Iowa Republican Governor Threatens Schools If They Close During Pandemic

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds warned that schools would be violating the law, and students would not receive credit for the year if schools stayed closed.

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The Des Moines Register reported:

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday that students in school districts that hold classes exclusively online without receiving state approval will not receive credit.

The announcement comes one day after two Iowa school districts said they plan to defy the governor’s mandate that at least 50% of classes be held in person this fall.

“Schools that choose not to return to school for at least 50% in-person instruction are not defying me, they are defying the law,” Reynolds said Tuesday during a press conference.

“If schools move to primarily remote learning without approval, according again to the law, those days do not count toward instructional time.”

Reynolds is a mini-Trump who has been at the White House to visit with the president, so her attempts to make the pandemic worse in her state are Trumpian and not a surprise. Gov. Reynolds is attempting to blackmail schools by withholding academic progress from students if a school does the right thing and chooses to move to online learning.

Gov. Reynolds issued her threat because Republicans are hinging all of their election chances on things being back to normal.

The threat from Reynolds will spread the coronavirus in Iowa.

A governor who threatens schools who are trying to protect the public health is engaging in an abuse of power that almost rises to the level of criminality.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

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Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association