Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver told members of the media that he is only aware of the details that were discussed on the floor of the Iowa Senate when it comes to the Des Moines Public School District’s decision to deny an open enrollment request from a student who was raped.
“If true, it’s a very disgusting situation but it just highlights, even more, the need to pass the kind of reforms that we’re talking about,” he said.
Whitver noted that school choice means different things to different people. It could mean open enrolling out of a district where kids are trapped due to voluntary diversity plans, choosing a charter school, getting out of a failing school, finding a school for 100 percent in-person learning or other situations.
“It just highlights the need to put parents back in control of the education system in the state of Iowa,” Whitver said. “The last year has been difficult for everybody here in Iowa and across the country, but parents and students have had a very difficult time over the last year. An entire generation of students right now is falling behind in their education. It’s unconscionable. We need to do anything we can, everything we can immediately to make sure we get those kids caught up and make sure they are successful in the future.”
