Coming up on KCC news. Close up, the new superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools talks about his plans for leading the state's largest district and the challenges of complying with new laws about books in schools. Former President Trump is charged with trying to interfere with the outcome of the 2020 election. What effect that may have on the upcoming Iowa caucus? Talk it up, lock it up. Po County's new plan to curb gun injuries and deaths among Children. This is Iowa's news leader. This is KCC I Eight News. Close up. Good morning and welcome to close up. I'm Ophelia Jacobson. Doctor Ian Roberts is *** little more than *** month into his new job as superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. He sat down with K CCS, Kayla James to talk about his plans for improving education for the district's 30,000 students. You know, the welcome that I've gotten thus far from just uh my team, uh teachers, leaders and parents uh has been nothing short of just gracious and just *** warm welcome. Uh and, and certainly that has been extended by members of the larger than one community as well. So I'm excited about being here and the first month really bodes well for what is to come. Yes. What have you accomplished in this first month? Just really, um, doing *** lot of listening, um, started to sort of build *** foundation for *** number of great relationships. Um, certainly one of my biggest accomplishments I would say is I've had the opportunity to visit schools where students are in summer programs and to interact with them to hear from them. So that has been really, really inspiring if you may. Yes, and you are coming into *** school year or just like other districts across the state. They are dealing with new laws from this last legislative session, laws involving prohibiting certain books as well as prohibiting gender identity instruction or conversations. How do you and the district plan to deal with these laws as well as you know, parent and students who may have concerns? Absolutely. So our approach is one that I would think of as *** three prong approach, right? The first is acknowledging and recognizing that this is the law and so we have to adhere to it. We plan to follow the law. Uh The second is really creating lots of opportunities and spaces to have collaborative conversations with many stakeholders, right? This includes teachers, leaders and even members of the legislature to make sure that we are hearing from them. This collaboration is uh looks at sort of what is happening in other districts and to partner with superintendents to hear from them so that we can have some alignment around how we approach this. And the third. And I think probably one of the most important parts of our response and reaction to the law is to make sure that regardless of what is expected of us from *** legal standpoint does not compromise the quality of education that we are gonna give to students and the quality of sort of supports and services we're gonna give to our teachers and staff. What kind of relationship do you and the district hope to have with the state going forward? One that is grounded in the spirit of collaboration. Uh I truly believe that um the, the state legislature, uh the Department of Education, um one of the, the sort of commonalities that they shared with us is they, all, each of us wants to make sure that every single student who knocks on the door of the Moines public schools receive *** high quality education. Um And so my goal, my commitment is to make sure that there are lots of ongoing conversations, discussions, partnership, thought leadership around. What can we do to make sure that we are delivering on the promise of *** sung quality education for all of the students of this district. The day you were announced to become the new superintendent, the 15th superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools. You made *** speech at that board meeting and you talked about, you want to have *** relationship with students with um parents, but you also mentioned the importance of educators. What do you hope to bill within educators this school year? So at the risk of an over silic application, let me just say that I wanna make sure that we have 5000 employees in this district, teachers, staff and leaders. I wanna make sure that each and every one of them many knock on the doors of our schools uh of our offices of our buildings to come to work, they all feel seen, heard and supported. What does that mean for me and for my entire entire cabinet, the recognition that uh instead of this thinking that these individuals are working for us, um it's the other way around, we are working for them and on their behalf, I wanna make sure that they are getting all the resources that they need in order for them to be and become their best selves when they come into these buildings to support students. What are your goals for this school year? Um There are *** number of goals, I think the three that I wanna highlight. First of all starts with um making ensure that we are working diligently with strong practices towards accomplishing the goals that the board has set for us, right? There are three key goals um that has been published. Um The second big goal is to make sure that we are having not only *** strong start to the school year. Uh but that for the entire uh sort of 180 days or more that all of our teachers are, are sort of inundated with all the appropriate resources that need. And students are benefiting from strong pedagogical delivery practices. And the third big goal is really around uh the safety and well being of 31,000 students and the 5000 employees who serve them. I wanna make sure that every single student and every adult who serves them, um feels *** sense of safety uh both from *** physical safety standpoint, as well as social emotional support from the superintendent and his team before arriving in Des Moines, Dr Roberts was the superintendent of Mill Creek Township school district in Pennsylvania, *** smaller school district with just over 6300 students. He's also worked in the Washington DC Baltimore and ST Louis school districts. Roberts also competed in the 2000 Olympics as middle distance runner on Guyana's team. Superintendents across Iowa are busy interpreting *** new law which restricts books in school libraries, only books that are deemed age appropriate are now allowed. But school leaders say they're struggling to decide what exactly that means and the state education department isn't helping. So they're kind of feeling in limbo. And I was at SA I yesterday and talked to *** lot of school administrators about what they're doing to implement this rule making has really high stakes for students. You know, students find their passions, their interest, their joy of reading, how they relate to others, empathy reason, knowledge of the world and even themselves in books and classrooms. And so if the State Board and Department don't provide clarity to assuage some of the fears that school staff are dealing with right now, some students may not have this opportunity, at least for *** period of time while we're waiting for things to unfold. Just *** little context. The de has traditionally given guidance to school districts to help with understanding expectations. We receive communications from the field. It's standard every year, right? *** letter, we get feedback from the field which is helpful in terms of what perhaps we thought was clear and isn't clear. And as we get that feedback, we review it on *** case by case basis and determine how to appropriately respond. School districts like Urbandale already released *** list of books they're pulling from their libraries. It started with nearly 400 books. But days later, the district narrowed the list down to about 60. The school district says they will pause removing books referencing gender identity and sexual orientation until they receive guidance from the state and still to come on close up, Poke County's new program to get gun owners to lock their firearms up. Former President Trump indicted for *** third time what Iowa political insiders think these new charges could mean to voters and the caucuses Thursday, former President Donald Trump flew to Washington to appear in federal court on charges related to what prosecutors say were attempts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Trump pleaded not guilty to all charges after his court appearance, Trump claimed the charges were nothing more than the persecution of *** political opponent. So what will this latest indictment mean for the Iowa caucuses? We asked former Iowa GOP, Co chair David Oman, whether he thinks this will weaken or solidify Trump's support among Iowa voters. Well, this indictment is serious, more serious than the other cases that have unfolded over the last year or so. This is serious business. Uh I'm sure the Trump political team uh will raise money off of this. Uh much, much of it going to pay their lawyers. Uh And I think the lawyers will be working overtime uh until this goes to trial next spring on the political side. This is also *** very serious moment. Um Iowans have *** chance to look at these candidates sooner than the rest of the country. Um We're really spoiled here to have all the candidates coming to our state in the next three weeks. If you think about it. Uh The state fair runs for 11 days. Uh 10 of the Republicans will be on the register soapbox and 12 of the Republicans will be interviewed by Governor Reynolds. Uh Trump is the only one who uh has said he's not coming out to do that. Uh, and then right after that, we have the Republican debate next door in Milwaukee. So the race could look *** little different in about three weeks. How do you think this indictment is going to affect how voters feel about Trump here in Iowa? Well, right now he has ***, uh, *** serious plurality in the race, but it's under 50%. Uh, there's *** core of people who would follow him anywhere. But I've noticed just in the last 24 hours that some of the comments, people seem to be chilled out *** little bit and they're not being quite as vehement as they were on some of these other charges and allegations over the past year. We'll see, I'm sure that his base will stay very loyal. Uh What advantages him now is that there's *** divided field, there are 13 or 12 men and one woman running against him in that race. We'll see that field dissolve or shrink. Uh, going forward. Some may not make it to the debate in three weeks. Some will drop out after the debate. So it, what Iowa generally does is continue to winnow that field. We'll know in five months what the dynamic will be if Trump is running against four or five serious candidates versus running against 12. Now, this is the third time former President Trump has been criminally charged in the last four months. Kcci political analyst, Dennis Gold Ford shows us why he thinks this latest indictment is far more serious than the other cases. The most fundamental point to make in *** democracy like that of the United States is that elections work only if the losers agree to lose one time in American history that didn't occur. And that was 18 60 when the South said we're out of here. But there are legal ways of contesting the results of an election. But the elections work only if when people exhaust those legal remedies. They say, ok, this time we lost, we'll try again. Next time. The indictment and this particular indictment again is saying there's evidence but they haven't made the case yet. Prosecutors have to prove it. The indictment is suggesting that Mr Trump and the people around him went beyond legal measures to challenge the results of the election and attempted according to the indictment to use illegal means to stay in power. That's *** fundamental test for our democracy, for the American people. There are Republicans who don't believe there's any real crime here. They continue to support Mr Trump. The most puzzling group perhaps would be the Republicans who say yes, there was *** crime. And yet they still say according to recent polling, they're willing to support him. So that's the test of whether the United States remains *** democracy. If in fact, the prosecutors successfully prove this case, then we have the problem of *** presidential candidate or even *** newly elected president being found guilty of *** federal crime that will lead to *** constitutional crisis possibly in our political system. The Trump strategy, according to the various observers who have watched the way he operates in legal environments in the past has been to delay because if he becomes president, if he wins the election in November of 24 and in January 20th, if he takes the oath of office and is sworn in as president, he can order the dismissal of all these federal cases because he's the chief executive that wouldn't stop any state cases. Like one, the one in Georgia, for example, that's developing, that wouldn't stop state cases. So in fact, we have had uh people run for the presidency from jail. Uh Eugene Debs, *** socialist candidate in the 19 teens who ran and he was in prison for various reasons, political reasons basically, but he still ran and was on the ballot. Still to come on. Close up. *** dozen Republican presidential candidates plan to appear at the Iowa State Fair. While Iowa's GOP chairman says voters can learn from those visits, gun injuries and deaths among young people are rising in Pope County. Next, the new plan to save lives. Later this week, *** dozen GOP presidential hopefuls begin flocking to the Iowa State Fair to speak to voters. I spoke with the chairman of the Republican Party of Iowa about the field of candidates. You know, we've seen *** lot of GOP candidates come through the Hawkeye State in the past couple of weeks and months. What has been your general reaction to the field of candidates that you've seen so far? Well, I, as the Republican chair, I'm really proud of the bench that we have. I mean, we have depth. Uh, we have breadth. I mean, it's *** use *** coaching analogy. I mean, we could field two teams and be competitive probably three. So I, I'm really pleased about that. I'm pleased with the choices that we have, uh, for, uh, for Republicans and people that are gonna choose to participate in our, uh, caucus. Um, I like it. I like the way that they are definitely tailoring their message, uh, to everyday Iowans. I like that. They're going to every corner and spending money and that includes, uh, to our, you know, our radio and television stations. I think that, uh, II, I just think we are fulfilling our duty and that is, we don't pick the president here. Now. We're not supposed to, we're supposed to vet potential presidential candidates and we're doing it in an atmosphere where it's, uh, it's low dollar. I mean, you can live off the land here. You can run an radio ad, you can run *** television ad, uh, you can go to all 99 times and you can do it for, for non billionaire, uh, type prices. So I think Iowa is doing exactly. What we're supposed to do and I'm excited about the process as much as I am in the field of candidates that we have. What do you think Iowan should be looking for as they go through this pretty large field of candidates, um, headed into the Republican caucuses here in just under five months. Obviously, one thing that's going to unite every single one of these candidates is *** complete disillusionment and *** dislike of the Biden administration. We all know that that's what binds us together. And certainly we have to make the case for our independence, that we need that change because not everybody follows politics the way that caucus goers follow politics. But we've got to make, make sure we make the case. But then after that, we've got to pivot and offer solutions. So I think that I, I think that voters need to understand why change is necessary and our candidates are certainly going to make that case and you're gonna see some remarkably similar themes there. But then what are you gonna do about it? And do you have any proof that you can follow through with that? The candidates campaigning may be cutting into Trump's lead among Iowa voters. The latest New York Times Sienna College poll of Iowa voters shows 44% support Trump for president. 20% support Ron De Santis *** much tighter race than that same poll shows nationally where Trump holds *** 54% lead and still to come on close up reducing gun violence. In Polk County. The new plan reaching from inside the home to the doctor's office, an average of 10 Children and young adults die each year from gun related injuries. In Pope County making guns *** leading cause of death for people. Between one and 24 years old. Pope County just launched its talk it up, lock it up safety campaign to get those numbers down. Emergency room. Doctors and law enforcement explained how it works. We talk about car seat safety and the importance of wearing *** bicycle helmet, but we aren't talking about guns. It's time for our community to come together to address this public health issue. That's why we're launching our gun safety campaign called Talk It Up, lock it up. We need to start talking about gun safety and normalize the conversation around safe gun storage. We know that safe gun storage can prevent gun related injuries and deaths if you have *** firearm at home, make sure it's stored, locked and unloaded and talk to your friends and family members if they have *** firearm, ask them if it's stored, locked and unloaded and if it's not encourage them to get *** gun lock or some other security device, we are giving out free gun trigger locks at the health department and some of our partners are as well. You can visit our website to see *** map of the pickup sites again. Storing *** firearm, locked and unloaded can prevent gun related injuries and deaths. You will hear from our health care partners on how gun safety as an important conversation that they are also having with parents and caregivers. We can come together to address this issue. Gun safety saves lives, talk it up, lock it up. Gun safety is incredibly important to me. I am the granddaughter and the niece of former Chicago police officers and I'm *** pediatric intensive care physician. I am one of the experts called to the emergency room to help save the lives of Children who are impacted by gun injuries. It is an honor and *** privilege to be entrusted to do what I do. No parent should ever have to be put through this with their child. It is imperative that it's understood that throughout my career, I have taken care of Children of all ages, infants to teenagers. Some of them are accidental injuries, some are intentional injuries. But again, this is something that shouldn't be happening to any child at any age or any parent. When these Children survive in the emergency room, they come to my unit. Sometimes those journeys are hours, sometimes they are days. I cannot begin to explain the emotional toll. It takes to be the person who is unsuccessful saving that child's life. And then being the one to explain to the parents that their child is gone. As everyone else has said, gun injuries are one of the leading causes of death for youth in Pope County. In the past five years, we've been seeing this increase, this impact. This impact makes *** ripple effect where not only injury or death affects the individual but it affects the witnesses, the family, the neighbors, the community, gun safety begins at home as said before, with gun storage and lock safe ammunition stored elsewhere, out of reach and out of sight of Children. This is the kind of conversation that we're having in our clinics today discussing this with families, talking about this with the Children, talking about it with everyone that we can to make sure that we're being safe because as was also stated, there is *** higher incidence of depression anxiety in our Children today and the medical health resources are simply not there. We have long waits when it comes to trying to get help for the Children in our community now. And so the more that we can do to step up and give them the help that they need is so imperative and talking about guns and talking about it freely and openly is how we do that. You're seeing *** lot more gun violence and we say Pope County in and around the whole nation, *** member of the major county sheriffs, the National Sheriff's Association, all the areas of the metros are seeing an increase. You're seeing *** lot younger offenders, *** lot younger offenders with guns. So that's the reason that you're seeing the increase in the violence, the guns are more readily available and being stolen from legal owners and being out there used illegally. So that's what you're seeing in the youth are taking advantage of that. And that's why it's affecting the youth so much. Right now, the Pope County Health Department says 66% of suicides are also completed with guns and from 2016 to 2000 2040% 45% of all gun deaths occurred at home. Gun locks are available for free throughout Poke County. You can pick one up at the health department, the sheriff's office and the police departments in Ankeny, Johnston and West Des Moines. Thank you for joining us for KCC I Eight News. Close up. We will see you back here next Sunday. Have *** great day.