From its earliest days, the United States committed itself to education. Early leaders recognized that democracy requires an electorate that can read and evaluate issues. One of the earliest acts of the federal government was to designate that money received from the sale of one square mile out of each township (36 square miles) of western lands should be earmarked to support local schools.
From its earliest territorial days, Iowa settlers began to create a remarkable system of schools to teach pioneer children. Laws were passed to establish a system of one-room schoolhouses across the state so that most children had a school within a mile or two of their home. All property owners were taxed to pay for the teacher and maintain the building, whether they had children or not. Children of all ages were put in the same class, and one teacher taught all subjects. Families provided wood or coal to heat the building and sent their children off with lunches of foods raised at home. The curriculum stressed basic subjects like reading, geography, penmanship, spelling and arithmetic. The length of the school year varied, but many children stayed at home to help with seasonal farm work like planting and corn harvest.
Most Iowa children in the early days had no education opportunities beyond the one-room school. Not for a couple decades after the Civil War did Iowa towns take much of an interest in establishing public high schools. There were some private schools, often called academies, that prepared students for college work. They might teach foreign languages, history, literature or advanced mathematics, particularly for boys interested in pursuing careers as lawyers or doctors. Girls often studied languages, music or art to prepare them to create good homes and to be good mothers. With the introduction of the automobile, farm children could attend high schools in town more easily, and high school attendance grew rapidly after 1900.
Higher education in Iowa was a combination of public and private institutions. The state created the University of Iowa with its emphasis on the professions. With support from the federal government through grants of public lands, Iowa State University (first known as Iowa State College) was dedicated to teaching more practical subjects, such as agriculture, engineering and home economics. The University of Northern Iowa was first the Iowa Normal College and was created to train teachers. In addition to the state schools, many church denominations established private colleges to train ministers or provide general education classes. The Methodists, Lutherans, Catholics, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ, Reformed and Reorganized Latter Day Saints created a web of liberal arts colleges that offer degree programs today.
With the growth of schools at every level, new programs and opportunities developed. Sports, music, and special interest clubs cater to students’ interest. Teachers must meet much more vigorous standards for employment, and classrooms enjoy vastly enhanced technological support through the Internet and computer-aided instruction. What schools teach can be divisive issues in a community when they involve religious issues or controversial subjects, and every era has its own challenges.
From earliest pioneer days, Iowa has been justly proud of its schools. For many years, Iowa led the nation in the percentage of its adult citizens who can read and write. Iowa children always rank at or near the top on standardized tests. Changing population trends, especially the decline of school-age children in rural areas, and budget issues challenge schools to maintain Iowa’s pre-eminent position as an education leader, but schools remain a primary commitment of the Hawkeye State.