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For college students, the prospect of staying in bed all day on Zoom rather than going to school to attend classes can sound pretty good. But for elementary, middle school and high school students, this semester is a different story. In fact, for students and teachers in the Des Moines Public School District, this fall has come with more challenges than normal as their district squares off against Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds on issues ranging from extracurricular activities for students to teaching licenses. Rob Barron, who serves as special assistant to the president for government and community relations here at Grand View, provided insight into the fight against Governor Reynolds and the DMPS board’s efforts to keep students and teachers safe during the pandemic.

In addition to his work at GV, Barron has served on the DMPS board for two years. All summer long, he met with the board to help devise a plan to keep everyone safe when returning to school this fall. The original plan was to have elementary and middle school students return to school to attend only two days a week in person, while the three other days were virtual. High school students were only supposed to attend one day a week while the four other days were held virtually. This plan was introduced before the beginning of the school year and was known as the hybrid plan.

To make this possible, the DMPS board provided well over 1,000 laptops to students who did not have one and helped secure internet access for many households at a cheaper rate so that students could do their schoolwork over meetings on Zoom. Much of the money raised for the laptops was raised privately, and many people in the community pitched in selflessly. Then complications arose with Governor Reynolds.

“Her proclamation on July 16 meant that none of that (was) any longer feasible, even though they approved that plan two weeks before,” Barron said.

However, DMPS wished to continue with the hybrid plan.

“That is part of why we are suing the state: to get the ability to come back in that plan when we think the conditions are ready for us to come back,” Barron said.

Barron said that there were two things the school board asked for and so far they have received a decision on one of them.

“The first thing that we asked for is an injunction or a stay, which basically means that until there is a final decision on our lawsuit, (no) penalties can come to us,” Barron said. “Then there is the final question of did the Governor interpret the statute correctly, or are we able to go with the plan that we think is best for our students?”

The judge decided to go against the DMPS board, so they are currently out of compliance with the law. The DMPS board will meet again to determine if it wants to appeal.

“I believe in our teachers,” Barron said. “Nobody wants to be in this situation, and I think any teacher included would say that they teach better in person than they do through a computer. That doesn’t mean that they can’t teach this way. We’re forced into this position, and people will raise their game and will figure out a way to do it better.”

“We’re forced into this position, and people will raise their game and will figure out a way to do it better.”

Rob Barron

According to NBC News, Governor Reynolds has been in a fight against the Des Moines Public School Board since the middle of summer. On July 17, Reynolds signed a proclamation saying, “Schools to teach at least half of all classes in-person, unless the district receives a waiver from the State. Waivers would only be approved if a county’s coronavirus positivity rate surpassed 15 percent.”

After approving the original plan that the DMPS had in place, Reynolds changed it before school started to require that 50% of people had to be in the classrooms. DMPS refused to comply with the last-minute changes.
For DMPS teachers, the complications have made for a unique semester so far. Joy Fischer, who teaches at Cowles Montessori, just finished her first week teaching on Zoom with preschool and kindergarten kids. Like many teachers, she spends her days sitting in an empty classroom and teaching students all of the content online. The teachers are not allowed to see each other at school and mainly stay in their classrooms.

“It does not feel natural,” Fischer said. “I did not sign up to be an online teacher.”

Montessori is a teaching philosophy where students learn by using materials rather than notebook instruction. Fischer has her students choose household items to learn subjects such as math, reading and writing.

“It is a dance; I am trying to expose them to material online so that when they come back, they are familiar with it,” Fischer said.

Despite the challenges caused by the clash between the DMPS school board and Governor Reynolds, online learning continues.