeply important for all of us to engage with and consider if we want to create a more equitable and inclusive society. I believe the introduction of this legislation is racist and a glaring example of white supremacy.

02-09-2021

Alison Oliver []

I am a parent of a 3rd grader and public education supporter, and I oppose HF 222. Singling out one particular set of curricular material along with unspecified "related" material is broadly and unnecessarily micromanaging, leaving the impression that the purpose of this bill is not related to critically examining source material but rather to shut down educational efforts on slavery and the experiences of enslaved people. I'm disappointed that of all of the challenges we face in our schools, this was deemed a priority by Rep. Wheeler.

02-09-2021

Carrie Gosnell []

Stop this bill.This bill is dangerous. Schools should teach us to learn different perspectives and to think critically. They should not tell us what to think. Movement on this bill ignores the perspectives of our Black populations and their history the way they tell it. We cannot look at the history of our country only from a white lens. That is extremely dangerous, and it perpetuates the idea that one person's perspective is more valid or important than another's. We need to stop ignoring half of our country and start learning about what they have to teach us. This bill supports continued ignorance, and that does not meet the standards of education that I grew up believing in. If we cannot think critically about our selves, how can we grow?

02-09-2021

Lora Fraracci []

While I am not surprised at this behaviour and this racist legislation I am appalled. When I look at the GOP when most Black and Brown folks and other marginalised groups look at the GOP we see racism sexism bigotry and hatred. That is what your party now signifies. This bill just adds to that perception. But it's not just a perception is it? No. You and your ilk actively develop AKA copy policy That hurts Americans and iowans. That you would deny the full accounting of our history is inherently racist and reeks of your white privilege. People are no longer flocking to your party and this is why.

02-09-2021

Tanesha Wade []

As a native of Iowa and relative of young children living and learning in the state, I do not support this ridiculous bill. There are many important initiatives that need to be and could be addressed to help improve our childrens education and yet we are here, STILL fighting against disinformation and ignorance. The I irresponsible and unqualified legislators who filed and support this bill are showing exactly who they are. The 1619 project and similar curriculum provide FACT and TRUTH based historical facts that our children need to know and will ultimately benefit from as they grow and continue to live and learn in our society. Currently and previously, history curriculum has been cherrypicked and downplayed to fit a rosy narrative which does everyone a disservice. Truth will always prevail and our kids will be and need to be taught history that is inclusive and equitable whether you like it or not. This bill is only meant to appease the few that are clearly ashamed of the truth and what it means for their fragile egos and ultimately, their contrived positions of privilege and power. Shame on you for trying to take away one of the most important tools for ALL kids to survive and thrive in this world. DO NOT SUPPORT THIS FRAUDULENT, DESTRUCTIVE BILL.

02-09-2021

Molly Parrott []

I do not support this bill. It is time to recognize our nation's true history in our classrooms, including the role of slavery and the generations of hurt and discrimination for people of color. Let's be a state of inclusivity and empathy, and recognizing our mistakes of the past. Please vote NO.

02-09-2021

Chris Miller []

This curriculum is not a replacement of current history or social studies programs but a supplemental program designed to include historical information and facts often overlooked or bypassed by current teaching materials.

02-09-2021

Sarah Pentek []

I do not support this bill. A small group of individuals hell bent on upholding white supremacy do not get to make decisions about what students learn and do not learn in school. Truth and fact based information, knowledge, and learning are non negotiable. Do not pass this bill.

02-09-2021

Sheila Knoploh-Odole []

As a white woman who grew up and has lived in Iowa allof my life, and mother of two beautiful, biracial young adults, I am appalled by this legislation. Why on earth would we not teach the truth to our children? Is it because there are still racist white men in our government who are taking orders from such Despicable organizations like ALEC?!? Sure seems that way. Shame on you if you vote for this ridiculous piece of garbage that would open the door to racist legislators determining what gets taught in our schools. THAT IS NOT YOUR JOB! STAY IN YOUR LANE and reject this piece of crap! Vote NO on HR222

02-09-2021

Vanessa Phelan []

I am writing to express my vehement opposition to this bill. The legislature should not police what educators can or cannot teach. This bill targets the work of one of Iowas most prominent journalists; that she is African American and this bill targets the 1619 project, centered on the perspective of Black people, is something to be noted. What must also be noted is the punitive nature of this bill; any educational institution that dared teach a factbased curriculum that a small group of elected officials deem controversial would be punished. This is not a good way to govern; if funding is reduced for schools, students with no voice in the choosing of curriculum will be the ones paying the price.

02-09-2021

Rita Carter [Iowa United Methodist Legislative Advocacy Team]

I find it ironic that the subcommittee hearing is being held for a HF222 that aims to punish Board of Regents institutions for using even a part of the acclaimed 1619 Project, which lifts up a mostly unknown history of the development of the United States that began with the arrival of the first slaves on our shores in the year 1619, during FebruaryBlack History Month. Indeed, The 1619 Project was created by a native of Waterloo, Iowa, Nikole HannahJones, whom we should be honoring in this bill instead of punishing her scholarship and work. I am personally strongly opposed to HF222, as is the Iowa United Methodist Church, with which I serve as a member of its Legislative Advocacy Team.The United Methodist Church recognizes the impacts of racial injustice and economic inequality in the US in its Resolution #3378 (Racism and Economic Injustice Against People of Color in the US) includes this: Whereas, slavery, Jim Crow segregation, the sharecropping and tenantfarmer system, the convict slavelabor system (See Douglas A. Blackmon, *Slavery by Another Name: The ReEnslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II *(New York: Anchor Books, 2008)), thousands of lynchings, KKK terror, and other historical practices prevented the accumulation of wealth and property by most African American families and the legacy of those systems of oppression still affects many families, recent studies show that ongoing mass disparities between whites and blacks in the US can be directly attributed to current racist policies and practices. . . These are parts of historyUS historythat are not very wellknown to many but that have enormous consequences. Racial justice can approach a point of reconciliation only after there is acknowledgement of injusticesor truth. Jake Silverstein, in his Editors Note to The 1619 Project, offers a word of warning that there is material that readers will find disturbing. That is, unfortunately, as it must be. American history cannot be told truthfully without a clear vision of how inhuman and immoral the treatment of black Americans has been. By acknowledging this shameful history, by trying hard to understand its powerful influence on the present, perhaps we can prepare ourselves for a more just future. That is the hope of this project. Just because the material is disturbing or contrary to what one believes to be true doesnt mean its wrong. History is perceived through the eyes of those who hold power. The 1619 Project materials looks as history through different eyes, important eyes.HF222 should, indeed must, not advance to committee.

02-09-2021

Connie Ryan [lnterfaith Alliance of Iowa Action Fund]

The timing and introduction of HF222 is confusing and befuddling. The United States of America is in the midst of a shifting tide; a reckoning, if you will. Coming to terms with our understanding of and the implications for racism and racial injustices that have haunted us for centuries and remain to this day. Whether you agree with the full scope of the impact, it would be my hope that no American would deny the facts about slavery, Jim Crow, and the impact of systemic racism embedded in all of our nations institutions; to deny these facts is to live in an alternative reality. The 1619 Project tells our nations history from a new and fresh perspective; rather than that conveyed through the lens of the white, dominant culture. It is an intriguing enterprise, to say the least, and is certainly a conversation starter. It challenges us to be critical thinkers in real time, and in assessing the past. Isnt that what we want for our young people? To be critical thinkers? To challenge the norms and assess how the world looks at things, and how our young people look at their world, as well. Change can be scary, especially when you see the writing on the wall that you may not have as much power or privilege on the other side of that change. However, change is also inevitable and is necessary in how we make the common good even better for all. You can choose to be on the right side of history and embrace the changes we are experiencing today in terms of race, racism, and addressing racial injustices, or you can remain stuck in the quagmire of tired, worn out, disproven narratives of old. The choice is always individual and personal. HF222 is on the wrong side of history and should not move forward. Interfaith Alliance of Iowa Action opposes HF222 and asks that all lawmakers do so, as well.

02-09-2021

Melissa Peterson [Iowa State Education Association]

The ISEA is adamantly opposed to HF 222. Not only does it attempt to usurp the local districts authority to determine what curriculum would best meet the needs of it's students, it would penalize the district or institute of higher education financially, for educating their students and providing multiple perspectives whether the 1619 Project or similarly developed curriculum. Similar legislation is being introduced in many other states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Mississippi, Idaho and South Dakota, attempting to politicize education curriculum. I implore you to not move this legislation further. Iowa is proud of it's educational standards and curriculum, determined at the local level. Thank you for your consideration.

02-09-2021

Jennifer Pellant []

I oppose this bill vehemently. History should be taught in its entirety. A native Iowan, Nicole Hannah Jones, has created an incredibly wellresearched, deeply important work that adds so much to a fuller understanding of American history and our origins. It is vindictive, racist, and antieducation to oppose the inclusion of this vital narrative in our teaching of history. A shameful bill.

02-09-2021

Heather Matson []

One of the most important parts of public education is a robust civics and history curriculum that provides for an expansive understanding of our country's history. Banning use of the 1619 Project, and penalizing schools who use it, is another way some members of this Legislature are seeking silence the voices and experiences of Black Americans. I'm mortified that it is even being considered in the State of Iowa.