Iowa, always a leader, was one of the first states in the nation to allow black children in its public schools. The year was 1875. Most of the K-8 school districts consisted of a one-room, one-teacher school. Of Iowa’s 1700 teachers, 55% were men. High schools were non-existent and were viewed as undemocratic since most saw them as serving only the wealthy.

In its early years the teachers’ organization was a loosely-knit group made up primarily of administrators who occasionally dabbled in politics. Teaching was not viewed favorably by the public in the 1880s and 90s. Most teachers were poorly prepared and poorly paid. The average school teacher taught no longer than three or four years. Many looked upon teaching as a temporary occupation, a means of making a living until something better came along. In 1893 the average annual salary for men was $298 and $243 for women, far below the $316 per year needed to provide the basic necessities of life.

In 1911 the ISTA initiated and supported the ‘Better Schools Commission’ to improve public education. The 35th General Assembly acted on those recommendations and made significant changes in the teaching profession. For the first time minimum wages were established, based on preparation and experience. The beginning pay increased from $345 in 1905 to $423.85 in 1910 and then to $545 in 1915. While these increases were significant for the profession, they lagged far behind other professions: carpenters, $802; coal miners, $660; factory workers $550; and common laborers, $572. Teachers still had no sick leave, no fringe benefits, and no retirement program. Those benefits would not be seen until years later when the second education renaissance occurred.

In 1944 a School Code Commission was established by the Legislature to equalize educational opportunities for all Iowa students. The most significant
gain for the teaching profession was the establishment of the Iowa Old Age and Survivors Insurance System. For the first time in the history of the state, teachers and other public employees had a retirement system. This system was replaced in 1953 by our current Iowa Public Employees Retirement System. It wasn’t until 1949 that public school teachers were granted sick leave.

During the 1960s the Association began to see the waning of administrators’
influence in the organization. Teachers began to advocate for their rights in the classroom and fight against unfair treatment by school boards and administrators. While teachers fought for the right to collectively bargain, that law was still a long way off.

The teachers’ strike in Keokuk helped reinforce the need for a collective bargaining law in Iowa. The Keokuk Education Association was one of the few districts in the state who voluntarily bargained a contract with their school board. In 1970 the process was put to the test. The association and the board had agreed to a sophisticated impasse procedure for bargaining. During the bargaining process they reached an impasse over salary. The association wanted an increase in the index on the salary schedule; the school board wanted to eliminate the index completely. A mediator was called in but failed to help the parties reach a compromise.

The association finally agreed to accept the mediator’s final recommendation
but the school board refused. The board voted to adopt a new salary schedule without an index; the teachers responded by going on strike. The community backed the teachers. After 19 hours, four teacher arrests, and a $250 fine for the association, the school board agreed to further negotiations and the strike ended. It was the only teachers’ strike in Iowa’s history.

In 1971 a significant victory for teachers occurred when the courts ruled that pregnant teachers could no longer be forced to resign. They could use their accumulated sick leave for maternity reasons and they had the right to return to work following their maternity leave.

The most important action improving the teaching profession in Iowa took place in 1974 when the collective bargaining law was adopted. At long last teachers were in control of their profession. 

They were now equal partners at the bargaining table and would be allowed a voice in determining their salaries, benefits, and working conditions.
What followed was a time of record-breaking increases in salaries and substantial improvements in contract language governing leaves and fringe benefits.

I entered the teaching profession in the 1976. It was the first year that teachers in Iowa City were allowed to bargain. The teachers who came to the bargaining table represented hundreds of educators in Iowa City who were educating the children in our community. I benefited from all those teachers who came before me and fought for those salaries and benefits. I understand that it was the work of thousands of educators throughout the history of our state who fought for the right to bargain and to improve our conditions of employment. It is our responsibility to protect that right and to educate others about why it is so important.

While there are many politicians who would like to gut our collective bargaining laws, it’s more important than ever for the public and especially young people to understand how we have benefited from those laws. Teachers are now protected by due process rights, and school boards can no longer fire a teacher on a whim with no reason for the dismissal. Teachers’ salaries in Iowa now rank 26th in the nation, due to the hard work of our Iowa State Education Association. New teachers are paired with mentors who can help them weather the challenges of those first two years in the classroom. Teachers, both male and female, are allowed leaves for maternity, adoption, family illness, jury duty, and bereavement. We have a healthy public employee retirement system that protects teachers after they retire. We have a grievance procedure that allows us a fair process when the contract has been violated and we seek justice without fear of retribution.