Kim Reynolds' Iowa education director faces heated criticism as confirmation moves forward

Gov. Kim Reynolds' nominee to lead Iowa's education department faced questions Tuesday from advocates and a Democratic senator about her qualifications.

Nine months after being appointed, McKenzie Snow will go through Senate confirmation to hold the role of director permanently. Several advocates and members of the public voiced their opposition Tuesday, while state education leaders and Senate Republicans endorsed Snow's confirmation at a subcommittee hearing.

"When I was nominated by Gov. Reynolds to this position, I knew the department was facing challenges," Snow said. "It was an agency reorienting its work after a global pandemic, navigating multiple leadership transitions across all levels of the department."

Snow, who was hired last June, stepped into the role as Iowa's third education director within a year. She succeeded Chad Aldis, who suddenly resigned four months after replacing Ann Lebo for "family reasons."

She has taken the reins during a critical year for education policymaking in Iowa, overseeing the rollout of the state's new education savings account program and the implementation of a 2023 law taking books off shelves and restricting LGBTQ-related instruction.

And in the last few months, Republican lawmakers have outlined plans to restructure the state's Area Education Agencies that would grant her and the department increased authority over special education and other services across the state.

More: Iowa House votes on new AEA overhaul bill as Senate waits. What's in the new proposal:

Reynolds affirmed her support for Snow in a statement Tuesday after the hearing.

"McKenzie Snow’s experience and expertise as an education leader at the state level, U.S. Department of Education, and the White House has prepared her well to lead Iowa’s Department of Education," Reynolds said. "The work she is already leading with superintendents, teachers, families and stakeholders across the state to transform education will have a lifelong impact on our students.

"These are the reasons I appointed her as director of the Department of Education, and I look forward to her confirmation and her continued exemplary service to Iowa’s students and schools."

Critics say Snow's lack of classroom, administrative experience is disqualifying

Advocates who called for senators to oppose Snow's confirmation said her lack of experience in the classroom or in an administrative role disqualified her from holding Iowa's top education job.

Jessica Roman, who's been an Iowa educator for 20-plus years, said Snow would be unable with her qualifications to hold many jobs within Iowa districts.

"Someone with her level of education and years of experience would make around $55,000 a year at one of Iowa's larger public school districts or an AEA," Roman said.

Snow has previously worked at state education departments in Virginia and New Hampshire, as well as for a think tank founded by Republican Jeb Bush.

She worked in the U.S. Department of Education under the Trump administration, spearheading a program that would have created tax credits for those who donate to organizations providing private school scholarships.

From June 2023: Iowa Department of Education director resigns. What we know about his replacement:

She holds a bachelor's degree in political science and no advanced degrees, and said she had taught at the University of the Free State in South Africa. Snow declined to directly answer questions about her qualifications from Sen. Herman Quirmbach, D-Ames, deferring to her previous experience and policy writing experience.

"I think our teachers, our parents, our students in public education need to have a greater degree of confidence in the experience of our leaders in the Department of Education," Quirmbach said.

Heather Sievers, founder of Advocates for Iowa's Children and a Democrat running for the House, expressed concern that potential changes to AEAs would mean Snow overseeing special education policy.

"She does not have experience in special education," Sievers said. "She's going to have oversight of IEPs, curriculum. She's going to try to be in charge of closing achievement gaps. She doesn't have experience or a track record of success in doing that in other roles."

Snow backed by DMPS superintendent, state education leaders

Reynolds' office reiterated their support for Snow on Tuesday, as the governor's appointee earned praise and backing from the Des Moines superintendent, president of the state board of education and several other education leaders.

Taryn Frideres, Reynolds' chief of staff, said of the three education directors she's worked with, "neither rose to the level of Director Snow." She praised Snow as "the CEO that Iowa's Department of Education needs," and said she was being judged by different criteria than past appointees to the position.

"Some members of this chamber are unfairly holding her to a different standard," Frideres said.

Snow, during questioning about her qualifications, noted that Aldis, the previous director who was confirmed by the Senate, "had not served in the classroom and did not have experience in executive leadership and state agency leadership."

The superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, Ian Roberts, praised Snow's visits to DMPS schools and said she "anchored her discussions and conversations in data that is credible and reliable."

"I believe that the state of Iowa is in great hands by Director Snow leading and being at the helm of our education policies," Roberts said.

The two Republicans on the subcommittee, Sens. Ken Rozenboom, R-Oskaloosa, and Jeff Taylor, R-Sioux Center, said they would support Snow's confirmation.

It remains to be seen how Senate Democrats will approach Snow's confirmation; Senate Minority Leader Pam Jochum told the Des Moines Register that as of Tuesday morning the caucus had not yet had conversations about the process.

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: McKenzie Snow faces confirmation as education department head