Meet Tyler Stewart
The youngest of two children, Tyler grew up in a rural Iowa town called Hampton. His mother was a longtime fast food worker, and his father worked long hours in a factory.
During high school, dedicated public school teachers and participation in athletics made an impact on Tyler, inspiring him to becoming the first of his family to attend a 4-year college.
Tyler flourished at Central College in Pella, Iowa, studying to become a teacher while also playing on the Central College Baseball Team and interning at Pella High School. Graduating with a BA in Social Science, Tyler took his first teaching position at Berg Middle School in Newton, Iowa. His goal as a teacher has been to recreate with his students the same positive experience he had in high school.
In Newton, Tyler has invested his time and energy heavily into the community and his students.Over the next several years, Tyler would go on to coach and sponsor basketball, baseball, football, and Student Council. He would receive the 2020 Warren E. Schull National Student Council Advisor of the Year Award due to the work of his Student Council. In theSocial Studies arena, Tyler received the 2018 Civil Rights/Civil Liberties Excellence in Education Award for his efforts in the classroom. He has also earned recognition for hosting several elected officials in his classroom through the years, driven by his belief in the importance of promoting civil discourse and an informed citizenry.
In 2022, after growing frustrated with elected leaders’ failure to listen to teachers and education advocates, Tyler wanted to do more. Recent legislation banning educational materials and threatening teachers has created an environment of fear for an already underfunded and overworked system. After experiencing first-hand the challenges that these policies pose to teachers and the negative impact on students, Tyler decided to create change from within by running for Iowa’s 19th Senate District.
In addition to his experience in the classroom, Tyler understands struggling to make ends meet. Watching his parents work minimum-wage jobs while also raising two kids taught him a lot about the challenge many Iowans face every day. He understands what it is like when your family is forced to file for bankruptcy due to a medical emergency. He understands what it is like to be in a never-ending amount of student loan debt that seems impossible to overcome. As a representative for Iowa’s 19th District, Tyler will work to improve the lives of middle-class and low-income Iowans, and to restore parents’ faith in the education system by supporting teachers and schools.