Voices Archives - Idaho Education News https://www.idahoednews.org/category/voices/ If it matters to education, it matters to us Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:22:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 https://www.idahoednews.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Idaho-ed-square2-200x200.png Voices Archives - Idaho Education News https://www.idahoednews.org/category/voices/ 32 32 106871567 Community schools, not vouchers, are the way forward in Idaho https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/community-schools-not-vouchers-are-the-way-forward-in-idaho/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 19:20:07 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86857 Great schools depend on strong communities. Strong communities, in turn, require great schools. In Idaho, many education leaders are working to bolster student success with the “community school” model. The announcement of a new federal grant marks a significant stride toward expanding this proven approach across our state.

Community schools recognize that students come with families — families who need to be engaged in their children’s education and who often need connections to resources to thrive.

Four Boise schools first launched the national model in Idaho in 2016. Today, Idaho has 41 community schools across 25 districts. I was fortunate to see the difference firsthand at my children’s elementary school: parents are frequently invited into the school to engage with their students’ learning, staff coordinate parent support classes, partnerships with food banks fuel in-school pantries, and coordinators connect parents to nonprofit resources when they are facing homelessness, healthcare needs, and other challenges.

The community school approach is backed by research demonstrating better student attendance, reductions in disciplinary events, and improved achievement. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor in their expansion in Idaho has been funding. We have a patchwork of haves and have-nots when we ought to ensure every child can attend a community school. This is why our new federal investment is so exciting.

U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s recent visit to Idaho underscores the promise of this opportunity. Idaho will receive a Full-Service Community Schools grant totaling $6.5 million annually from the Biden Administration to expand the reach of community schools. This will mean 50 additional schools implementing the model, specifically targeting rural areas and Title I schools, which have higher portions of families facing low wages.

The Marsing School District has demonstrated the lifeline that community schools provide in rural Idaho. In the absence of state-funded preschool, the district established early learning programs at the local community center and partnered with neighboring districts to create a special education partnership. When the local food bank and senior center closed, the school district and community partners collaborated to create a school resource center. Marsing illustrates how community schools fill critical gaps in services, especially in regions where resources are more spread out.

The success of community schools across diverse landscapes is partly why they have broad political support. They also provide a stark contrast to school vouchers, which siphon critical taxpayer dollars to private schools with no oversight or accountability.

We must make smart investments in the promise of public education and offer real solutions to the unique challenges faced by students and families. Idaho Democrats will continue to support initiatives to ensure every student has the opportunity to succeed

]]> 86857 Lawmaker: ‘Rational people’ need to step up in GOP https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/lawmaker-rational-people-need-to-step-up-in-gop/ Mon, 11 Dec 2023 18:21:52 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86919 Bonneville County’s Republican Central Committee may have picked a fight against the wrong legislator.

Rep. Marco Erickson of Idaho Falls isn’t a bit worried about the central committee taking away his job in the Legislature. But he says they should be concerned about him going after their political positions. He says he’ll be running for a precinct office.

What’s happening in Bonneville County, he says, “wakes up people to the idea of why they need to run as precinct officers. We need to have rational people in there and civil discourse again. We’re going to have to take those small neighborhood positions and take back the party.”

Erickson, in his second term, is one of six GOP Republican legislators in Districts 32 and 33 who have been called out for multiple  violations of the state party platform. None of the six scheduled appearances before the committee to answer to the allegations, which could lead to disciplinary action at some point.

Erickson shrugs off anything the central committee does. “I was elected without any of their influence.”

He says the complaint against him lists multiple violations. “They had 15, maybe 16. I don’t remember half of them, because they were so funny. It cracks me up – we’ve already had these discussions when they whined about it the first time.”

He said points were taken away for supporting initiatives pushed by the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, and not having high enough scores with the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s “Freedom Index.”

“Did we support those bills because they came from IACI? Well, no. We supported them because they were good for Idaho,” he said.

Erickson isn’t the only one who has issues with the central committee’s scoring system. Rep. Barbara Ehardt of Idaho Falls (District 33) – who has a background as an educator and coach – says she was downgraded for supporting funding for schools. She said her constituents, of all political stripes, strongly support school funding.

“They want it done,” Ehardt said. “If you are paying attention to your district, that’s what you get. If you are on the side that too much money is being spent, then it’s up to you and do the grunt work and change the hearts and minds of people – then share that information with legislators.”

Ehardt, a vocal conservative voice in the Legislature, says she was “shocked” about the notice from the central committee; up to now, the relationship with party leaders has been good. Ehardt says she’s always glad to discuss her votes, but the tone of the committee’s letter to her is not the basis of a “friendly” conversation.

Erickson sees the party leadership being taken over by losing candidates, or those who get high scores from the Idaho Freedom Foundation. “I’ll call them Libertarians Impersonating Republicans. What’s happening is a classic case of people who can’t win their own elections because they are so extreme. It’s backfiring on them left and right.”

The 44-year-old Erickson resists the notion that he is neither “Republican” or “conservative” enough. “I don’t measure myself based on score. I measure myself on the ability to be an effective leader. When you have surpluses like we’ve had, people are saying we should make investments back in the public – the infrastructure so we can have better quality roads and bridges … or for better schools. They can slam me all they want, but I understand things on a bigger level.”

Erickson is the vice chair of the House Health and Welfare Committee, which fits with his life away from the Legislature. He is a director of a non-profit coalition that focuses on issues such as drug and alcohol prevention, and after-school programs for teens – which has him communicating with families.

“And they want me to vote against the Health and Welfare budget? Are you kidding me? As legislators, we can’t spend hundreds of hours going through each budget. If JFAC (the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee) supports it, then I’m voting for it,” he says.

“For me personally, it’s time to step up. All it takes is one election and 30 new rational thinkers. If we get a majority, all those guys who are in there will be mostly out, or they will quit.”

Apparently, the political drama in Bonneville County is just getting started.

]]> 86919 Runoff elections set a higher standard https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/runoff-elections-set-a-higher-standard/ Fri, 08 Dec 2023 17:46:02 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86845 The Open Primaries Initiative uses the term “Instant runoff” to describe the process of counting general election votes. In every election, a candidate with the majority’s support is desirable. Instant runoffs are the better, faster and more affordable way to run an election when you have four candidates competing and want one winner with majority support.

Runoff elections set a higher standard because they demand the winning politician earn more than 50% of the votes. Many Idahoans are surprised to know that runoff elections have been part of how we elect city officials since 1984. According to the Secretary of State’s office, nine Idaho cities – American Falls, Blackfoot, Boise, Caldwell, Eagle, Idaho Falls, Mountain Home, Pocatello and Spirit Lake – require runoff elections if no mayoral candidate receives more than 50% of the vote. Idaho Falls has a runoff requirement for city council, too. Combined, one-quarter of Idaho voters live in runoff communities.

Runoff elections are only required when no candidate earns a majority. In November, the winning mayors of Boise and Spirit Lake, both cleared this threshold and no runoff was needed. On the other hand, the cities of Mountain Home and Eagle held runoffs.

In the most recent November 7th general election, four nonpartisan candidates for Eagle mayor were on the ballot. Marc Degl’Innocenti and Stan Ridgeway were the bottom two candidates, receiving 7% and 27% of votes cast, respectively. Jason Pierce and Brad Pike were the top two with 36% and 31%, respectively. Because no candidate earned more than 50% of votes cast, a runoff was required. As a result, Marc and Stan were eliminated and the top two – Jason and Brad – opposed each other on December 5th. Unofficial results show that Brad won with 55% of the vote despite finishing second in November. About 70% of Marc’s and Stan’s voters preferred Brad in the second round.

The Mountain Home mayoral race was similar: four, nonpartisan candidates on the November ballot, but none earned the majority’s support. Thus, the top two, Rich Sykes and Misty Pierce, competed again in a runoff on December 5th. Preliminary results show that Rich won with 58% and earned about two-thirds of votes from the eliminated candidates.

The Open Primaries Initiative is similar to a city runoff: four candidates on the general election ballot with the requirement that the winner have majority support. The Initiative applies to federal, state, and county races, leaving the current system unchanged for city elections.

With a city runoff, however, there is four weeks of delay, more election spending, more campaign materials stuffed into mailboxes, and yard signs everywhere. City runoff elections cost taxpayers, too. Ada and Elmore counties incurred incremental expenses to administer these races.

What if Eagle held an instant runoff? First, voters would have the option to mark down their choices, most preferred in first place, next best in second, and so on. The candidate with the fewest votes, Marc, would be eliminated just like a city runoff. The folks who selected Marc first, would have their votes reassigned to their second choice, as if it were a city runoff. The process repeats until there are two candidates and the one with the majority wins. (Go to our website, www.v4iv.org to try a sample instant runoff ballot).

“Runoff elections ensure we elect someone with the broadest community support,” says former state senator, Eagle resident and Veterans for Idaho Voters member, Marv Hagedorn. “Instant runoffs achieve the same but without the delay.”

The small group of Open Primaries Initiative opponents make irrational claims that the instant runoff system results in ballots being thrown away and violates “one person, one vote.” 3,312 Eagle voters and 534 Mountain Home voters had their first choice candidate eliminated, but still had a chance to express their second choice in the runoff election. Were their ballots “thrown away” or did this runoff violate our Constitution’s sacred “one person, one vote” principle? Of course not. What it does is give voters more say in who they want to represent them.

Both Eagle and Mountain Home mayoral races give us a glimpse into Idaho elections under the Open Primaries Initiative: more candidate competition and candidates working harder to earn the majority’s trust. Unlike city runoff elections, however, the Open Primaries Initiative will ensure we receive the results without delay, give candidates a fair shot, and save taxpayers money.

Written by: Todd Achilles (Boise) Army veteran, Thom Bruce (Boise) Marine Corps veteran, John French (Ketchum) Marine Corps veteran, Barry Johnson (Moscow) Army veteran, Dave Looney (McCall) Air Force veteran, James Ruchti (Pocatello) Army veteran, Kevin Trainor (Twin Falls) Marine Corps veteran, Christie Wood (Coeur d’Alene) Air Force veteran, Randy Worrall (Ashton) Air Force veteran.

]]> 86845 Empower Idaho’s students through enhanced educational freedom https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/empower-idahos-students-through-enhanced-educational-freedom/ Wed, 06 Dec 2023 21:48:57 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86775 This year educational freedom swept across the United States, with over 15 states establishing or expanding access to private educational choice programs such as  Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). With access to publicly funded scholarship accounts, more American families have been able to opt out of the traditional public education system and employ the funds for various private educational expenses, including special needs therapies, tutoring, and private school tuition. It’s time Idaho joined the movement.

Choice and educational freedom are not a foreign concept in Idaho. In 2022, the conservative Heritage Foundation recognized the state as a top-five state in its Education Freedom Report Card. Particularly, Idaho’s commitment to its robust public education choice program stands out as Idaho’s Open Enrollment law is widely considered one of the best in the country, allowing students and families to access public schools within or outside of their assigned district if there is available capacity.

Yet Idaho lags behind other states when it comes to private education options. Without any kind of private school choice programs, the state restricts families without the financial means for private education to attend government schools. In the forthcoming 2024 legislative session, Idaho’s policymakers should seize the opportunity to expand educational freedom by granting every family in the state access to an Education Savings Account so they can access more educational options.

Currently, Idahoan students perform well academically compared to many other states, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. However, there is plenty of room for improvement as only around a third of both fourth and eighth grades were proficient in reading and math in 2022. ESAs can help improve these numbers by placing educational funding in the hands of those who know the students best: their parents. The evidence is clear, too; when families are allowed to customize their child’s education to align with their unique needs, education attainment and test scores improve, as nearly every study done on the impact of private education choice shows positive results. 

For instance, rural families often lack access to courses and extracurricular offerings compared to their peers who live in more populated areas. ESAs could help families afford broadband costs for innovative online courses and curricula that local public schools may not have. 

It may seem counterintuitive, but increasing access to a broader spectrum of educational offerings actually benefits students who stay in traditional public schools. 26 out of the 29 studies examining the impact of implementing a private school choice program on public school student test scores have demonstrated positive effects. It only makes sense that this would be the case as the competitive dynamics of school choice incentivize public schools to enhance their offerings to retain students and the associated funding.

By embracing private school choice, Idaho can improve the quality of public schools through more rigorous market competition and benefit thousands of students who deserve the advantages of a customizable K-12 education system. 2024 represents a crucial juncture for Idaho. If Idahoans can sway the policymakers who represent them by raising their voices in support of establishing an ESA program, it can bring positive change by recognizing the inherent dignity of every Idahoan student, benefiting them and the state for years to come.

]]> 86775 Idaho must conduct adequacy study as part of public school funding modernization https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idaho-must-conduct-adequacy-study-as-part-of-public-school-funding-modernization/ Mon, 04 Dec 2023 22:29:59 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86714 One thing all education stakeholders will tell you is the current public school funding formula does not provide equitable opportunities for all students.

It is time for the committee exploring the modernization of the funding formula under the guidance of Debbie Critchfield, Idaho’s state superintendent, and co-chaired by Rep. Wendy Horman (R-Idaho Falls) and Sen. Lori Den Hartog (R-Meridian), to take a proactive step toward reforming our antiquated school funding system by initiating an adequacy study. This study is the key to unlocking a more just, efficient, and effective education system for future generations.

In the decade I have worked in the education policy space, many policymakers have sought to address Idaho’s school funding formula. Governors and legislators have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars hiring consultants and gathering feedback from stakeholders. But consensus has alluded education policymakers and stakeholders because in every iteration of a potential new funding formula model has winners and losers in future funding outcomes that made the politics of the change unworkable.

Idaho Education Association members have long advocated for an adequacy study of public school funding that takes a clear-eyed look at our education system and makes a true assessment of the actual cost of providing every student with a quality education. Such a study should examine factors such as class size, teacher qualifications, technology access and support services directly impacting a student’s learning experience.

Conducting such a study would not only give us an unvarnished look at the current and future needs of public schools, it would also point out where our current funding strategies are missing the mark.

Today, Idaho’s funding formula, which relies much too heavily on local bond and levy measures for fundamental operating expenses, often exacerbates disparities and leaves disadvantaged schools with insufficient resources. An adequacy study would highlight these disparities and provide a roadmap for allocating resources in a manner that narrows the student achievement gap.

Such a shift would increase student performance without question. Study after study shows that adequate resources correlate with better student outcomes. By understanding the specific needs of different schools and districts, we can tailor our investments to maximize academic success and promote student growth.

A new formula should also demand better accountability and transparency. By identifying what  resources are necessary for quality education, we can minimize waste while guaranteeing that every dollar spent contributes to positive educational outcomes.

Recent investments in educator pay have gone a long way to improve educator retention rates in Idaho schools, but we need to know what long-term strategies can be implemented to prevent future teacher shortages. Adequate funding allows for competitive salaries, professional development opportunities and a supportive teaching environment, which in turn benefits students across the board.

While the benefits of an adequacy study are undeniable, there might be some hesitance from certain quarters to embrace this change. Conducting an adequacy study requires an upfront investment and the political will to define what is undoubtedly one of the State of Idaho’s biggest challenges. Some might fear the financial burden, but it is important to remember that the long-term gains in a better-educated populace far outweigh the initial costs. Risk adverse policymakers might be more comfortable with the status quo, but there’s no denying an adequacy study will provide a data-driven approach that minimizes subjective biases and focuses on the needs of students.

An adequacy study is not just an expenditure; it is an investment in our children’s future and the future of our society. By exploring changes to the public school funding formula through an adequacy study, we demonstrate our commitment to equitable education and the holistic development of every child. It is time to reshape our education system, ensuring that every student has access to the tools they need to succeed.

 

]]> 86714 GOP lawmakers get no love back home https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/gop-lawmakers-get-no-love-back-home/ Mon, 04 Dec 2023 20:55:11 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86692 One thing I learned from my five years at the Post Register in the 1980s was the love that people in Idaho Falls had for Republicans. Almost as much as the 4th of July.

Republicans in Eastern Idaho revolved around a common theme: Elect more Republicans. Publicly going after incumbents, and especially those in high offices, was akin to booing Santa Claus, or cooking the Easter bunny for Thanksgiving dinner.

But the dynamics have changed with Dorothy Moon, who was elevated to the state chairmanship after losing her bid for secretary of state. The party now operates under the “Republican Party Platform Enforcement Rule,” which was approved last summer. Scores on the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s “Freedom Index” are indicators of whether legislators deserve to carry the Republican banner. So, the county and city (Idaho Falls) that have long loved Republicans, are “investigating” the votes by all three legislators from District 32 – Reps. Wendy Horman, Stephanie Mickelsen and Sen. Kevin Cook. Complaints also have been filed against the legislators of District 33: Reps. Barbara Ehardt, Marco Adam Erickson and Sen. Dave Lent.

Horman, who in her sixth term, has the highest profile of the group. She is co-chair of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, which finalizes the state budget. Not surprisingly, she gets low marks on the Freedom Index, along with the House speaker, the Senate president pro tem, among others.

“I think the implication is I’m not voting the way that four people want me to vote,” Horman told me during a recent visit to her Statehouse office. According to the Post Register, complaints against Horman including voting to consolidate the March presidential primary election with the May primary election date; voting to “restrict access of minors to sexual exhibitions” (such as drag shows); voting to appropriate funds to the joint medical education program with three other states; and voting for the higher education budget.

If the central committee is looking for a JFAC co-chair to vote against budgets, it isn’t going to happen – with Horman, or anyone else, sitting in the chair.

“JFAC is unusual,” she says. “There are 20 members and over 100 motions are proposed for budgets. There’s no way that one person can work all those budgets. So, you have to rely on each other to work as a team. This is a joint committee, and we work collaboratively. You have to rely on your colleagues and trust the work they are doing. I don’t get my way on every budget, even though I am the chair.”

She says there is no need for a special committee to look into her votes. All anybody needs to do is ask, “and I will be happy to answer questions,” she says. But the process outlined by the central committee does not have the appearance of a friendly conversation.

“That’s not what this is. This, in my opinion, is very totalitarian and very authoritarian, where a small group of people think they can tell an elected representative how to vote. It feels like blatant intimidation,” Horman says. “The first potential outcome is censure and guidance. Tell me that is not North Korean re-education. Tell me how that is not Nazi Germany.”

Doyle Beck, who chairs the Bonneville Republican Central Committee, told the Post Register that party officials should be able to hold their elected officials accountable. “My only comment is you committed to follow the platform and be judged by it. You committed to the integrity in affiliation rule. This is really about, ‘Was your vote proper or not proper?’ If it was not, you should come tell us about it.”

Who can blame the legislators for not participating in this circus? The process outlined by the committee has buzzwords, such as “investigation” and “disciplinary action,” as if the lawmakers are facing criminal indictments. Legislators, who are labeled as “the accused,” can have an attorney if they wish. All that’s missing is a smoke-filled room.

Call this process what it really is. A kangaroo court.

]]> 86692 Importance of open government laws on display with shocking stories https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/importance-of-open-government-laws-on-display-with-shocking-stories/ Fri, 01 Dec 2023 21:21:36 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86659

Strong open government laws are critical to a well-functioning republic and ensuring public accountability. Two recent shocking stories, one in Washington and one in Idaho, however, sadly illustrate the lengths that some public officials will go to frustrate this important accountability. As a strong supporter of robust public records laws, the details from these stories are truly dismaying.

First, consider a KING 5 story in Washington that a state economist was not only threatened to keep important information from the public but was explicitly told not to put anything in writing that could be subject to a public records request:

“A state economist says he had to resign after suffering retaliation for his analysis that the state’s cap-and-trade policy would significantly increase gas prices . . .

State leaders told consumers not to worry: the cap-and-trade system wouldn’t add much to the price of gas. Two months before the policy went into effect, a top official at the Dept. of Ecology said drivers wouldn’t notice . . .

In a legal claim filed against WSDOT, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) and the Office of the Governor Thursday, Smith alleges he was pressured in January to keep quiet about his calculation that cap-and-trade would lead to a 45- to 50-cent increase on every gallon of gas. He also says he was instructed not to write emails about it to avoid having to turn over the documentation if someone requested public records on the topic.”

Todd Myers, the Environmental Policy Director for the Washington Policy Center has been warning since before the state’s new cap and trade program went into effect that a similar price increase would occur. Washington state officials routinely dismissed his analysis saying the costs, if any, would only be “pennies.”

Myers told me:

“If what is reported is accurate, the Inslee Administration went to significant lengths to hide the evidence that their claims the new tax on CO2 would have a small impact on gas prices. They knew the claim was dishonest and appear to have threatened state employees to hide the truth.”

Washington state law states:

“The people of this state do not yield their sovereignty to the agencies that serve them. The people, in delegating authority, do not give their public servants the right to decide what is good for the people to know and what is not good for them to know. The people insist on remaining informed so that they may maintain control over the instruments that they have created.”

The second troubling story is in Idaho as reported by BoiseDev:

“A Boise State University official said under oath that a senior university official renamed a document to hide it from public scrutiny and skirt Idaho’s Public Records Act, and that senior employees had been told to keep certain things out of public records due to ‘political climate.’

It’s the latest in a series of attempts the school has taken to avoid public scrutiny of its workings.

The admissions came from an August deposition of Nicole Nimmons, the school’s associate vice president for campus services. Nimmons was being asked by an attorney for Big City Coffee about records practices in the coffee shop’s lawsuit against the university . . 

Big City’s attorney asked Nimmons if it was standard practice to use codes to ‘evade public disclosure.’

‘I’ve been asked and told not to put things in writing at times because of public records requests and documentation,’ Nimmons replied.”

Idaho’s Public Records Law Manual clearly explains:

“Open government is the cornerstone of a free society.

Both the Washington and Idaho constitutions proclaim:

“All political power is inherent in the people.”

The foundations for an accountable government can be found in strong citizen oversight, and one of the most critical tools to achieve this is open government laws. Willful efforts by government officials to thwart public records and open government requirements are a threat to the republic and an insult to the people’s constitutional right to be informed, hold elected officials accountable, and direct their governance.

]]> 86659 Idaho voters can be trusted to responsibly exercise their initiative rights https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idaho-voters-can-be-trusted-to-responsibly-exercise-their-initiative-rights/ Tue, 28 Nov 2023 20:44:47 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86500 It was a bit surprising to read an opinion piece that Representative Lance Clow (R-Twin Falls) has circulated to media outlets around the state, warning Idahoans against signing the Open Primaries Initiative. He accused the supporters of the initiative of having “ulterior motives” with the goal “to give the Idaho Democratic Party an increased opportunity.” If that is the goal, one might be left to wonder why Butch and Lori Otter, former Senator Denton Darrington, former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, former JFAC co-chair Maxine Bell and a host of other Republicans from across the state have come together to urge approval of the initiative.

It is instructive to consider this legislator’s view of the initiative process because it tells us much about what has happened in our Legislature since the closed GOP primary came into being in 2012. Following the defeat of the three Luna education laws by citizen referendums that year, the Legislature enacted a law in its 2013 session, making it much more difficult to get an initiative or referendum on the ballot. It was Clow’s first legislative session and he, who has often been considered a moderate, stood up for the people’s initiative rights, being one of very few Republicans who voted against the law.

Just eight years later, after Idaho voters resoundingly approved Reclaim Idaho’s initiative to expand our Medicaid program, Clow joined most of his GOP colleagues in approving a law making it virtually impossible to pass another initiative or referendum. The Idaho Supreme Court struck the law down for depriving Idahoans of their constitutional right to make laws with the initiative and use the referendum to veto legislative enactments.

In 2022, Clow opposed an initiative to increase K-12 funding by about $330 million per year. But, when the Governor called a special session to nip the initiative in the bud and raise funding slightly more than the initiative, Clow voted for that legislation. He now opposes the Open Primaries Initiative. What happened between 2013 and the present?

I would submit that the closed GOP primary, aided and abetted by the malign influence of the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) and its dark money allies, has created a toxic atmosphere in the Legislature, making it difficult for well-meaning legislators like Clow to do their jobs. Republicans who exercise independent judgment and fail to heed IFF’s “guidance” on culture war issues end up with low ratings on IFF’s various rating indexes. They are vilified by IFF’s gigantic propaganda media machine. They are labled as “moderates” or RINOs–Republicans in Name Only. They are primaried in the low-turnout GOP primary by IFF-approved, extreme-right candidates.

And if there is anything the Freedom Foundation hates, it is the right of Idahoans to get around an IFF-dominated Legislature by running initiatives and referendums. The IFF has made every effort to nullify that sacred right. They wield considerable influence over the laws produced by the Legislature, which they largely control, but they have much less ability to control the outcome of initiative and referendum elections.

Clow is not a puppet of the IFF, as many legislators are, but with the increasingly extreme Legislatures that have resulted since the closing of the GOP primary in 2012, he could be excused for casting a few votes in favor of IFF’s priorities. The way to free up legislators to vote reasonably and pragmatically on substantive issues–those that will improve the lives of Idahoans–is to eliminate the closed GOP primary and allow all Idaho voters to take part in selecting those who will hold important elective offices.

Clow ends his opinion implying that voters, unlike legislators, do not have the ability to carefully and responsibly make laws. In truth and fact, Idaho voters have always sparingly and responsibly exercised their initiative rights. They don’t blindly sign initiative petitions. If they have concerns about what a measure may do, they have the brains to ask questions before signing. When compared with Idaho’s recent legislative sessions, which have been so utterly dysfunctional and non-productive, Idaho’s initiative sponsors and voters have a remarkable track record.

Idahoans are enthusiastically embracing the Open Primaries Initiative and it is virtually certain to be on the 2024 general election ballot. Its approval next year will restore reasonable, responsible and responsive governing in the Gem State.

]]> 86500 Beware of top-four primary and ranked-choice voting petition https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/beware-of-top-four-primary-and-ranked-choice-voting-petition/ Mon, 27 Nov 2023 20:04:46 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86474 Good laws are vital!  They shouldn’t start with a “Knock, Knock. Who’s there? Confused. Confused Who? Confused about the initiative, … just sign here.”

Initiatives are often presented by strangers with a smile and a clipboard, asking you to change state law. The stranger’s goal is to get your signature on a petition to place an “Initiative” on the ballot. A petition currently circulates to place an initiative on the 2024 General Election Ballot, proposing two distinct changes and one subtle change to Idaho Election Laws.

This raises red flags, providing enough reason to say “no.” The initiative claims to address “Top-Four Primary and Ranked-Choice Voting.” If unfamiliar, just say no. The group behind the initiative, known as “Idahoans for Open Primaries,” relies on trust, suggesting the change is needed for Open Primaries. They count on you not asking important questions or reading the nineteen (19) pages of proposed legislation.

What does this group know? They know many citizens will listen to a short pitch and not confront the petitioner. They know that if you had the time and were willing to fully explain the proposal, you’d be left with your head spinning. They also know that nearly 31% of voters are not members of a political party, limited in their ability to participate in primaries. This petition isn’t about allowing “unaffiliated voters” the right to vote in partisan primaries. It’s about throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

If the petitioner suggests this is about “Open Primaries” or allowing everyone to vote in primaries, that is not full disclosure. The petition’s short title is as close to a description as possible: “A measure to: (1) Replace voter selection of party nominees with a Top-Four Primary; (2) Require a Ranked-Choice Voting System for General Elections.  Don’t fall for the petitioner’s placards, signage, T-Shirts, hats and clipboards that highlight “Open Primaries.” The petition is selling you the tip of the iceberg.  If you don’t know what is really in the petition, DO NOT SIGN!

The Top-Four Primary eliminates political party nominations, grouping all primary candidates, regardless of party, for each elected office on the ballot. The top-four candidates are then placed on the General Election Ballot. The Top-Four could all be from one party, meaning four candidates could qualify for the General Election. I’ve never heard any citizen ask for top-four primaries or Ranked Choice Voting.  Unaffiliated citizens complain they’re not allowed to vote in the Republican Closed primary. If that’s the concern, why complicate our primaries with such a radical change to nominations? A simple initiative to open all primaries would offer a solution and not confuse the electors. So, why complicate it? Their goal is to give the Idaho Democrat Party an increased opportunity to gain traction in Idaho without addressing their own party platform. If you want an open primary, do not sign this complex petition with ulterior motives.

To make matters worse, this petition changes the general election, often identified as “Ranked Choice Voting.” That is the term used in the Title of the Initiative, but nowhere in the initiative does that term exist. The initiative uses the term “Instant Runoff Voting.” This complex voting system requires each voter to rank candidates in order of preference. The results are counted by eliminating the candidate with the least votes and rerunning the tabulation with the remaining highest-ranked candidates.

This eliminates the need for a runoff election, which Idaho does not require. This is a different issue than the system used in the Top-Four Primary. Requiring primaries to have runoff elections could be a simple solution. This should not be included in one initiative. While many citizens would prefer that primaries require a majority, that could be advanced in a separate question without confusing the voter by combining multiple issues into one initiative.

By combining three different election issues into one, this initiative creates a multiple-choice situation, but the vote requires a yes or no to the three embedded issues. Initiatives are not well vetted and create changes to Idaho Code, similar to the legislature. However, legislative actions must pass a full public hearing in both the Idaho House of Representatives and Senate. There’s full debate in the committees and on the floor of both houses before delivery to the Governor for a signature. Something this complicated should not be a citizen initiative. I suggest you not sign the petition, and if you are so inclined, be sure to read the entire 19-page initiative.

]]> 86474 Lessons learned in Alaska https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/lessons-learned-in-alaska/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 19:15:11 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86206 Three months ago I  loaded up my truck and camp trailer, said goodbye to my family, friends and my Idaho home, then started the long drive of over 2,500 miles north to the tiny little school in the community of Slana, Alaska. I had no idea what to expect, what my exact job description was or even where I was going to live. I drove for five long days with only my two dogs and my thoughts to keep me company. With every mile north, I questioned myself, my reasoning,  and my sanity, having no idea what waited for me up in the far north.

I had been told that Slana was a tiny K-12 school that was struggling to keep the minimum of ten students enrolled, which the state of Alaska requires for funding. I was assured they would keep it open this year for sure, and was guaranteed a paycheck for the next 10 months, so not really knowing for sure what I was getting myself into,  I continued up the ALCAN highway towards my destination. After a year of being embroiled in a losing battle, I needed to find myself again, to find clarity in purpose and to find a place where I hoped to get back to the basics of education, a place where we all worked together as a team to do what’s best for our kids.

Arriving in Slana that Sunday morning was a great start. There were no stores, no gas stations, not even any local government, other than a tiny little post office, but what I found was the nicest bunch of people I have had the pleasure of knowing. They have restored my faith in humanity and in the kindness of strangers. They were so appreciative that I had chosen to come to Slana and welcomed me with open arms, dinner invitations and instant friendships.  They were all hoping that I was there to help them save their school, adding that they had prayed for my arrival that morning and when they found out I had eight grandkids, they had hoped I was bringing them with me! I had to inform them that grandma Shelly wasn’t going to let those eight grandkids move to Alaska, but I reassured them I would do everything in my power to help them keep their school open. What I didn’t tell them, from what I already knew, is that the prognosis didn’t look good.

Slana School sits off the Tok Cutoff Highway, 260 miles northeast of Anchorage. It is part of the Copper River School District (CRSD). CRSD is headquartered in Glennallen next to the Glennallen K-12 school. CRSD also consists of the Slana School 75 miles to the Northeast and Kenny Lake School 40 miles to the south. Twenty years ago, CRSD was a thriving school district with 8 schools and enrollment of over 500 students. Today it is a school district of three schools with declining enrollment, struggling to survive.

The declining enrollment can be attributed to several factors; political, economic, geographic and Covid related. During the 1970’s, the big population surge was due mostly to the construction of the oil pipeline from Prudhoe Bay on the North Slope down to Valdez on the Prince William Sound. The pipeline was constructed right through the Copper River Valley and provided much needed jobs for those living in that area. Since that time there has been a steady decline as jobs become more scarce, cost of living increases, and the price of fuel to commute the long distances to jobs have led to more people leaving the area for bigger cities like Anchorage or the Palmer-Wasilla area.

The community of Slana has a unique history with the distinction of being part of the last homesteading in America. In the early 1980’s the BLM opened up 40,250 acres of public lands in three final blocks of federal lands for homesteading. In 1983 they opened up 10,250 acres of federal land to homesteaders in the flat that became known as the Slana settlement. This created 119 homesite patents, 30 headquarter patents and 8 trade and manufacture site patents. Both Oprah Winfrey, on her TV show and Paul Harvey, on his radio program discussed the end of homesteading in Alaska and what a historic milestone this was, which had the effect of drawing hundreds of people to the quiet community of Slana.

This influx of people had both positive and negative effects for the community and brought forth varying opinions from the locals. More families arriving meant more students for the school which helped the community lobby for a new school building, a dream of many that was realized in 1992 with the construction of a new school with three classrooms, a small gym and a kitchen with cafeteria. The school opened to much fanfare with 42 students during that first year. Sadly, the population boom was short-lived. By 1998 the student population had fallen to 20, and ever since it has hovered between 10-15 students every year.

This year  the Slana School started with 10 students enrolled, which dropped to seven when three students opted to enroll in Upstream Learning, and there is a strong likelihood of finishing the year with only five. The District will be forced to make the tough decision of shutting down yet another of its rural schools and what was once a district with eight schools will be down to only two. Remaining students living in Slana, Chistochina and the surrounding areas will have to ride the bus to Glenallen, go online or homeschool.

Effects of government decisions could have devastating effects far down the line. For every action taken by political leaders, there is an equal and opposite reaction happening out in the schools.  If schools are consolidated or shut down, such as Slana, there is a long three hour round trip bus ride every day to add to an already long school day. Special Education services will also still need to be offered and there are other factors to consider as well.

I came to Alaska not wanting a fight, but this fight in Slana was not mine to have. Mrs. Bates has spent the last 35 years, almost half of her life, fighting for Slana School and the kids in the community. Starting her Alaska teaching career in 1988 in a one room school, which at that time was located on the property she owns today with her husband. Every year she fought to get a “real” school built and every year she lost the fight, until 1992 when political leaders and the school district came together with the funding to build the Slana School. And every year since, as enrollment has hovered near the magic mark of 10 students, Mrs. Bates has led the fight to keep the school open and she has no intention of backing down now, even at the age of 75. Her passion and strength are admirable. Every morning she puts on her insulated pants and winter coat, walks the mile to the schoolhouse, sometimes in 40 below weather, and every morning when she gets to school she will call her husband to let him know she wasn’t attacked by a bear, moose or any other wild animal. She stands about five feet nothing, with a quiet voice and a huge heart, but is tough as nails, which I’m thinking explains the lack of attacks by wild animals. In just three short months she has helped me find the clarity, regain my focus, and most importantly she has made me realize that whether you are in a very large district with thousands of students or in Slana, Alaska with 10, our kids are always, and I mean always, worth the fight.

]]> 86206 Bedke resists ‘burn-it-down’ mentality https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/bedke-resists-burn-it-down-mentality/ Wed, 22 Nov 2023 19:00:23 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86266 Bedke resists ‘burn-it-down’ mentality Read More »

]]> It wasn’t long ago when now-Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke was part of a House leadership team that was widely viewed as one of the most conservative in Idaho’s history. Across the rotunda, there was now-Gov. Brad Little who generally was preaching the same conservative gospel in the Senate.

I worked as communication adviser with the House GOP caucus at the time, with Lawerence Denney as speaker, Mike Moyle as majority leader, Ken Roberts as caucus chair and Bedke as assistant majority leader. And there was never a question about their conservative credentials. The mild-mannered Denney was labeled as “Boss Denney” by some media outlets for supposedly forcing through his conservative ways. Bedke, who later served 10 years as speaker, was a good fit for that group.

“And now we’re not viewed as conservative enough? Give me a break,” Bedke told me in a recent visit at his Statehouse office.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Legislature’s Freedom Caucus and others to the right will say that Bedke – and Little’s administration as a whole — is not conservative enough. They’ll say that government spending and taxes are too high, and at least some conservatives go as far as labeling “establishment” Republicans as RINOs.

Bedke will be hearing plenty of “RINO talk” in a few years if he ends up running for governor. For now, he’s not shy about defending what Republicans have accomplished over the last three decades and gives props to Little’s leadership.

“He’s a good administrator and a good governor who cares deeply about the state,” Bedke says. “The proof is in the pudding. We’ve had decades of traditional conservative leadership here in the state and created a state where everybody wants to move to. Our economy is unrivaled; it’s the fastest-growing state and quickest to recover (from downturns). And now we criticize the people in the offices that have been integral in making Idaho the success that it is. That doesn’t make sense to me.”

In Bedke’s eyes, policies have reflected Idaho values. “It’s hard work. It’s pay as you go. It’s being careful with the taxpayers’ money. And we’ve been discovered. That turns out to be a pretty dang good way to manage the state. It’s a good place to raise a family, a great place to have a business and the quality of life is unmatched. That’s not to say there are things that we can’t improve on, but the success that we enjoy now is directly attributable to the decades of traditional conservative approach to government. And now that’s not good enough?”

As for his personal “conservative” values, he said, “there’s no question where I stand, and there’s no question where I stand on guns. Do I wear it on my sleeve? No. Do I demagogue that for short-term political gain? No. But don’t take my guns away and stay out of my family life. If the indicator is going to be my position on God and country, or Second Amendment, or lightest touch of government … those are Republican values that I will not deviate from and never have. I believe I can match my Republican credentials with anyone in the state.”

The state Republican Party, which once served as cheerleaders for GOP officeholders, is now calling out incumbents to not adhering to certain standards.

“The paint job is ‘Idaho GOP,’ but the mechanics are burn-it-down libertarian and I think Idahoans will see through that,” Bedke says. “They are criticizing arguably one of the most successful systems of states out there.”

Since taking office in January, Bedke has kept a relatively low profile – at least compared to his predecessor, former Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin. Bedke has been traveling to all parts of the Gem State and taking some time off to manage affairs at his Oakley ranch. He talks to groups about Idaho’s success story, while giving a friendly plug to Idaho’s “LAUNCH” grants aimed at helping Idaho high school students get into trade programs.

Critics label the program as “socialistic,” but Bedke says, “I’m a big fan.” He says it’s one way that students can learn a trade, find a job and stay in Idaho – opposed to fleeing the state after graduation.

As Bedke sees it, that’s a winning formula for all – and from a conservative standpoint, a wise return on the state’s investment.

Chuck Malloy is a long-time Idaho journalist and columnist. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com

]]> 86266 Idaho Launch – a game changer for eastern Idaho students https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idaho-launch-a-game-changer-for-eastern-idaho-students/ Tue, 14 Nov 2023 17:26:29 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=86119 Eastern Idaho’s high school seniors have a lot going on. There are so many things to think about and do as they complete this stage of their lives.

But now is also the time to prepare for what comes next. And those looking to attend a college or university, attain a two-year certificate, or complete a timely workforce training program have access to an unprecedented opportunity: Idaho LAUNCH.

This initiative, which was championed by Gov. Brad Little and approved by the legislature earlier this year, offers Idaho’s 2024 high school graduates a one-time grant that can cover tuition and fees at an eligible institution up to a maximum of $8,000.

Rick Aman, College of Eastern Idaho

The College of Eastern Idaho (CEI) is an eligible institution that offers instruction in many of the more than 244 areas identified as “in-demand.” Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is one of many employers actively seeking to hire skilled and trained professionals in many of these disciplines.

This $75 million initiative will enable up to 9,000 students to pursue education and training when they otherwise may not have been able to afford it.

Idaho LAUNCH offers students choices. Those considering a four-year degree can use their LAUNCH award to take general education classes at CEI, then transfer those credits to one of Idaho’s colleges or universities. Those seeking a two-year associate degree or certificate at CEI could have all their tuition and fees covered through an Idaho LAUNCH grant.

Either path can set students up for a rewarding career at a place like INL, which plays a major role in our nation’s efforts to power the future with clean, nuclear energy and secure our critical infrastructure.

INL is the nation’s nuclear energy research and development laboratory and will demonstrate several advanced nuclear reactors this decade. The lab is doing important cybersecurity and clean-energy research in areas such as biomass, electric-vehicle batteries and hydrogen production.

In addition to research scientists and engineers, INL will need to hire skilled trades workers, mechanics, technicians, bus drivers, fire fighters, security personnel, and more. Idaho LAUNCH – and the lab’s partnership with CEI – offers eastern Idahoans an opportunity to prepare for meaningful careers that enable them to make a great living here at home.

CEI offers classes in many in-demand areas, several in partnership with INL, and guarantees admission for Idaho high school graduates. If you apply to CEI, you will be granted general admission and have access to the life-changing opportunities envisioned by the voters of Bonneville County, who approved our community college in 2017.

In southeast Idaho alone, approximately 6,600 students are eligible to apply for Idaho LAUNCH. The application period began Oct. 3, and initial applications are due by Nov. 30. This isn’t the final deadline, but early application is important to secure your grant.

John Wagner, Idaho National Laboratory

Award letters will be sent out before the end of 2023. The sooner you can lock in your award, the sooner you can plan the next stage of your life.

To apply, go to https://nextsteps.idaho.gov/launch. If you are an Idaho resident, have graduated from an Idaho high school or equivalent, and are enrolled in or have applied to an in-demand career program at an eligible Idaho institution, simply fill out an application.

For a long time, we’ve searched for an affordable way to offer Idaho’s students the training and education they need to fill the jobs of the future. At the same time, we’ve searched for ways businesses can find the skilled workforce they need to continue driving Idaho’s economy.

Idaho LAUNCH offers an extraordinary opportunity for our students, our colleges and universities, and our businesses. Please seize this opportunity to chart your own future and keep Idaho on the cutting edge of education, business and industry.

John Wagner is the director of the Idaho National Laboratory and Rick Aman is the president of the College of Eastern Idaho.

]]> 86119 What can individual Idahoans do to honor America’s veterans? https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/what-can-individual-idahoans-do-to-honor-americas-veterans/ Tue, 07 Nov 2023 19:52:23 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85800 Americans can commemorate Veterans Day twice this year. The official observance is November 11. It dates back to the armistice ending World War I, which went into effect on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918. It was originally called Armistice Day, but renamed Veterans Day in 1954. November 11 falls on Saturday this year, so the state and federal holiday is observed on Friday, November 10.

It is certainly fitting that Americans join together on Veterans Day to honor and thank those who stepped forward to serve the country. But there is so much more that individuals can do throughout the year to show their appreciation and support for our veteran population. Idaho currently has about 160,000 veterans.

Although the veteran suicide rate appears to have declined in the last several years, it is still a major tragedy. About 17 veterans die by suicide every day in the U.S., according to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA). The veteran suicide rate is 57.3% higher than non-veterans. DVA data shows that Idaho’s suicide rate is significantly higher than the national average.

These figures are likely a floor because a recent study suggests that veteran suicides may have been significantly undercounted. That is, deaths attributed to other causes, mainly drug overdoses, may actually have been veterans taking their own lives. The study indicates the real daily figure might be closer to 44 suicides per day.

Whatever the death rate, we can and must do better to save the lives of veterans. Individual Idahoans can help. We can all reach out to veterans we know who appear to be troubled. They should be informed of resources available to help veterans with suicide, substance abuse and mental health issues. DVA operates a Veterans Crisis Line that can assist on a confidential, 24/7 basis. Idaho has its own highly-regarded crisis line, the Idaho Crisis & Suicide Hotline.

The Idaho crisis line can always use additional financial support and people can find a donate button on its website. We should all make it known to our federal and state legislators that adequate funding is necessary for these and other veterans programs in order to keep faith with those who have served us well. Specific mention should be made to our Congressional delegation of the need for DVA to provide better opioid addiction treatment for newly transitioned veterans. A recent Inspector General report indicates that such treatment is currently inadequate.

Another area where individual Idahoans can lend a hand to veterans is with regard to foreigners who served alongside our military personnel. Foreign nationals who served in the U.S. military and individuals who worked for American forces in our recent wars have not received the path to citizenship they were promised. Those of us who served with foreigners regard this as a serious and regrettable breach of trust.

The Veterans Service Recognition Act (HR 4569) provides for the naturalization of foreign nationals who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. The Bill passed the House last year, but not the Senate. It is supported by many organizations, including the American Legion, and should be enacted into law. Idahoans should call upon our Congressional delegation for action on the bill. During several months with the Army in Okinawa in 1968, I served under Captain Dietmar W.L. Zurell, a German national serving to acquire citizenship. He was a great addition to our American family.

Idahoans can also urge our delegation and the President to speed up processing of visas for Iraqis and Afghans who put their lives at risk by helping Americans in those two wars. We have recently heard of the problems that Afghans have encountered in getting visas, but there are up to 100,000 Iraqis who are still waiting for our promises to be kept.

I spent most of my service in Vietnam living and working with South Vietnamese soldiers. We were friends. We trusted one another with our lives. They believed in America and one of my greatest regrets is that we did not lift a finger to keep them from a dreaded fate when the Communists took over their country in 1975. We should never turn our back again on those foreign friends who risked their lives for American troops.

]]> 85800 Idaho voters must reject far-right extremism this Tuesday https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idaho-voters-must-reject-rar-right-extremism-this-tuesday/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:15:11 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85694 Democracy is at its best when consensus candidates prevail. In this ideal world,
officeholders have broad support from their constituents and work to strengthen the
institutions under their purview. Library board commissioners seek to make library
services better and more accessible. Municipal leaders are dedicated to building vibrant
cities and delivering public safety and other services reliably. School board trustees
believe in providing quality public schools in every child’s neighborhood with qualified
teachers and proven administrators.

However, Idaho is seeing a disturbing trend, leading us away from this ideal. Extremist
candidates with radical agendas are gaining power, often damaging the very institutions
they are meant to safeguard. On November 7, voters must be vigilant and reject
extremism as we decide who will lead our school boards and communities.

The West Bonner School District is a cautionary tale, illustrating the stakes and the
ease with which extremism can take hold. In 2021, far-right candidates, Keith Rutledge
and Susan Brown were elected as trustees. They had extremely narrow margins of
victory in a low-turnout election. Overall, only a few hundred votes were cast, just a
fraction of eligible voters.

It is understandable that local elections can be overlooked due to the demands of work,
family, and other responsibilities. Nevertheless, as we have seen in West Bonner, the
consequences of sitting on the sidelines can be profound. Brown and Rutledge, along
with a third trustee, hired an unqualified, inexperienced ideologue who supports school
vouchers to serve as the school superintendent. The embattled superintendent ignored
input from the public, made unpopular decisions, and alienated educators. He also
demanded an expensive package of perks and benefits — including free legal
assistance for his spouse and a car — all while calling for deep cuts to educational
service investments.

Ultimately, the dysfunction united the community, which successfully recalled the two
trustees. But undoing the damage was a difficult task, involving gathering signatures to
secure a recall election, raising funds, and pouring volunteer hours into running recall
campaigns. Even after voters decisively ousted Rutledge and Brown, court orders,
criminal investigations, and obstruction ensued before the superintendent finally
resigned.

Idaho voters can prevent disasters like this one on Tuesday. Important races will take
place across the state and many could be decided by a handful of votes. Doing our
research before we enter the voting booth gives us the best chance of supporting
candidates who will faithfully strengthen public education, maintain community safety,
and support thriving Main Streets.

Your vote in local elections is critical to protect what your community has built and make
necessary progress. On November 7, let’s elect Idahoans who prioritize the public good
and the betterment of the state we call home.

]]> 85694 Idaho’s College Going Rates May be Showing Signs of Improvement https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idahos-college-going-rates-may-be-showing-signs-of-improvement/ Thu, 02 Nov 2023 22:06:17 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85692 Early figures this fall from Idaho’s colleges and universities show an uptick in the number of resident students enrolling this year, which may indicate that a long downward trend in college going on rates may finally be reversing. While it is way too early to declare victory, this is certainly positive news.

The college going rate is a measure of high school students who enroll in college academic or career-technical programs immediately after graduating from high school, and high school graduates who wait a few years before resuming their education.

Three years ago, the pandemic exacerbated an enrollment decline in Idaho that actually started before anyone had heard of COVID-19.

State Board of Education researchers have been looking closely at this trend, particularly the gap we see in college going rates between females and males – a gap that exists for all students including those most likely to succeed in college.

Fall Immediate College Going Rate

Overall, Idaho’s immediate college going rate (students who enrolled and attend college in the fall immediately after graduating from high school) for 2022 was just 42 percent – down nine percentage points from 51 percent for 2017 graduates.

Three Year College Going Rate

The college going rate dramatically improves when applied to students who enroll within three years of graduating from high school, but there is still a decline when compared to past years. In 2017, 64 percent of graduates enrolled in a postsecondary program within 3-years of graduating high school. In the 2019 academic year, the last year in which 3-year college going rates are available, the rate was down five percentage points to 59 percent.

The Gender Gap

More females than males have been enrolling in college for many years. In 2021, 52 percent of female high school graduates enrolled and attended college in the fall after graduating compared to 36 percent of males, a 16-percentage point difference.

The gender gap narrows within three years.  The fall immediate college going gender gap for 2019 graduates was 18 percentage points while the three year gender gap for the same students was 13 percent – still a sizable gap.

Gender Gap Persists with High-Achieving Students

The gender gap also exists for high-achieving students.

For the 2021 graduating class, more than two-thirds of females who scored proficient on the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) enrolled in college that fall (68 percent) while barely half (51 percent) of their male counterparts who also scored proficient went immediately to college; a 17-percentage point difference.

History shows that the gap also narrows within three years for these students. For the 2019 graduating class, the gender gap in college going between those proficient was 21 percentage points for students who immediately enrolled but only 12 percentage points for students who enrolled within three years.

My fellow State Board members and I are particularly concerned about the gender gap overall and how it affects higher-achieving students.

Potential Causes for the College Going Rate Drop

Prior to COVID, Idaho had one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and that low unemployment rate returned after the pandemic. Many students, particularly males, may have chosen to go to work in high-paying jobs such as construction or attend a trade school, which is not captured in the college going rate.

We do know that many young Idahoans join the military or serve religious missions after high school although specific data are not available. Some of these high school graduates and others who enter college after a gap are included in the three year college going rate, which accounts for the increase between the fall immediate and the three year college going rates. Even with these additional students, the college going rate is still too low.

Idaho LAUNCH

Beginning this year, Idaho LAUNCH grants will be available to 2024 graduating high school seniors. It pays for 80 percent of the cost of an education or training program that leads to an in-demand career up to $8,000

High school seniors must apply for Idaho LAUNCH grants during their senior year. If they meet certain criteria, they can request an extension to use their LAUNCH grant, but they need to apply no later than April 15, 2024. LAUNCH recipients can request an extension for one of five reasons; religious service, miliary service, structured volunteer service (specific to AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps), medical, or program availability (the student would be placed on a wait list for a program placement spot to become available). We also hope LAUNCH will help us better track additional educational pathways of students who choose to attend trade schools and serve in apprenticeships.

For students attending or planning to attend one of Idaho’s four-year institutions, the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship makes $3,500 per year available and is renewable for up to four years.

Idaho needs higher numbers of well-trained individuals to meet current and future workforce needs in high-demand fields in the trades, in career-technical and academic professions. Governor Little and the Legislature have made an enhanced commitment to ensure students can “go on” for additional learning and training opportunities and not be hampered by a lack of resources. GO ON, Idaho students!

]]> 85692 Let’s make sure Idaho kids get to school safely https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/lets-make-sure-idaho-kids-get-to-school-safely/ Thu, 26 Oct 2023 21:18:46 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85389 The best part of my day is when I walk my kids to school. We spend this quality time connecting, while the exercise helps us wake up and get focused for the day ahead. Along the way, we benefit from sidewalks, stoplights, and crosswalks that make our journey safer. It’s less stressful than navigating traffic in a car and my kids can do it alone if my husband and I are unavailable.

Every child deserves a safe route to school. And parents across Idaho should feel confident sending their children out the door. Unfortunately, we’re moving in the wrong direction as a nation. In 1969, 42% of children ages 5 to 14 walked to school. By 2009, that number was down to 13%. This trend means a lost opportunity for kids to get exercise and gain independence. It also means more cars on the road, with the related increases in traffic and air pollution.

A report card from the Safe Routes Partnership shows that Idaho in particular has a lot of work to do to keep our kids safe. That work was highlighted last week when I attended the 2023 Transportation Policy Conference put on by the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance. The conference covered the need to improve bike and pedestrian safety.

I attended because I want every family to be able to walk and bike safely and because the stakes could not be higher. Reading recent headlines, I’m heartbroken by the spike in pedestrian and bike fatalities, including child deaths. On average, 445 Idahoans are involved in motor vehicle crashes per year while walking or biking. Between 2017 and 2021, 25% of these crashes resulted in serious injury or death.

People traveling in vehicles are facing increasing risks. During what law enforcement calls the “100 Deadliest Days,” the period from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Idaho experienced 21% more car accident fatalities in 2023 than in 2022.

Facing such tragic trends, it’s unconscionable that Republican legislators are working against measures that prevent fatalities. The legislation they succeeded in passing, House Bill 87, limits a key transportation funding stream to road maintenance, expansion of travel lanes, and congestion mitigation. Every Democrat voted against this limitation, understanding that roads also need sidewalks and other features that keep our families safe. We also believe the locally-elected highway district commissioners should have the freedom to address local needs and not be restricted by mandates from far-away state legislators. Notably, the lone House Republican who voted with us is a retired police chief.

While this legislation is a serious setback, Idaho Democrats will continue to strive for a future where we manage our roads with our children’s safety top of mind.

]]> 85389 Protect taxpayers by putting supermajority for tax increase requirements in state constitution   https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/protect-taxpayers-by-putting-supermajority-for-tax-increase-requirements-in-state-constitution/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 21:19:08 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85124 If there’s one thing Americans can still agree on it’s that tax policy is one of the most consequential decisions our government makes that impacts our economy and family budgets.

With the exception of Washington state, policymakers in the Mountain States (Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming) have been very active the last few years prioritizing tax relief for citizens while making fiscally conservative budget investments. While this ongoing tax relief effort is to be commended, more can be done to help provide taxpayers the peace of mind that tax increases will always be the last resort when budgeting.

One way to do this is by adding requirements to a state’s constitution that require a supermajority vote or voter approval to raise taxes. Now you may say that the current makeup of the legislatures in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are already sufficient to avoid tax increases. While that may be true today, it may not be tomorrow as experienced by taxpayers in Washington state.

Consider the fact Washington voters over the years passed ballot measures requiring a supermajority vote to raise taxes not once, twice, or thrice, but six separate times. Yet today this taxpayer protection does not exist in Washington because it was not added to the state constitution. Instead, Washington taxpayers now face tax increases on an annual basis without this protection.

Rather than leave certain taxpayer protections subject to changing political winds, lawmakers in Texas have acted in recent years instead to forward voters constitutional amendments on various tax restrictions. As noted by the Tax Policy Center in a recent blog post:

“Texas Proposition 3 would amend the state’s constitution to prohibit legislators from enacting a wealth tax. No one in Texas is proposing a wealth tax. But no one in Texas was proposing an income tax in 2019, and that didn’t stop three-quarters of Texans from amending the constitution that year to keep the income tax permanently out of the Lone Star State.”

Although wealth and income tax prohibitions are different policies than supermajority requirements, these efforts demonstrate Texas policymakers acting to provide voters the opportunity to make sure the tax climate in the state remains stable.

According to the Washington Policy Center, there are currently 17 states with supermajority for tax increase requirements. These restrictions range from needing a 3/5 vote in Oregon, to a 2/3 vote in Florida, to needing voter approval for all tax increases in Colorado.

Along with providing constitutional tax increase protections, several states (like Oregon and Colorado) also require automatic tax rebates when revenues grow above a certain level. For example:

  • Oregonian: “Oregon taxpayers are set to receive their biggest kicker tax rebate on record when they file their taxes next spring — a $5.6 billion refund, according to near-final forecasts issued Wednesday. That works out to $980 for the median taxpayer.”
  • CPR News: “Colorado is set to pay out more than $3.5 billion in TABOR refunds next spring — one of the largest paybacks that the state has ever had to return to taxpayers. In fact, the state is in the middle of what could be a record-busting string of revenue years. For the first time ever, the state government could be forced to pay refunds for six straight years, stretching from 2022 through 2027 or longer. Those refunds are expected to average more than $2 billion per year — a level never before seen in Colorado, even accounting for inflation.”

Proactively acting to protect taxpayers by sending voters a supermajority for tax increases constitutional amendment is a prudent thing for policymakers to do. As occurs in Oregon and Colorado, this type of policy could also be coupled with automatic tax rebate triggers based on revenue growth to help avoid the temptation of overheating a state budget and increasing the pressure for tax increases.

Whether requiring voter approval for all tax increases like in Colorado or needing a 2/3 legislative threshold as occurs in Florida, increasing the tax burden imposed on families and businesses should first secure a broad consensus and always be the last resort when budgeting.

 

]]> 85124 The value of training https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/the-value-of-training/ Thu, 19 Oct 2023 17:55:28 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=85063 When I became a school trustee in Cassia County in 2001, I knew I wanted to serve my community by being part of important educational decisions. I knew I wanted to help provide an environment for our students to gain the skills and knowledge they would need to be productive citizens. I had worked as a substitute teacher for six years prior to running for my local board and I felt as though I had a pretty decent working knowledge of our school system. Looking back, there was so much more for me to understand.

The transition from willing community member to effective school leader doesn’t happen overnight. Chances are good that most new trustees are not well versed in the complexities of school budgets, student achievement goals and open meeting laws. In fact, many trustees running for a second term often share that it took them the first term to know what they were doing!

Thankfully, trustees grow into these roles. The same goes for superintendents, principals, educators and district staff. We learn on the job, but exposure to training can flatten the learning curve and shorten the timeline it takes to become effective. In education, I would argue that training is critical for success. Fortunately, the Idaho education community is blessed with great organizations that support school administrators, trustees, teachers and others. Their workshops and seminars help us become the leaders we all want to be.

With that in mind, I want to highlight two upcoming trainings hosted by Idahoans for Openness in Government (IDOG). On October 25, IDOG will hold a training on the Idaho Open Meeting Law. A similar session on Idaho’s Public Records Act is scheduled for November 28. Both begin at 10:00 a.m. MT. They are free and will be streamed statewide through Idaho Public Television’s Idaho in Session service. The trainings will originate from the Capitol’s Lincoln Auditorium and in-person seating will be available. Recordings of the events will be archived at the IDOG website. More details are available at OpenIdaho.org.

Attendees will learn – or re-learn – the ins and outs of these two important Idaho laws to ensure future adherence and, ultimately, increase transparency. And in our work in the public sector, transparency is essential. It provides accountability to the public and fosters trust amongst the people we serve.

When opportunities like these present themselves, it’s important that we as an education community take advantage. If your schedule allows, I encourage you to attend or tune in online. If it doesn’t, I hope you can find time later to watch the recordings.

Open meetings and public records requests are part of our day-to-day in public education, so it’s crucial that we’re following the law. Your engagement with these trainings will help promote quality leadership for Idaho’s districts, schools and communities.

]]> 85063 Addressing school district needs is crucial for preserving education https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/addressing-school-district-needs-is-crucial-for-preserving-education/ Wed, 18 Oct 2023 19:16:22 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84997 A need – according to Merriam Webster – is a necessary duty; a lack of something requisite, desirable, or useful; a condition requiring supply or relief. “Need” is the perfect word for a school district to use when communicating to the community why they are requesting a bond – one of the only tools available for schools to build, renovate, or replace their schools.

However, some who were against the November 2022 District 91 school bond are claiming that the district overstepped into the lines of advocacy by using basic terms like “need,” “aged,” and “overcrowding” when describing the schools. The bond failed, but the flare-up continues.

For public schools, the Legislature is constitutionally – and morally – obligated to establish and maintain a general, uniform, and thorough system of public, free common schools. But Idaho code further defines a “thorough” system, emphasizing the role of district patrons, school trustees, educators, state rules, and legislative oversight.

While it’s the Legislature’s constitutional obligation to establish the system, it’s locally elected school boards, composed of ordinary, everyday citizens, who work collaboratively with community patrons to fulfill Idaho’s constitutional duty to provide safe and conducive learning environments.

Communication between district and community about their needs is a constitutional obligation to Idaho’s kids.

In support of transparent governance, our associations partnered in the drafting of the Public Integrity in Elections Act. This act ensures that public entities refrain from using public funds, property, or resources to advocate for a ballot measure or candidate. Advocacy campaigns utilizing public resources are inappropriate – full stop. It is important to note that providing factual information, including cost estimates, the purpose of the ballot measure, property conditions, election details, candidate qualifications, and other necessary transparency measures, is information, not advocacy.

Despite this clarification, there seems to be confusion regarding basic terms used to communicate genuine needs such as “aged” or “overcrowding” within the Idaho Falls School District. School districts, cities, and counties must be able to communicate their needs to their patrons – especially when the needs are verifiable facts.

Year after year, the Legislature adds more stringent language requirements when it comes to tax questions. There is always an abundance of caution when it comes to picking the language a local government or school district might use in an educational campaign about dense topics.

Idaho Falls School District 91, in this case, responsibly and clearly communicated the reasons behind their bond proposal – the aging buildings, increasing capacity demands, and limited alternatives. They have nowhere else to turn but the taxpayers.

Communities should be concerned by claims suggesting that communicating genuine needs is equivalent to advocacy. If it is interpreted that by simply communicating a need as advocacy, we are not sure that school districts can sustain their operations or ever build a new school. Perhaps that is the point.

Signed,

]]> 84997 Voters should “West Bonner” extremist candidates in November https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/voters-should-west-bonner-extremist-candidates-in-november/ Tue, 17 Oct 2023 21:21:06 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84908 The voters of West Bonner County School District (WBCSD) are still working to clean up the wreckage caused to their school system by a board of trustees inspired by the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). A low turnout election in 2021 resulted in a three-person school board majority that seemed to be intent on turning the WBCSD schools into right-wing indoctrination mills. Among other things, the board tanked the district’s finances, caused havoc with the schools and turned a deaf ear to parents’ concerns.

The majority’s worst decision came in June when it voted to appoint Branden Durst as superintendent of schools. Durst was not only unqualified for the position but his main claim to fame was working for the IFF, which is dead set against public education. That fueled a recall election which resulted in the repudiation of the majority. What made this so remarkable is that WBCSD is in a very conservative area. Although he lost statewide in the 2022 GOP primary election for Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction, Durst came out way ahead in Bonner County–6,648 votes, which was 50% more than the combined total of his two opponents. Just one year later, after WBCSD voters had gotten an up-close view of Durst, they wanted absolutely nothing to do with him.

Voters across the state should take heed as we approach election day on November 7. There will be school board and city elections in many localities. Candidates with an ideological ax to grind will be running in many of those elections and may win if voters do not inform themselves and turn out to support reasonable, pragmatic candidates.

Voters should find out the elections that will be held in their area and become informed about the candidates in the running. If candidates are endorsed by a political party, be wary of those candidates. School and city elections are nonpartisan. Political parties should butt out. The two recalled WBCSD school board members were endorsed by the local GOP. Since most county GOP committees have been taken over by extremists, the candidates they endorse will be ideologically driven. I find the Ada County GOP voter guide to be helpful in identifying those who should not get elected.

Some letter writers in the October 15 issue of the Idaho Press made noteworthy observations. Invoking the WBCSD debacle, Jim Runsvold urged the re-election of Manuel Godina, Travis Manning and Andrew Butler to the Caldwell School Board. He pointed out that one of the challengers, Nichole Trakel, is endorsed by Moms for America, a Florida dark money outfit that is dedicated to fanning the culture wars.

We probably don’t need help from Florida extremists to educate our kids.

Another writer, Tom Newton, observed that the incumbent “non-partisan” Caldwell School Board members “bring a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a positive attitude to the present board.” He questions the wisdom of voting for three partisan challengers who “collectively” push to bring a political agenda to the board. Sounds like the situation confronting WBCSD voters just prior to their low-turnout election in 2022.

Voters should be wary of school district candidates who want to bring religion into the schools, who wish to divert public money to private and parochial schools and who push culture war issues. Keeping them off of the boards in the first place is one heck of a lot cheaper and much less disruptive of school operations than trying to recall them later.

Equally important are the city elections that will soon be upon us. Again, it is critical that voters look into who is running in their locality and check out where they stand on the issues. Letter writer Sandra Haltom says that Meridian mayoral candidate Mike Hon is “not a viable choice,” pointing out that he led the failed charge to “dissolve our library district” and ended up pitting “neighbor against neighbor.” She urges the re-election of Mayor Robert Simison, who has done a fine job of governing that city.

Summing up, people need to get out to vote in these low-turnout, off-year elections. It really matters for these important governmental units that are closest to the people. Even though voters may not think they can make a difference, just look at what happened in WBCSD. The folks in that very conservative part of the state demonstrated that you can be conservative without being into crazy culture war issues. If they can throw the extremists out of WBCSD, it can be done anywhere in the Gem State. Idahoans should “West Bonner” extremist candidates across the state on November 7.

]]> 84908 Idahoans must speak up to protect Launch https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/idahoans-must-speak-up-to-protect-launch/ Fri, 13 Oct 2023 16:31:08 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84781 A well-educated workforce is the engine that drives our economy. That’s why Democrats in the
Idaho Legislature were proud to support Idaho Launch earlier this year. Now accepting
applications, Launch is a monumental step forward for our state, covering 80% of the costs for
Idaho graduates pursuing in-demand careers, up to $8,000. From training nurses and welders
to equipping young people with the commercial driver’s licenses they need to bring our products
to market, Launch will allow more Idahoans to earn family-sustaining wages while helping
employers hire the workers they need.

Every industry in Idaho faces a pressing need for more qualified workers with specific skills. The
demands of the modern job market have evolved. Today almost 80% of all jobs require some
form of postsecondary education or training. In particular, there is a growing demand for workers
in “middle-skill” jobs — positions that require more than a diploma but less than a four-year
college degree like electricians, bookkeepers, and medical assistants.

I was encouraged to see the broad, statewide support that Idaho Launch garnered when it was
introduced in early 2023. Education leaders and every major business group in the state threw
their weight behind it. They recognized the positive economic benefits for students and
businesses alike. However, it was disheartening to see the unnecessary obstacles this program
faced within the Statehouse.

The ideological objections and the rise of far-right extremism within our Legislature’s Republican
caucus make it difficult for popular and much-needed investments like this to pass. Only a few
years ago, the same brand of obstructionism killed an $18 million, 3-year grant to support early
learning collaboratives across the states by making false claims that the locally designed
programs amounted to “indoctrination.” Similarly, certain Republican politicians denounced
Launch as “socialism,” ignoring our economy’s dire need for a qualified workforce. Those views
are out of touch with the majority of Idahoans who understand the importance of preparing our
youth for the jobs of tomorrow.

Without the unanimous support of Idaho Democrats in the Legislature, Idaho Launch would
have failed. In the House, it passed by a single vote. If one Democrat representative had lost
their election, Idahoans would be missing out on this smart investment to address serious
workforce challenges.

Sadly, far-right ideologues want to dismantle the progress we’re making. That’s why Idahoans
must speak out to protect Idaho Launch today. Contact your legislators and tell them you
support investing in our future workforce. Encourage eligible high school seniors to consider the
in-demand careers that await them with Idaho Launch.
Idaho Democrats remain committed to championing education investments to ensure the future
prosperity of our state. Together, we can build a brighter future for every Idahoan.

]]> 84781 How Idaho earned a $24.9 million grant to expand school choice opportunities https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/how-idaho-earned-a-24-9-million-grant-to-expand-school-choice-opportunities/ Mon, 09 Oct 2023 19:36:49 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84568 So much of what happens in the world of public education occurs in the trenches of anonymity where teachers work day-in and day-out to help their students learn, and where administrators labor to make the environment their teachers teach and their students learn as healthy and vibrant as they can, and where parents drop their children off at schools in the hope that their babies will learn what they need to excel in life and as educated citizens of the greatest country in the world. As an educator – or really as a friend and advocate for education and parent choice in learning – it feels good when the work you do is acknowledged and appreciated.

Thus, it was with great pride that I read Governor Little’s recent Tweet (a.k.a. X-positing or whatever we call it these days!) declaring, “Idaho is already a leader in school choice as a top 10 state for the share of students in public charter schools & this grant will expand education freedom even further. Congrats to Bluum on securing this grant to strengthen Idaho’s charter schools!”

Governor Little was referring to the $24.9 million federal Charter School Program (CSP) grant my organization Bluum earned on behalf of Idaho. This grant award is a reflection of the hard work carried out by our charter school board members, leaders, administrators, innovators, teachers and students over the last 25-years. In addition to the support of Governor Little (and that of previous Governors Otter, Risch, Kempthorne and Batt) our state has also been blessed by consistent support in the legislature. We’ve seen a series of legislative improvements to our charter school law in recent years that have given our public charter schools flexibility in the hiring of teachers and school leaders, and we’ve had changes to law that provides support for the creative financing and refinancing of public charter schools. This has been especially important in an era of rising interest rates. Idaho’s public charter school sector has steadily grown and improved over time.

These steady improvements in operational flexibility and financial support have been backed up by an evolving state law that demands results from our public charter schools. This focus on performance is baked into the Legislative Intent of our charter statute which seeks in part to, “Improve student learning, increase learning opportunities for all students, with special emphasis on expanded learning experiences for students, and hold the schools established under this chapter accountable for meeting measurable student educational standards.”

This emphasis on performance and results is unique to public charter schools. While traditional public schools that fail never close, public charter schools can be closed in Idaho for failing to deliver academically, financially and/or operationally over time. State law in Idaho ensures the charter school bargain – increased operational freedoms and flexibility for measurable student performance over time – and ensuring this bargain is the responsibility of charter school authorizers. In our state, the vast majority of our 70+ public charter schools are authorized by the Idaho Public Charter School Commission (IPCSC) whose seven members are appointed to serve by the Governor. While the IPCSC has been imperfect in its performance over the years, and in fairness no form or function of government is perfect, it has accumulated a portfolio of public charter schools that have largely delivered for families, children and taxpayers. No doubt more can be done to improve the performance of the IPCSC. My organization Bluum is prepared to use a portion of its Congressionally appropriated federal CSP dollars for technical assistance to provide expert support in updating and improving the data and management systems the IPCSC uses to ensure school transparency and performance for its growing number of schools.

As we observed in our winning CSP grant proposal, “Idaho’s public charter schools as a sector are high-performing academically. NAEP is considered the ‘Gold Standard’ for evaluating student performance over time across the nation’s schools…Despite the impact of COVID on student learning, Idaho public charter school performance remains relatively high compared to the performance of students in Idaho’s traditional schools, and in 2022 they were some of the highest performing students in the nation across grades and subjects tested.” The NAEP summary table below attests to this fact:

2022 Idaho NAEP Results in 8th Grade Reading & Math

Our public charter school achievements go beyond just test scores though. Using unique indicators of success for measuring results – like job placements after graduation – we have Career Tech charter schools in the Elevate Academies that serve at-risk students and turn around lives as well as any such schools in the country. We also have charter schools like Cardinal Academy that partners with the Salvation Army and the Promise Academy that works with the Idaho Youth Ranch to provide learning opportunities for our state’s most vulnerable students. And we have innovative school model like Gem Prep learning societies that are drawing the attention of education leaders and innovators from across the country. I could go on.

Idaho won a competitive $24.9 million grant because our schools deliver for families and children, and we have a demonstrated need for more quality school choices. We won because our state lawmakers and education leaders support school choice, we have a nonprofit charter school support organization in Bluum that works to launch and support high-performing schools, we have generous philanthropic support for charters, and we have a 25-year old charter school law that does a respectable job of balancing operational flexibilities with accountability for performance. This is a mix worth protecting and honing in coming years. This is a mix that made Idaho a winner in the competition for federal charter school program dollars. This is the recipe that works for our children and families.

]]> 84568 Businesses Can Help 2024 High School Graduates Launch Their Careers https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/businesses-can-help-2024-high-school-graduates-launch-their-careers/ Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:59:24 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84460 Idaho is facing a labor shortage. This shortage is especially acute in the healthcare, manufacturing, and technology industries. With the state’s unemployment rate at 3%, there is an urgent need to solve this growing crisis in the short term and into the future.

For most companies, the talent pipeline focus has been at the collegiate and training program level. That will no longer suffice to bring in the qualified workers necessary in most industries. That is why Idaho businesses must not overlook the importance of the Idaho LAUNCH program as part of their recruitment strategy.

The Idaho LAUNCH program is a new initiative designed to address this issue by providing grants that will cover 80% of the cost of an in-state program that leads to an in-demand career, up to $8,000. This could be anything from a CDL program to a nursing program to a computer science degree.

Idaho LAUNCH is a win-win for both students and businesses. For students, it makes college more affordable and allows them to pursue their dream careers. For businesses, it creates a skilled talent pool of eligible employees ready to fill in-demand jobs. Idaho LAUNCH allows industries to cultivate the next generation of employees beginning at high school graduation.

Idaho businesses must support and get involved with the Idaho LAUNCH program. Here are a few examples of how:

  • Share information about the Idaho LAUNCH program with employees, many of whom are related to and/or know eligible students who can benefit from this program.
  • Offer financial assistance to students interested in fields related to your business. While LAUNCH covers 80% of the cost (up to $8,000), businesses can incentivize students to work for them after graduation by offering funds for the remaining 20%.
  • Partner with local schools and colleges that offer Idaho LAUNCH-eligible programs. This could involve developing new programs and/or making existing programs more accessible to Idaho LAUNCH students.

Idaho LAUNCH is a game-changer for Idaho businesses in the face of the current labor market. By investing in the future of Idaho’s workforce, companies can ensure that they have the skilled workers needed to succeed.

Get involved in the Idaho LAUNCH program today and start building a brighter future for Idaho’s businesses and Idaho’s students.

 

]]> 84460 Statewide goals for public education in Idaho https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/statewide-goals-for-public-education-in-idaho/ Mon, 02 Oct 2023 21:35:18 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=84274 I have been involved in public education in Idaho for over 50 years, starting as a teacher, retiring as superintendent of the state’s largest school district and now I am serving my second turn as president of the Idaho State Board of Education.

I think it is important that I share with parents and taxpayers three important goals the State Board is working on with local trustees and the school administrators who oversee our school districts and charter schools.

In education, I have found that the tyranny of the urgent often distracts us from the important. That’s why it is so important to set the tone and clearly establish the priorities for our schools and students, and to stay focused on those priorities.

The State Board’s priority focus areas are:

  • K-3rd grade literacy
  • Middle grade math (grades 5 through 9)
  • High school graduation and post-secondary education and training

K through 3rd grade literacy

Significantly improving K-3 literacy remains our primary goal. Data from the Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) continues to show that more than 60 percent of Idaho students come to school without the skills necessary to be successful students.

Numerous studies show that unless these students are reading at grade level by the third grade, they almost never catch up. This puts those students at greater risk of not graduating or pursuing postsecondary education or training.

Idaho Governor Brad Little and the Idaho Legislature understand how important it is that we do more to address this problem. In addition to providing several years of significant funding specifically targeted for reading intervention, in 2022, $47 million was appropriated for schools to use to extend their early grade reading programs through means such as optional full day kindergarten.

Middle grades math (grades 5 through 9)

A troubling trend has emerged indicating that nearly all students, even the top performers, are showing a reduction in their math skills starting in fifth grade and extending through the ninth grade.

This is making it more difficult for students to be successful in higher level math courses in high school and in college. A State Board work group is currently examining this problem and will present recommendations to the Board at its December meeting.

The work group is looking at standards, curriculum, teacher training and instructional techniques – all aspects that may affect student learning. The work group is also identifying schools and districts whose students are achieving at higher levels – seeking to identify best practices that can be shared throughout the state.

High school graduation and post-secondary education and training

Idaho’s overall high school graduation rate last year was 80 percent, meaning one in five students did not graduate.  The percentage rate drops even more dramatically for students who are economically disadvantaged (70-percent), disabled (57-percent), or in foster care (40-percent). Student ethnicity and gender are also factors in whether students graduate or not. We simply have to do better!

One promising approach is credit recovery, which targets the courses for which students received “F” grades. Efforts for recovery are underway led by the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. IDLA’s online approach assists students in turning failed classes into successful ones that can lead to graduation.

Under Governor Little’s leadership, Idaho has invested heavily over the last five years in nearly all facets of public education. Trustees and administrators at the local and statewide levels are working to make sure resources are used for added support for students who need them. When a student drops out, our system has failed.

Finally, I want to conclude this column by talking about the State Board’s goal to increase Idaho’s rate of students “going on” to attain certificates and degrees beyond high school. Since the start of the pandemic, about 42 percent of our graduates are going on to college or a career technical education program immediately after high school. We must do better for the sake of our students, families, and the economy of Idaho.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield’s efforts to increase career technical education opportunities in rural areas should help “prime the pump” and increase student interest in improving skills and earning certifications and degrees after high school. The Idaho Division of Career Technical Education has also received significant investments from the Governor and the Legislature for CTE programs at the secondary and postsecondary levels.

Governor Little’s Idaho LAUNCH grant program, which opens October 3, makes these programs accessible for students who otherwise might not go on to get a postsecondary education or training because of concern about cost.  LAUNCH grants will pay 80 percent of the cost of an education or training program that leads to an in-demand career, up to $8,000.

The State Board’s nationally recognized Idaho Campus Choice and Apply Idaho programs streamline and simplify the college admissions and application process. In addition, the State Board’s Next Steps Idaho website provides robust college and career planning resources for educators, students and parents.

Scholarship Idaho makes it possible to students to apply for an Idaho LAUNCH grant, or the Idaho Opportunity Scholarship from the same platform.

I believe deeply in Idaho’s public education system and have dedicated my professional life to working with parents, teachers, administrators and state leaders to continually make it better. Our schools and classrooms are places where real action takes place, ensuring that students achieve successes that lead them and their families to bright futures in a thriving, vibrant Idaho.

]]> 84274 Truth in Taxation improves property tax transparency https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/truth-in-taxation-improves-property-tax-transparency/ Mon, 18 Sep 2023 20:55:28 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83765 Like many homeowners, I recently received my property tax assessment. It showed a huge increase in my home’s value. My reaction was that of excitement thinking about the growth of my home equity. For others, this type of news could lead to deep fear believing a massive property tax bill will soon follow. For reasons we’ll discuss, this isn’t necessarily the case.

Property taxes are an important part of the tax base for school districts, local governments, and many states. Though based on a relatively straightforward calculation, they are among the least understood taxes by taxpayers. Although there are variations in each state, the general formula for property taxes is the value of the property multiplied by the tax rate.

Too often taxpayers focus on assessed values instead of the spending decisions made by government officials when considering their property tax burden. With record property tax assessment increases occurring in states like Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming, homeowners are concerned about the potential impact on their property tax bills.

First, it is important for taxpayers to know that assessments are just a part of the calculation. The main driver of property taxes is spending increases approved by policymakers and voters themselves through levies. The assessor is not responsible for any property tax increase, the budget writers are.

This is why efforts to restrict property assessments are often misplaced and lead to other problems. The better way to control property tax increases is on the spending side and/or with levy restrictions. One way to help bring greater transparency to the fact spending is the main cause of property tax increases is with a reform called Truth in Taxation.

To bring more transparency to property tax increases, Utah was the first to adopt Truth in Taxation in 1985.

Here is how the Utah Legislature describes the tax transparency process: “The basic concept of the system is that taxing entities may only budget the same amount of property tax each year, unless they have ‘new growth’ (not just change in value on existing properties) or go through a very public process of notifying the public and holding a public hearing on the proposed revenue increase. To achieve this, as taxable values change, the tax rate automatically adjusts to provide a constant amount of revenue. When values increase, the tax rate adjusts down to provide the taxing entity the same amount of revenue as it received in the prior year. When values decrease, the tax rate adjusts up to provide the same amount of revenue.”

Utah’s Property Tax Division further explains: “Property Tax increases require a Truth in Taxation process of public disclosure. Taxing entities are required to follow a series of date specific steps, including notification to the county, newspaper advertisements, parcel specific notices, and a public hearing, before adopting a property tax rate above a calculated certified tax rate. The timeline is different for a fiscal year taxing entity (budget cycle July 1 to June 30) and a calendar year entity (budget cycle Jan 1 to Dec 31).”

Before moving forward with property tax increases, government officials in Utah need to first fill out a “Tax Increase Checklist” and comply with the “Tax Increase Requirements” details under Truth in Taxation.

Along with Utah, Truth in Taxation currently exists in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Tennessee.

Montana Governor Greg Gianforte succinctly explained the need for policymakers to focus on property tax transparency when he said: “To ease the property tax burden, we must reform our system and bring greater transparency, accountability, and responsibility to local spending.”

Even though Idaho doesn’t have a statewide property tax and the legislature recently enacted property tax rebates to help with the local tax burden, Truth in Taxation is still needed to help empower taxpayers to better engage and understand their property tax burden and the connection to spending.

With the cry for property tax reform getting louder, policymakers in Idaho, Montana, Washington, and Wyoming should focus their efforts on improving transparency and voter engagement with Truth in Taxation.

Jason Mercier is Vice President and Director of Research of Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Eastern Washington and Wyoming. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.

]]> 83765 Teach for America’s academy helps prepare teachers to be leaders https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/teach-for-americas-academy-helps-prepare-teachers-to-be-leaders/ Thu, 14 Sep 2023 16:23:25 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83613 I have been a teacher, mostly in kindergarten, for the past 10 years in Idaho public schools. For most of that time I thought teaching was my forever career, until the opportunity to mentor other educators began to change my thinking.

This year, I am participating in Teach for America’s Rural School Leadership Academy, which helps prepare educators outside urban areas to take on leadership positions in their schools and districts. That can mean being a teacher-leader or mentor, an instructional coach, a building administrator, or even a superintendent.

How I came to this place in my career journey has shown me how important it is to expand potential avenues for strong teachers to use their expertise to nurture students and other educators alike. If we had more programs like RSLA, perhaps more teachers would remain in education for their entire careers, as leadership opportunities open before them.

My connection to TFA began three years ago, when my principal at MOSAICS charter school asked me to mentor an incoming corps member who was fresh out of college. For several years, other teachers had been coming to me for advice and counsel, and had been observing my classroom, because I seemed to have an ability to have smooth transitions and create an orderly and joyful environment.

Leadership through mentoring and coaching wasn’t my original plan when I went into teaching. But along the way, people I looked up to kept telling me I had a lot to offer other teachers. The more I heard that, the more I believed that perhaps it was true.

MOSAICS opened during the height of Covid in 2020. I taught online from within the building, but other teachers had in-person classes. Several teachers invited me to visit their classrooms and offer feedback. I was happy to do this, and I believe I had a lot to offer. But this was an informal arrangement.

After mentoring Cassedy, the TFA corps member, through MOSAICS’ mentoring system during her first year, I was invited by TFA to join its new mentoring program for Cassedy’s second year.

TFA’s mentoring program was more formal, including professional development, regular check-ins with supervisors to strengthen my mentoring practice, and a stipend to compensate me for my time. I found that I loved mentoring a young teacher. Cassedy’s passion rubbed off on me, and my ability to guide her, even through tough conversations, helped her grow as a teacher before my eyes.

The experience of working closely with Cassedy really got me thinking about how I could spend more time mentoring and coaching other teachers, ideally while still teaching young children as well. So when Casey DeFord at TFA told me about RSLA, it seemed like a great opportunity for me to pursue.

RSLA is a national TFA program, which means I get to interact with and learn from educators in several states. The program will conclude next spring with a week where we all gather in-person. Before that, I will have an opportunity to travel to a rural district in another state – to be determined – that is doing exciting work under challenging circumstances.

Meanwhile, I will soon start coursework toward  my principal’s endorsement, taking online classes through Idaho State University. TFA has provided a generous scholarship, allowing me to enroll in this program without adding significantly to my already burdensome student debt.

I love my school, and would ideally stay at MOSAICS in a coaching role. But RSLA and my upcoming principal endorsement classwork is opening my eyes to a world of other possible opportunities.

I am grateful to all of the people who have mentored me, and to those I have mentored. Most of all, I am grateful to TFA for having provided me with these leadership opportunities, which I hope will allow me to share my modest gifts with a larger group of Idaho educators.

]]> 83613 ESAs, the Idaho Constitution and the U.S. Supreme Court https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/esas-the-idaho-constitution-and-the-u-s-supreme-court/ Mon, 11 Sep 2023 19:22:45 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83489 Part 1: ESAs

Idaho’s education policy discussions have exploded in recent years to include debates around education savings accounts (ESAs). After conducting a quick search, it seems that in 2022 our Legislature saw one ESA-related bill; this year we saw four. This trend will continue.

ESAs are parent directed, publicly funded accounts that families can use to purchase eligible products and services they deem necessary to augment their children’s education. Similar (though not identical) to Idaho’s Empowering Parents program, ESA funds can generally be used to cover a range of eligible education-related expenses such as tutoring, equipment, supplies and private school tuition.

Part 2: The Idaho Constitution

Idaho’s Constitution, like most other state constitutions, contains what is called the Blaine Amendment. Article IX Section 5 of our constitution reads in part as follows:

Section 5.  SECTARIAN APPROPRIATIONS PROHIBITED. Neither the legislature nor any county, city, town, township, school district, or other public corporation, shall ever make any appropriation, or pay from any public fund or moneys whatever, anything […] to help support or sustain any school, academy, seminary, college, university or other literary or scientific institution, controlled by any church, sectarian or religious denomination whatsoever; …

Our Blaine Amendment prohibits the use of Idahoans’ tax monies to fund religious K-12 education. It does NOT prohibit the use of public tax monies to pay for private non-religious K-12 education. Since the year 2020, U.S. Supreme Court decisions have blurred the line between this historically clear distinction.

Part 3: The U.S. Supreme Court

Contrary to false and legally uninformed claims, the Blaine Amendment is not dead. Rather, the Court has created a legal regime, discussed next, whereby states may in effect retire their own Blaine Amendments by adopting an ESA program.

In Carson v. Makin (2022) and Espinoza v. Mont. Dept. of Revenue (2020), the Court examined the Maine and Montana constitutions, respectively. While I’ll spare you the legal analysis, the Court emphasized that a “State need not subsidize private education. But once it decides to do so, it cannot disqualify some private schools solely because they are religious.” Using this logic, these cases – Carson specifically – held that “Maine’s ‘nonsectarian’ requirement for otherwise generally available tuition assistance payments violates the Free Exercise Clause” [my emphasis].

In other words: Blaine Amendments remain constitutional. However (and this is the mother of all howevers) if a state decides to start using public monies to fund any private school tuition – thus making tuition assistance payments “generally available” – it may not exclude religious schools.

So what does this mean for Idaho? It means our debates about ESAs are not just about whether we want to use public monies to pay for private K-12 school tuition. The debates are also over whether we want to retire our Blaine Amendment and change our Constitution.

So What

This year, some of my Republican colleagues took a novel (but failed) approach to addressing our predicament. House Bill 339 would have put a non-binding advisory question on the November 2024 general election ballot asking Idaho voters if they believed the Legislature should “direct or appropriate public tax dollars to private K-12 schools, including private religious and for-profit schools.” I believe the intent was to ask Idahoans whether they’re comfortable opening this door and retiring the Blaine Amendment. Even bill opponents supported the idea of “asking the people” but opposed the specific language proposed in the bill.

Because changing our constitution is so consequential and there is time to put an advisory question on the November 2024 ballot, I think an updated version of House Bill 339 with new language, and a subsequent advisory vote for Idahoans, is something the Legislature should again consider.

]]> 83489 Boise School Board uses Student Advisory Committee as a scapegoat to ignore student concerns https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/boise-school-board-uses-student-advisory-committee-as-a-scapegoat-to-ignore-student-concerns/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 19:36:44 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83316 Earlier this week, the Statesman reported on Trustee Rajbhandari’s relocation to North Carolina for college. During his election, Rajbhandari promised that he would serve the entire length of his term unless he could establish a student position on the Board, but the Board refused to consider any of the proposals he brought forward, which had been written with input from several members of our committee. Thus, he is staying on the Board. In response to the article, Board President Dave Wagers pointed to the Student Advisory Committee for how the district receives student input. As former members of that committee, we know that’s not the case.

When the Boise School District appointed us to their all-new Student Advisory Committee, we were hopeful that students might finally be allowed to participate in the decision-making process. The formation of the committee had been on the front news of the Statesman. Trustee Rajbhandari, a Boise High senior, had just been elected to the School Board. It seemed like the tide was turning towards student agency and voice in our schools.

The first SAC meeting was in October. It was a group of 15 students (three from each high school) ranging from 10th to 12th grade. After a tour of the district office, we met with the staff and the three trustees who would attend our meetings and report back to the Board. “What do you want this committee to consider this school year?” they asked. Excited, we listed 12 challenges, including sustainability in schools, diversity of curriculum literature, and class rank. However, we soon learned the Board had an agenda for us from the start. That same day, we received a 30-minute presentation about the district’s real motive for establishing our committee — public relations.

The Student Advisory Committee met three more times that year. We toured Boise High, discussed the proposed dress code changes, and took photos. We never addressed the issues we’d identified at the beginning of the year.

SAC was created after a student applied for an open seat on the board in 2021 as a scapegoat to ignore that student’s concerns. SAC members are appointed by principals, not elected by students, so most of the students, perhaps not unlike some members of the school board, are there for the resume-building opportunity and have no agenda to better Boise schools. Others, like ourselves, were ready to put in extra time if it meant the Board would address specific issues, but there was no opportunity to do that.

As it stands, the SAC is not accountable to students, and the board is not responsible to the SAC. This is fundamentally flawed. The only way to implement long-lasting change is to have an elected student on the board. The student would act as an essential piece for the SAC to be both successful and relevant while holding the other elected Trustees accountable to students.

Several school districts nationwide have similar committees that give real input to the school board. But that is only possible with a student representative elected by the student body who serves on the school board. Hundreds of school boards nationwide have student representatives serving on the dais, which was affirmed by Boise’s voters in the election last September. There is no one better than a student to help the Board understand how we can put our education on the right path to a better future.

Why is the Boise School Board so afraid of the students it allegedly serves? We urge you to contact the board at trustees@boiseschools.org and ask them yourself.

]]> 83316 Bonner County voters show how to stand up for public education https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/bonner-county-voters-show-how-to-stand-up-for-public-education/ Tue, 05 Sep 2023 17:14:52 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83320 Having followed public affairs in the Gem State since 1966, I have always believed that most Idahoans are practical people who appreciate and support reasonable, pragmatic political leaders. They generally can see through those who seek to gain political power by stoking fear and outrage, which is the hallmark of the dark-money supported Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). Traditional Idahoans are slow to anger but, when they get their feathers ruffled, they are not reluctant to toss out political charlatans.

And, boy did the voters of West Bonner County School District (WBCSD) rise up and repudiate the IFF-supported trustees who took over the board in a low-turnout election in 2021. Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown, together with a third IFF-supported trustee, have had WBCSD in turmoil ever since that election. Most notably, they hired Branden Durst, an unqualified IFF henchman, as superintendent of schools. It all came to a head on August 29, when a massive voter turnout recalled those two trustees in a landslide vote exceeding 60%.

After the election, Mr. Durst hatched a desperate scheme to tie the hands of the incoming trustees and keep his job. He was taken to court for trying to overturn the will of the voters. The judge correctly saw the maneuver as an effort to subvert the law and brought it to an abrupt halt.

The alarm bells at IFF should be ringing because Idahoans have awakened to the fact that it and its followers have nothing to offer in the way of sound public policy. They thrive on creating conflict and division with non-issues. Idaho teachers are not teaching critical race theory or grooming kids or teaching a “woke” agenda, whatever that is. They are doing their level best to educate our kids, often without adequate resources. That’s just what the teachers were doing at WBCSD before Durst came on the scene.

I’ve spoken with a wide array of traditional Idaho Republicans in the last couple of years about the political trajectory of our state and they are sick at heart with the conflict and turmoil stoked by IFF and its minions. WBCSD patrons took care of addressing that very issue in their school district recall election. I am convinced by what I hear from my Republican friends that we will see much of the same reaction across the state in the 2024 elections. A number of disruptive Republicans will be defeated in the primary election by responsible Republicans. And, the people will adopt the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI) in the general election as a permanent means for ridding Idaho of IFF’s hard-edged, non-productive style of politics.

There will be a furious fight over the initiative in the coming month because IFF’s big guns, Brent Regan of Coeur d’Alene and Bryan Smith of Idaho Falls, know it will destroy the iron grip they have on the extremist branch of the Idaho Republican Party. As Mr. Smith said in Idaho Falls on August 23, “If Idaho gets ranked-choice voting, we’re finished. It’s that simple.”  The OPI will hit the IFF and its minions much like the WBCSD voters hit the IFF trustees in the recent election.

One of the reasons the extremists have not been dealt with already is that many Idahoans have had an inflated view of their numbers. They are much louder and more in your face than the majority of Idahoans. Plus, they seem to have an element of menace about them that causes sensible, conflict-averse folks to hunker down. The WBCSD election revealed that even in a conservative community, the reasonable folks greatly outnumber the conflict minded.

People across the state should take heart that they can stand up, speak out and vote the disrupters out of office, replacing them with officials who will deal with the real problems facing the state and its communities. We all owe the good folks of West Bonner a heap of thanks for showing us the way.

]]> 83320 The Far-Right’s Loss is a Win for Kids https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/the-far-rights-loss-is-a-win-for-kids/ Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:28:25 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83287 Idahoans value our public schools, as demonstrated by this week’s election — voters passed all but one education funding measure. I’m grateful voters stepped up to deliver crucial resources to schools where funding from the Legislature is inadequate.

Still, the most notable result was the successful recall of two West Bonner School District trustees. The district offers a cautionary tale of the damage that occurs when far-right politicians seize power. And it reminds us that ongoing vigilance is required to defend against extremism at all levels of government.

In June, West Bonner trustees, Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown, voted to install a far-right politician with zero school administrative experience. This superintendent holds fringe views, including support for censuring curriculum and voucher schemes that siphon funds from public schools to private and religious schools. His lack of experience, coupled with his anti-public education ideology should have disqualified him. Instead, Rutledge and Brown saw these as assets.

The superintendent’s first priority was personal gain. On top of a six-figure salary exceeding his predecessor’s, he asked for eye-popping perks like a personal vehicle, car insurance and free gasoline, a housing allowance, relocation reimbursement, and free meals. A red flag was embedded in his bizarre request for the district to cover legal costs for both himself and his wife.

Then came the mismanagement. Despite fierce opposition from the community, he advanced plans to combine the middle school and high school. He fired two administrators without cause (prompting a lawsuit) and replaced them with political allies, one of whom is the spouse of a vocal anti-semite. The State Board of Education warned he lacked the credentials to hold the
job lawfully and educators fled the chaotic district.

Fortunately, parents, educators, and business owners sprang into action. Working across party lines, they publicized the superintendent’s terrible leadership and the lack of transparency from Rutledge and Brown during the hiring and negotiations. Volunteers knocked on doors and built a homegrown recall effort, gathering enough signatures to put the trustees on the ballot.

With massive voter turnout and by decisive margins, Rutledge and Brown were successfully recalled.

The efforts of the concerned residents were remarkable. Still, serious damage was done and the future of West Bonner Schools remains uncertain. In one of their final acts, the trustees amended the superintendent’s contract, making his removal more difficult.

It is imperative that Idaho avoids future calamities like this one.

In November, voters across Idaho will elect school board members. Extremist candidates campaigning today share the far-right’s objectives: to sow chaos, bully teachers, and undermine our schools. Idaho voters must pay close attention to these races and vote for candidates who will protect and improve our schools, rather than tear them down.

]]> 83287 Bad news keeps coming for the extremist branch of the Republican Party https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/bad-news-keeps-coming-for-the-extremist-branch-of-the-republican-party/ Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:57:55 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83009 The past few weeks have not been kind to the Dorothy Moon faction of the Idaho Republican Party, which has taken over party control since the GOP primary was closed in 2012. Reasonable Republicans have chafed at censures handed out for not going along with extremist ideas, the extremist structure has had to deal with the growing popularity of the Open Primaries Initiative (OPI) and the extremists’ newly-elected Attorney General has suffered some remarkable defeats in federal and state courts.

Several Republicans have pushed back from reprimands issued against them by party functionaries for not strictly adhering to the narrow, extremist agenda imposed by the so-called Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). GOP Representatives, including Lori McCann, Mark Sauter, Julie Yamamoto and Matt Bundy, have been targeted for representing constituent concerns rather than IFF priorities. According to Bundy, “It’s a dangerous trend where legislators are not allowed free thought or independent thinking, where we can vote based on our own constituencies and on our own conscience.”

At the recent GOP convention in Challis, Governor Brad Little and 14 House Republicans received a “no confidence” vote for opposing legislation that would clog the courts with nuisance suits against local libraries. That overreach was accompanied by the purging of some party officials that Moon apparently thought was necessary to fulfill her view of the Republican Party as a “private club” for just her and her cohorts.

The unrest and pushback by responsible Republicans and their voters will play a large part in a groundswell of support for the OPI, particularly through the course of what promises to be a dysfunctional 2024 legislative session. The Moon branch of the GOP will provide compelling reasons for doing away with the closed primary. They won’t be able to hold back from being their own worst enemy in this fight.

And just as the Moonies are trying to portray the OPI as some sort of liberal plot, word came out of Montana that reasonable Montana Republicans were fed up with party primary elections and planning to run an initiative to open them all the way up, just like the OPI would do. Their initiative calls for an open top-four primary, which is the main feature of the OPI. With our sister state Republicans also pursuing a top-four, it will be much more difficult for Moon and the IFF to peddle the false claim that the OPI is some sort of liberal plot.

The real reason the extremists hate OPI is because, as spelled out by IFF honcho Bryan Smith, “If Idaho gets ranked-choice voting, we’re finished. It’s that simple.” It will destroy their iron grip on the GOP. It will be a big win for traditional Republicans.

On another front, Idaho’s newly-elected Attorney General has suffered a string of defeats in federal and state courts. On August 25, he and several staff members were disqualified from suing his client, the State Board of Education, for alleged violation of Idaho’s Open Meeting Law. Even rookie lawyers know it is unethical to sue your own client. He was previously disqualified from taking legal action against several top officials of the Department of Health and Welfare, also on conflict of interest grounds.

On July 31, Labrador was prohibited from suing doctors who refer patients out of state for abortion pills and services. Two weeks earlier a federal circuit court blocked the state from enforcing a ban on transgender athletes. A week earlier a federal judge prevented the state from enforcing a trans student bathroom bill. It is likely that an Idaho law criminalizing doctors for rendering gender-affirming care to minors will also be blocked.

Getting back to the OPI, Labrador clearly lost the lawsuit challenging the misleading ballot titles he conjured up to undermine the initiative. Despite his best efforts to spin the decision as a win, that spin cannot get around one simple fact–Idaho courts only award attorney fees to the winning side. Reclaim Idaho was awarded its attorney fees and a hefty fee award will soon be made against Labrador.

So, there has been an abundance of bad news for the GOP’s extremist branch. Might be a good time for some soul searching. Casting off the IFF shackles would be a healthy start.

]]> 83009 “To be, or not to be: that is the question.” – Hamlet, Act III, Scene I https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/to-be-or-not-to-be-that-is-the-question-hamlet-act-iii-scene-i/ Tue, 29 Aug 2023 12:04:15 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=83012 The opening line of Hamlet’s soliloquy is one of the most-quoted lines in English. The words are famous for their simplicity, while simultaneously traversing deeper concepts such as action and inaction, life and death. Literature reflects the enduring questions that we grapple with as we try to understand our world. I’ve been fortunate to spend decades teaching the discipline of English and immersing students in some of our most important cultural touchstones. That’s why I always enjoy following the work of The Department of English and Philosophy at Idaho State University. The faculty and students celebrate traditional and non-traditional forms of creativity and expression while fostering traits demanded by a rapidly changing workplace.

Take a look at this list of recent contributions:

A unique experience in art and writing: Fascinated by the history of comic books? Explore the work of Professor Matt Levay, whose guest edited issue of The New Americanist was just published. It features two pieces by Levay: an editor’s introduction and an interview with Tony Davis, owner of Million Year Picnic, the oldest comic shop in New England, and one of a handful of Black-owned comic shops in the US. You can find the full issue online. The interview with Tony Davis is currently available for free at https://www.euppublishing.com/toc/tna/2/1

Visual literacy in Shakespeare:  As with so many of his plays, William Shakespeare brings the characters in Hamlet to life with memorable dialogue, speakers, acts and fantastic scenes. Karlee Cysewski, reviewed and analyzed multiple films to create her M.A. paper, “Bending an Eye on Vacancy: Direct Eye Contact with the Camera in Filmed Theatrical Productions of Hamlet.” Karlee currently teaches English at Post Falls High School.

English, communication, and culture: From smartphones to social media, tech use became the norm in the 2010s. Social media became a key pathway to news for Americans. During this time, Millennials surpassed Generation Xers as the largest generation in the U.S. labor force. 93% of them owned smartphones in 2019 and nearly 100% said they use the internet. Check out the work of Daniel Gillespie, who successfully defended his dissertation, Web2 Capital: American Media and Culture in the 2010s. Dr. Gillespie has accepted a position as an English instructor at Shoreline Christian School, starting this fall.

Language learning: A great majority of people around the world know more than one language. So, how does knowing one language affect the learning and use of additional languages? These ideas are the focus of the edited collection Cross-language Influences in Bilingual Processing and Second Language Acquisition. Professor Brent Wolter wrote chapter nine, called “Cross-language influences in the acquisition of L2 multiword expressions.” Read Wolter’s article in the department conference room and find out more about this collection at https://benjamins.com/catalog/bpa.16

Historical legends and contemporary heritage: The soon-to-be published book As Legend Has It: Historical Legends, Local History Writing, and Swedish-American Heritage, by Professor Emerita Jennifer Attebery spans more than 100 years of Swedish American local history in the Midwest and the West.  Attebery’s thorough examination of nearly 300 historical legends explores how Swedish Americans employ these narratives in creating, debating, and maintaining group identity. She demonstrates that historical legends can help us better understand how immigrant groups in general, and Swedish Americans in particular, construct and perpetuate a sense of ethnicity as broader notions of nationality, race, and heritage shift over time.

Renaissance across the curriculum: Department chair Jessica Winston recently participated in the Stanford University Renaissances Graduate Student Research Workshop on “Moot Histories: Law-School Drama in Sixteenth- and Seventeenth-Century London.” The workshops pair a Stanford graduate student in the Renaissance with an expert scholar in their field, providing a forum where they each present and discuss a work-in-progress on a topic relevant to both of them–in this case, law and literature at the early modern law schools, the Inns of Court. The interdisciplinary workshops are attended by faculty and graduate students in Renaissance literature, law, history, music, and religious studies. Winstons’ book Lawyers at Play: Literature, Law, and Politics at the Early Modern Inns of Court, won the Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature award from the American Association of Law Libraries.

Other gems: Professor Mike Roche recently published “Introspection, Transparency, and Desire” in the Journal of Consciousness Studies. The latest work of recent Ph.D. Dr. Hogan Schaak, a book review, was recently published in the inaugural issue of the journal, The Incredible Nineteenth Century. Dr. Schaak has published numerous articles and reviews, especially in topics related to indigenous literature and horror. Dr. Mike Stubbs, Senior Lecturer in English, recently published “Skiing the Moon: Alpine Touring Isn’t Crazy” in Idaho Magazine.

Finally, Dr. Elizabeth Olaoye successfully defended her dissertation project, “‘I Know Why Lagos Women Whistle’: Gendered Representations of Lagos in Contemporary Nigerian Narratives.” I was fortunate to participate in Dr. Olaoye’s presentation of her research, “The Afropolitan Gaze on Lagos in Looking for Transwonderland and Americanah.”

If you are interested in learning more about English language and literature, I encourage you  to visit https://www.isu.edu/english

]]> 83012 Fair warning to public school patrons across the Gem State https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/fair-warning-to-public-school-patrons-across-the-gem-state/ Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:04:02 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=82990 The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) may be coming to your school district to carry out its publicly-proclaimed goal of getting the government out of the business of educating our kids. Just witness the disintegration of the West Bonner County School District (WBCSD) in Priest River at the hands of an extremist-controlled school board.

Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown were elected to the school board in 2021 with IFF’s support. Along with a third IFF-supported trustee, they have had WBCSD in turmoil ever since. They refused to support a school levy in May that was intended to cover about a third of the district’s operating budget. That put the district in a real financial bind.

The trio then voted in June to hire an unqualified individual, IFF employee Branden Durst, as school superintendent. For inexplicable reasons, they have failed to pursue an emergency certification that might allow Durst to legally act as superintendent until he can become qualified for the position. On August 16, the State Board of Education notified Rutledge that the “board’s decision to allow an uncertified individual to serve as superintendent violates Idaho law.” The notice outlined four other board deficiencies.

WBCSD has reportedly lost 33 employees in recent months because of the board’s actions. Not to worry, though, because Durst is hiring right-wing zealots to replace some of them. They include Melissa Reilly, who appears to share the bigoted view of her white nationalist husband Dave Reilly, and Brandy Pardee, a leader with “Stop Idaho RINOs.” As far as the failed levy goes, Durst is glad it failed. The board majority seems to be fine with all of the upheaval Durst has visited upon WBCSD, which may account for the fact that school patrons were able to get a recall vote scheduled for Rutledge and Brown for August 29. It would obviously have been better if more school patrons had gotten out to vote in 2021 to keep the IFF candidates from seizing control.

School board elections are coming up soon in many school districts across the state and it is almost a certainty that the IFF or some like-minded folks will try to get disruptive candidates like Rutledge and Brown elected. How better to accomplish the goal of deconstructing public education in Idaho?

More than ever, Idahoans will need to check out the credentials of those running to control their local school board, so as to ensure that only candidates who are dedicated to making schools and kids successful are entrusted with these important positions. Some of those Idahoans can help their local schools by becoming candidates themselves.

The best way for citizens of good faith to protect our schools is to step forward to serve or urge others to do so. A candidate needs to be an elector of his or her school district and a resident of the trustee zone in question. Candidates may file, starting August 28, but must file no later than 5:00 pm on September 8. Additional information on how to file can be obtained from the clerk of their local school district board.

School elections are not the only important elections to be held on November 7. Cities and some independent districts will be holding elections and, given the desire of organizations like IFF to stack such positions with extreme-right candidates, it is important that reasonable, pragmatic candidates step forward for those positions. Also, conscientious voters must inform themselves to ensure that disruptive individuals like those who seized control of WBCSD do not obtain the reins of power.

]]> 82990 New school year provides parents a golden opportunity to build future aspirations https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/the-new-school-year-provides-parents-a-golden-opportunity-to-build-future-aspirations/ Fri, 18 Aug 2023 18:46:06 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=82755 I’m not exaggerating when I say that the back-to-school season is one of my favorite times of the year. Teachers and administrators return with renewed energy, commitment, and passion. As a career educator, watching reinvigorated students return to classrooms, hallways and lunchrooms never failed to elicit the joy and hope that comes with fresh starts.

While I’m no longer an active teacher or administrator, I remain very much engaged with students and educators here in Idaho, particularly when it comes to inspiring students to see the connection between education and their future career goals and aspirations.

In so many ways, the start of the school year – when young minds are fresh and most open – is a perfect opportunity for parents and educators to begin having that conversation with students about their future. As teachers, parents and students set goals for the academic year, why not begin a dialogue that inspires students to broaden their vision five or ten years down the road?

This is the core mission of the High Desert College Collaborative (HDCC) that I helped found in 2020. In partnership with Sun Valley Community School, Boise State University, College of Southern Idaho, and IDeal – Idaho’s 529 education savings program – HDCC is collaborating with nine southern Idaho rural school districts to inspire young students to dream big about their education beyond high school.

We believe in starting young, with students in fourth through eighth grades. Many younger students have ideas about what they wish to be when they are older – whether it’s a plumber, electrician, rancher, veterinarian, or an architect. We not only introduce them to a broad range of post-secondary information, but we bring college student voices and experiences into the classrooms. We emphasize the various educational paths to reaching those careers, whether the route is through a four-year public university, two-year community college, or trades and technical certifications.

HDCC also offers a Promising Futures Aspirational Scholarship. Each year, we award $125 scholarships to students who have imagined and researched careers and the educational pathway to obtain them. Over the past three years, HDCC has awarded 430 student scholarships in our collaborative school districts.

The scholarship is also a critical component to motivating parents and students to pursue postsecondary education, and it speaks to our important relationship with IDeal.

Research shows that children with education savings accounts – even with small, monthly increments – are seven times more likely to pursue and complete education after high school.1 IDeal makes saving so easy and advantageous.

As the state’s sponsored education saving vehicle, IDeal’s 529s are eligible for a generous tax deduction of up to $6,000 for single filers and $12,000 per year for couples filing jointly. Account assets are managed by a professional investment firm and funds can be used in a variety of ways, from two-to-four year schools to registered apprenticeships and skills and career training programs. The correlation between savings and pursuing higher education is one of the reasons we encourage parents to use their $125 HDCC scholarship for opening an IDeal 529 account.

With the start of a new school year, we have another chance to begin or renew the conversation with our children and students to dream about their future in Idaho’s workforce. To me, there are few things more important to the future of our youngest generation, its impact on Idaho’s workforce and the long-term health of our communities.

]]> 82755 New school year brings opportunities for many https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/new-school-year-brings-opportunities-for-many/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:16:06 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=82541 The start of the school year shouldn’t mean the end to fun things. The prospect of new teachers, new experiences, and a new year of learning can feel overwhelming, but also exciting. In some ways, the return to the predictable schedule of the school year brings the comfort of routine. We’re gearing up to dive back into a world of classes, homework, sports and other activities. I hope you’ll find some excitement as we jump into the coming school year! 

The start of the school year is about more than lesson plans and school bells. It’s truly about the community. After all, our school calendars are often major drivers in what the next nine months will look like for families and towns. Our schools bring life to our communities.  

As we reactivate our schools as central hubs throughout Idaho, I’d like us all to think about the many ways they add value to the places we live. Whether it’s an art show, student theater production, or parent night, our schools are the hearts of our towns and have an essential role in creating strong connections.  

As we look to another year of learning and growth for Idaho’s students, I’d like to speak for a moment about the things each of us can do to work towards this goal. Whether you are an educator, a parent or a community member, we each have a role to play in investing in Idaho’s future through our children.  

For our teachers: You have an opportunity to lean into this year’s academic growth with your experience and commitment to students. I can’t speak highly enough about the talented, dedicated professionals that we have in our classrooms. Delivering this product – high quality education – takes training and talent. Teaching is an art. I’m grateful for the work that takes place in the classroom and for your focus on seeing your students succeed. 

For our parents: we need your help and expertise.  Teachers are the experts in the classroom and parents are the experts on their kids. No one knows our students better than parents, and the potential for constructive collaboration between you and your student’s teacher can’t be measured. Please take advantage of the year’s opportunities to make your school a partner in your student’s success. We benefit from your presence in your child’s education.   

For our students: I’m not too old to remember that it’s hard ending the summer break! But as you look towards the school year, I hope you’ll be positive and be active in your own success. This year can be the one where you join that club you’ve been thinking about, try out for the school play or take on a team sport. Add an interest or new friend to your routine. These connections can make a difference in many ways, including academically!  

And for our communities and to Idaho as a whole: This year, I invite you to look to our schools and our amazing students to see what’s good in our communities. We’ve got the momentum we need to create important opportunities for our students and for our state.  

I’m excited to get to work with all of you on making the 2023-2024 school year a meaningful one. 

]]> 82541 Celebration of the Young Child event holds special significance https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/celebration-of-the-young-child-event-holds-special-significance/ Mon, 14 Aug 2023 17:15:24 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=82543 Every year, the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (Idaho AEYC) hosts the Celebration of the Young Child Event to honor and celebrate the importance of childhood. This year’s event is scheduled for August 19, 2023, and holds special significance as we prepare for the back-to-school season.

As the end of summer nears and families gear up for a new school year, it is essential to remember the value of early childhood education and the adults who play such a crucial role in shaping the minds of Idaho’s youngest learners. Thank you to the event’s sponsors, Saint Alphonsus Medical Center, Kendall Auto Idaho, CBH Homes, and the City of Boise, for recognizing the opportunity to reflect on the importance of family, community, and education in a child’s formative years.

The event celebrates young children, and those who care for them, and it provides an opportunity for families to come together and learn more about activities, resources, and services available to them. The afternoon is filled with family-friendly activities and entertainment, from storytime to yoga, music, and interactive exhibits and crafts.

The Celebration of the Young Child event is more than just a fun-filled day. It is a reminder of the critical role that early childhood education plays in a child’s development. Research has shown that a child’s first years of life are the most important in terms of brain development, and high-quality early childhood education can have significant long-term benefits, including improved academic achievement, higher graduation rates, and lower crime and delinquency rates.

However, not all families have access to quality early childhood education, and not all caregivers have the tools and resources to provide the best possible care for young children. That’s where Idaho AEYC comes in.

Idaho AEYC is committed to promoting high-quality early learning for all young children ages 0 to 8, regardless of their background or economic status. The organization offers a variety of programs and services for caregivers and educators, including professional development opportunities and advocacy efforts to promote policies that support young children and their families.

The Celebration of the Young Child Event reminds us that we cannot afford to neglect the early years of a child’s life. It is an opportunity to celebrate childhood’s joy and wonder and recognize the importance of those who work tirelessly to support and nurture our children. Come out and join us on August 19, 2023, for an afternoon of celebration and learning as we kick off the new school year and celebrate the power and potential of Idaho’s youngest learners.

]]> 82543 Lack of Leadership Leaves Kids Hungry https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/lack-of-leadership-leaves-kids-hungry/ Thu, 20 Jul 2023 22:40:16 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81795 I have to believe that no Idahoan wants to let a child go hungry. Making sure our children are nourished requires special attention in summer. When school meals are unavailable, there is additional pressure on families earning modest wages and it’s harder to make groceries stretch. It is therefore confounding that Idaho opted out of a summer food program that would have fed 123,000 kids across the state with $15 million available for our families. The root cause of this failure is poor leadership. Under single-party rule, a complete lack of accountability — compounded by decades of underinvestment in our schools — ultimately failed our kids.

Our children’s access to food should have been a serious priority. It’s harder for kids to learn on an empty stomach and food insecurity impacts everything from a child’s mental and physical health to their future economic prosperity. That’s why it’s crucial to take advantage of every opportunity to nourish our kids.

This new federal program first launched in 2020, providing eligible families with the cost of breakfast and lunch that their children receive during the school year when school is out. These extra funds for food cost Idaho nothing but required coordination between the State Department of Education and the Department of Health and Welfare to determine eligibility and administer benefits. Over the intervening years and with a leadership change at the State Department of Education, elected Republican officials had the opportunity to act. They could have fought for an appropriation needed to implement the program, ensured schools could update the necessary data systems, and put a plan in place to implement the program. Instead, they did nothing. The deadline to participate in the 2023 summer passed earlier this month with no action.

While Republican state leaders dropped the ball in such a profound way, they have no sense of accountability to the kids and families who are impacted. The State Department of Education’s explanations that changing course would be “difficult” or “that’s the way it was done before” are not much better than Gov. Little refusing to comment on the mess at all. The uncomfortable truth is that elected Republicans calculated that they could deny Idaho families their due benefits without any consequences because the kids at risk of going hungry have no political power. And the Idaho Republican Party’s walled-off primary elections reward not what is right, but what is the most extreme.

Denying summer meals for Idaho children is an administrative failure and a moral outrage. One-party rule will continue to harm Idahoans and put our shared prosperity at risk — until we change it. This summer, our children will pay the price. We can and must do better.

]]> 81795 I don’t want to miss a critical opportunity https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/i-dont-want-to-miss-a-critical-opportunity/ Tue, 18 Jul 2023 15:55:05 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81663 Often in our professional lives, when we take time to reflect on our work, we realize there are few things we’ve done perfectly. With the benefit of this hindsight, we realize we could have done more towards our efforts to reach our goals. Such is the case when I think back to my service as a board member for the Cassia School District nearly twenty years ago. I got better at that responsibility each year, but I can’t help but feel there were areas I could have emphasized that would have strengthened our commitment to student growth and achievement.

Today, months after assuming my new role as state superintendent of public instruction, I don’t want to miss a critical opportunity. So, I’ve commenced an honest, intentional and important initiative at the State Department of Education: strategic planning. Our goal is simply to ensure the future success of education in Idaho. In the business world, there’s a notion that if you can’t measure something, you can’t successfully manage it. In a way, the SDE is a business and we need a plan to accomplish the future I envision.

As we build our strategic plan, we will include my goals for the department, general objectives needed to achieve those goals and measurable activities to address each objective. Our plan is a work in progress but goals certain to make the list include:

  • Ensure Idaho children are reading at grade level by third grade;
  • prepare Idaho students for life, including college/career goals;
  • modernize the state’s educational funding structure; and
  • position Idaho to attract and retain exceptional teachers and leaders.

When strategic plans are given the time and attention they deserve, they result in many advantages. A well-articulated plan improves communication. It puts down on paper a common vision for an organization so that resources can be deployed accordingly. When there are measurable outcomes, progress towards goals is more easily achieved. Soliciting input from staff for the plan leads to important buy-in. An organization or business should be able to defend its efforts toward results with a measured plan. Finally – and this is especially important for us in the public sector – we achieve transparency with our constituents when they understand how their tax dollars are being spent.

While the benefits of implementing a strategic plan are clear, the process is often avoided for a variety of reasons. We’re all aware of instances when big-picture projects have been shelved when our time and attention get consumed by the latest fire that must be extinguished and the damage triaged. Once these important projects are put on the back burner, they often lose momentum they’ll never regain. When strategic plans are required, we sometimes go through the motions so we can check a box and clear it from our to-do list. But doing it this way is a missed opportunity that fails our students, our educators and our communities. Giving strategic planning the time and attention it deserves takes leadership and discipline.

This summer I’m asking and inviting school leaders in Idaho to join me in this exercise. I recognize that many are already at various points in their processes. Regardless of whether they’ve just started, just finished or need to dust off an older version, I hope they will see the importance of taking this step. I encourage our local education agencies to view strategic planning as an opportunity rather than just a compliance task. I really want each board to discuss, plan, engage and commit to something meaningful. That’s our goal at the SDE. The plans made by districts will be specific to their unique needs and visions, but we are all dedicated to shared goals: our students. Our students must be able to read and they must be prepared for the world around them. We increase their chances for success by increasing our chances for success. And we won’t get there by accident.

It’s not often that we hear a lot of excitement, let alone talk, about why strategic plans are so vital to our efforts. I don’t know that I can necessarily provide you excitement, but I certainly hope I can provide our schools and districts a spark in their own processes and discussions. Among the many things we do, this may very well be the one thing that ties our efforts to our success.

]]> 81663 Critchfield: Helping Schools Select Quality, Effective Curriculum is on the Agenda https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/critchfield-helping-schools-select-quality-effective-curriculum-is-on-the-agenda/ Thu, 13 Jul 2023 19:17:46 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81583 What our students learn and how it is presented is important to parents, communities and Idahoans. The materials used in classrooms – referred to as curriculum – are selected by locally elected school trustees in a process laid out in state law. These statutes require that the process is open to the community and that chosen materials align with state learning standards. As an example, standards require students to learn about the Civil War in 11th grade. A local board then selects the materials used to teach the lessons.

Those decisions can be challenging as there are many national publishers who have their own ways of explaining our history. Trustees are responsible for choosing a curriculum which represents community values while ensuring students master Idaho standards. As a former local board member and district employee, I’ve been part of this process. In a perfect world, the district has curricular experts, an engaged community and an experienced board.

As superintendent, some frequent requests I get from districts are for more help in choosing curriculum tied to Idaho standards, help in paying for expensive curriculum and help in navigating the politics of these decisions. Historically, the State Department of Education (SDE) has provided a list of curriculums and rated how well the materials align with Idaho standards. However, there’s been no consideration for proven effectiveness with Idaho students. That is about to change.

Going forward, districts will continue to select their curriculums, but the SDE will begin a process for identifying materials proven to be effective in Idaho schools. Instead of just providing districts a list of what’s available, we will instead provide more detailed information so districts know whether or not the material has been successful in Idaho. We will begin this process with reading curriculum, but will expand this process to other subjects in the future. This is a service we can provide our districts to help with these very important decisions.

Idaho education standards are reviewed and approved by the state legislature every five years. We are currently in the process of reviewing our social studies standards. This gives us an opportunity to do an analysis first and then prioritize curriculums that align with the standards. Recently, Governor Little and I provided an opportunity for districts to supplement their classroom curriculum at no cost to them. We used expiring federal COVID dollars to add more interactive content. Many teachers already supplement their core lessons with outside resources, and the new “Story of America” gives them one more. Details on how schools can access this will be available in the coming weeks.

The bottom line is that Idahoans care deeply about what our students learn in the classroom and want them to be prepared for life and the opportunities in a growing state. We want them to be strong citizens, who are self-reliant and independent critical thinkers. Providing our teachers with the right tools supports us in this important pursuit.

]]> 81583 Privatizing public education https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/privatizing-public-education/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:32:29 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81494

Idaho will spend $2.3 billion on K-12 public education in 2024. There are powerful out-of-state forces who want to get their hands on that money. Some are driven by profit, others by political ideology, religious beliefs, or a combination of interests. They all share one common goal: shift your public schools dollars to the private sector. Here are some of the dots to connect in the “privatizing public education” playbook:

  1. Make public schools look worse than other school choices. The legislature does this by continually underfunding public education. Schools can’t meet parental expectations, accommodate growth, or hire/retain experienced teachers when salaries are not competitive and buildings are falling apart. Idaho has a backlog of over $1 billion in K-12 school building maintenance and we’re still at or near the bottom in per-student investment, even after having a $2.1 billion surplus and a recent budget increase. This makes other school choices look more attractive by comparison.

  1. Undermine confidence in public schools. Propaganda campaigns incite fear and anger against local schools. Parents are bombarded with false claims about porn in libraries, groomers in classrooms, and student indoctrination. Non-stop postings on social media perpetuate these inflammatory accusations. Self-proclaimed “think tanks” funded by third-parties produce official looking reports that create a false perception of legitimacy to these manufactured fears.

  1. Hide the facts. Legislative leaders tried to kill the Office of Performance Evaluations (OPE) – which provides factual, in-depth, unbiased research and analysis to the legislature. The public wouldn’t know about the billion dollar backlog in school building maintenance if OPE didn’t exist. The OPE report that revealed this new information angered political leaders trying to tell a different story. Without facts, false narratives go unchallenged.

  2. Legislative intimidation. New laws are making classrooms a hostile workplace. This includes bills that threaten to sue educators, imprison librarians, fine school districts, muzzle teachers, and empower the Attorney General to aggressively prosecute the targets of these punitive laws. No wonder teachers are leaving Idaho.

  1. Promote “school choice” and “education freedom.” This is clever rhetoric, but it is meaningless since Idahoans already have a myriad of education choices – none of which are going away. It’s not about having choice, but rather having you pay for someone else’s choice. A recent in-depth investigation revealed a vast network of powerful forces funneling money into Idaho to promote and sell their alternative education choices to the public.

  2. Kill public education with vouchers (deceptively called Education Savings Accounts, or ESAs).  An attempt was made earlier this year to convert most of the $2.3 billion public education budget into checks sent to parents to spend however they want – without accountability. This would starve Idaho public schools into oblivion.

The 2023 bill tried to hit a home run and failed. However, the lobbyists behind privatizing public education will be back, fronted by their legislative allies. Expect to see legislation next year that allows public tax dollars to pay for private and religious school tuition in limited amounts and isolated situations.

This is fool’s gold – there is no room for compromise. If the legislature allows just a small amount of public tax dollars to be spent on tuition for any private school, your tax dollars must be made available to all types of private schools and religious schools. Once one bill passes, the flood gates open up to flow your public education dollars to the bottom line profits of private sector businesses.

Your public education tax dollars belong in your public schools, not in their pockets.

 

]]> 81494 Power to the people, via the legislative branch https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/power-to-the-people-via-the-legislative-branch/ Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:25:06 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81491 There’s a reason it comes first. Article One, Section One of the U.S. Constitution says, “all legislative powers shall be vested in a Congress of the United States.”

State Constitutions follow a similar path, vesting first powers in the people via their elected representatives – before anything or anyone else.

Policymaking is the exclusive prerogative of the legislative branch of our government. But over the past few decades, a virus of executive overreach and lawmaking from the bench seems to have sullied the notion of separation of powers.

The consistent and appropriate theme from recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions has been a return to a constitutional framework for making laws.

The recent court ruling on the Biden Administration’s attempt to forgive $430 billion in student loans serves as an example.

Congress never approved such a policy. In fact, former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi said, “People think that the President of the United States has the power for debt forgiveness. He does not. He can postpone. He can delay. But he does not have that power. That has to be an act of Congress.”

Initially, even President Biden acknowledged this fact when he said in a February 2021 town hall when asked if he can cancel student debt, “Because I don’t think I have the authority to do it by signing the pen.”

Despite this, the President moved forward unilaterally with the policy. The White House was using an interpretation of a 2003 law to justify the debt forgiveness. Much to the dismay of activists and some politicians, the Supreme Court said the Administration didn’t have authority to do that.

Specifically, justices have been relying on something called the “major questions doctrine.” Put simply, it asks whether Congress has clearly delegated authority to resolve major policy questions. If it hasn’t, then Congress must decide the issue.

Immediately after the student loan forgiveness case was announced, the President tweeted “student loan relief is good for working and middle-class Americans. It’s good for our economy. It’s good for our country.”

That may or may not be true, but the constitutional way to pass such a policy is via the people’s elected representatives.

The same can be said for other recent controversial cases. If you want affirmative action, pass a constitutional amendment. If you believe in capping greenhouse gases, convince enough of your fellow citizens and lawmakers to pass a law, and get the president to sign it.

If you can’t convince your fellow lawmakers, you have the authority to vote those lawmakers out of office.

Throughout the COVID pandemic and even since, state governors have sought to use more executive power. In Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee held on to emergency powers for nearly 1,000 days. Many other states moved to rein in their executives with new laws that required emergency orders over to receive legislative approval after a certain period of time.

When Donald Trump ran for president in 2016, he was rightly criticized for proclaiming about the nation’s problems that, “I alone can fix it.” Our constitution does not give any one person the authority to fix anything.

The judicial and executive branches are not responsible for implementing a preferred policy simply because going through the normal constitutional process is too cumbersome.

Let’s remember there’s a reason the people, via the legislative branch, comes first in our founding documents.

]]> 81491 The Freedom Foundation demonstrates its plan to destroy public education https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/the-freedom-foundation-demonstrates-its-plan-to-destroy-public-education/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:23:13 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81225 The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF) has already shown us how to drive a storied community college to the brink of ruin. IFF board chair Brent Regan and his wrecking crew have just about finished off North Idaho College (NIC). Now IFF is demonstrating its plan to discredit and dismantle Idaho’s public schools, starting with West Bonner County School District (WBCSD) centered in Priest River.

IFF helped to get far-right candidates Keith Rutledge and Susan Brown elected to the school board in November of 2021, making a three-trustee majority that has been creating havoc ever since. The majority refused to support a $4.7 million two-year levy that was intended to cover about a third of WBCSD’s annual operating budget. Thanks to a good deal of misinformation leading up to the May 15 vote, the levy failed by just over 100 votes, putting the district in an extreme financial bind. The blame for the failure falls upon the IFF-supported majority.

Now, the board majority has voted to install an unqualified IFF employee as superintendent of WBCSD. After a three-ring circus of missteps, the majority voted on June 28 to hire Branden Durst, a problematic person to say the least, as the person in charge of running the district. Judging from his track record, he certainly is capable of running the school district into the ground. That would be in keeping with the IFF’s avowed goal of getting the government out of the business of educating our children.

The tragedy is that the interim superintendent, Susan Luckey, a 2018 Distinguished National Principal who has spent nearly four decades in the district as a teacher and principal, was readily available for the position. Many long-time residents of Priest River were greatly distressed about the hiring debacle, pointing to the IFF’s track record of fighting against adequate funding for public schools. WBCSD patron Nicole Gunning-Butler expressed fears of IFF’s, “relentless attempts to dismantle rural school districts and advance their extreme political and religious agenda.” She and her husband, who graduated from Priest River High School and served in the U.S. Navy, have two children attending schools in the district.

School district patrons are concerned about the appearance of backroom dealing by the board majority in arriving at the hiring decision. The Idaho Education News has highlighted what appear to be violations of Idaho’s Open Meeting Law by the IFF-supported board, as well as the board’s refusal to respond to public record requests.

WBCSD patrons are not taking these shenanigans lying down, however. Rather, they are showing that concerned citizens around the state can fight back against those who would subvert our public school system. Local folks got busy organizing petition drives to recall Rutledge and Brown. They turned in their petitions at the end of June with more than enough signatures to recall both of the troublesome trustees. They gathered 337 signatures to recall Rutledge, although only 243 were necessary to schedule an election. Brown received 243 recall signatures, while only 180 were needed. If the two do not voluntarily step down, an election will be held on August 29.

Durst does not have the credentials to serve as superintendent and must receive provisional certification from the Idaho Board of Education in order to act in that role.

That is where the rest of us can lend a hand in order to protect WBCSD from further disaster. Idahoans concerned about persons hostile to public schools being given important education positions should make their concerns known to members of the Idaho Board of Education, as well as Governor Brad Little. If the board majority tries to keep Durst without the certification, a patron lawsuit could send him packing.

The IFF is trying to commandeer other rural school district boards across the state. The WBCSD experience shows that IFF can fail, but it depends upon concerned citizens rising up to protect their schools.

]]> 81225 Our schools are caught in the middle of culture war crosshairs https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/our-schools-are-caught-in-the-middle-of-culture-war-crosshairs/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:20:32 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81230 Even though students may be on summer break, the upcoming school year will prove to be a fateful one for the Idaho school landscape. In case you hadn’t noticed, our schools are caught in the middle of culture war crosshairs. With politics polarized, public discourse becoming toxic, families breaking down, and drug abuse and depression on the rise; many find it difficult to hold onto optimism. It is in this broken ground that extremist views have taken root in the legislature, on our school boards, and now apparently in the superintendency.  One victim in all of this has been our public schools, which have been cast as an easy scapegoat for society’s ills.

Two years ago I saw a young, left-leaning activist have his testimony to the Senate Education Committee cut off after insulting the committee’s educational background and intentions. A year later, he apologized for publicly denigrating Gov. Brad Little. During that same legislative session, a certain right-wing extremist was removed from chambers after losing his temper and directing vulgarities and threats towards legislators. These actions seemed to have been fueled by anger, anxiety, uncertainty and fear. I often speak with parents who are afraid that our society has lost any sense of shared morality. But if there is any lesson to be learned by what is happening at North Idaho College, perhaps it is a canary in the coalmine that extremist politics are not a viable pathway for leading a school system.

Harvard’s Glaeser & Sunstein have shown that if we surround ourselves exclusively with people who have the same views as us, we become more extreme. As seen in the documentary, The Social Dilemma, the problem with search engine algorithms, Facebook friends, and reading the news by narrowcasting rather than broadcasting means that we’re surrounded almost entirely by people whose views, whose opinions, whose prejudices, even, are just like ours. The market and the state add to this equation by focusing on what David Brooks has called “First Mountain” pursuits of profit, power, and self-interest. I have to wonder how much corporations and special interest groups, in these pursuits, influence our elected officials. By standing aside when this happens to schools, we turn our future over to educational profiteers. Good school systems, on the other hand, work in the realm of cooperation, collaboration, and transparency. Good teachers know that it is not a question of “my kids” vs. “your kids,” but that they are all “our kids.”

As we struggle to come back together in a post-pandemic world, our schools need more people who are flashlights and less of those who are hammers, as a former State Superintendent used to say. Educational leaders recognize that this is delicate choreography to lead at a speed that others can follow. I look at the work done last year by the superintendents in Moscow, Coeur d’Alene, Genesse, Caldwell, West Ada and Boise, Marsing, Bliss, Twin Falls, Gooding, American Falls, Bonneville, Blackfoot, Aberdeen, and in my own Pocatello-Chubbuck school district. I could name dozens more.  Here I saw master classes in Kouzes and Posner’s framework of inspiring a shared vision, enabling others to act, modeling the way, challenging the process, and encouraging the heart.  These educational leaders worked tirelessly and thanklessly to bring stakeholders together to support high academic standards and to build Idaho students into decent human beings. The wealth of educational experience on display helped to heal fractured relationships so that solid, win-win solutions could be found.

A positive school culture will grow when we move from the politics of “me” or “my circle” to the politics of “all of us together.” Here we will find a renewed sense of collective responsibility and a renewed unity. Our students need this for the sake of a free and good society and for a hopeful future. By doing this, we may even feel the power of what has been called one the most moving sentences in all of religious literature, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” We can face any future without fear as long as we know that we will not face it alone. So for the sake of the future “you”, together with our school communities, let us strengthen the future “us.”

]]> 81230 Interacting effectively across cultural lines requires perseverance and sensitivity https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/interacting-effectively-across-cultural-lines-requires-perseverance-and-sensitivity/ Thu, 06 Jul 2023 14:13:04 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81227 Mark, an American, is sitting next to Sheila on an airplane. She is a first-time traveler to the United States, from England. They strike up a conversation.

Mark: So, Sheila, are you feeling ready for your first trip to the states?

Sheila: I’m excited about starting, but I feel a tad paggered. Last night I got pretty pissed.

Mark: Aw. That’s a bummer. Who upset you?

Sheila: No one. My friends and I just talked about farty things. No dicky fits.

Luke: Uh, Oh. OK? (Mark’s friend, Luke sits in the third seat)

Mark: Luke, this is Sheila, from London.

Sheila: Hello. Nice to meet you. Mark and I were just having a bit of intercourse. Would you like to join us?

Luke: Really?!

Mark: No! No! No! We were just talking!

In Sheila’s England, the word paggered means tired. The slang term pissed refers to to getting drunk. When something is farty, that means it is insignificant. A dicky fit is an emotional outburst, and intercourse simply means to have a conversation. Simply put, Sheila was tired because she had been drunk the night before. But she didn’t find it to be a big deal. When Luke sat down, she simply invited him into the conversation.

I have been fortunate to spend the last several years teaching courses that highlight the necessity of equipping ourselves with knowledge and skills in intercultural communication so that we can live harmoniously and function effectively as citizens of this global community. The capacity to communicate with people from diverse cultures is a form of competence that is increasingly growing in importance. Working with the international community for economic survival means countries and cultures can no longer operate in a vacuum. Because of this, intercultural communication is no longer a choice but a must.

Idaho is changing. On the Boise school district website, you can click for translations in Cantonese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Tagalog, Vietnamese, Korean, Russian, and Hindi. Teachers in Idaho and Utah have told me they have encountered students with 12 – 25 different first-languages and national origins in a single classroom. Boise’s Taft Elementary hosts students from over 15 different countries speaking 13 different languages and provides Halal lunches for children of Muslim faith.

Interacting effectively across cultural lines requires perseverance and sensitivity to one another’s differences. This encompasses language skills, customs, ways of thinking, social norms, and habits. The term global village was coined by Canadian media culture analyst Marshall McLuhan almost six decades ago. It describes a world in which communication technology brings news and information to the most remote parts of the world. This is no longer an abstract idea, but the very place we now live in. We can exchange ideas as easily and quickly with people across the world as our ancestors did within the confines of their village. We encounter people from different cultures in business, at school, in public places, in neighborhoods and in virtual space.

Our world is a much smaller place than ever. This is evident in the everyday items we use. For example, we may wear clothes made in Mexico, purchase seafood from Norway, dine out with friends in a Korean restaurant, work at a computer made in Japan, or drive a car manufactured in Germany. The list goes on. Each encounter with food, clothing, languages, products, services, or practices teaches us something new. It broadens our horizons and helps us to appreciate the diversity of the world around us. More than ever before, we realize that our lives are intertwined with people, places, practices, and events outside our own “village” culture.

A number of factors contribute to these dynamics, such as immigration, cross-border business, international education and digital technology-enabled virtual communication. Given that intercultural encounters bring opportunities for understanding between people as well as possibilities of misunderstanding, I spend a lot of time talking with my students about challenges that cultural diversity brings. Misunderstandings resulting from a lack of familiarity with another culture are often embarrassing. Blunders in this area can make it difficult, if not impossible, to reach an agreement with another country or close a business contract with a foreign partner. For travelers, a faux pas can also make interactions more awkward.

There are many ways in which people all around the world are similar, yet it is our differences that truly define us. To put it simply, communication is the exchange of ideas and information between individuals by any means, verbal or otherwise. Sharing knowledge with others requires familiarity with social norms, body language, and etiquette. I encourage people to get involved in organizations where intercultural communication is valued and practiced. One of my favorites is the Idaho Office of Refugees. See: https://www.idahorefugees.org/get-involved.html

Having the ability to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries is critical for the success of any intercultural or multinational endeavor. It helps improve relationships by facilitating two-way conversations, which in turn foster mutual understanding between people of diverse backgrounds. We need to continually pave the way for everyone to appreciate the necessity of developing intercultural knowledge and skills so they can confidently and competently address the many challenges of living in the global community.

]]> 81227 50 years as a Lumberjack and my decision to retire from public education https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/50-years-as-a-lumberjack-and-my-decision-to-retire-from-public-education/ Wed, 05 Jul 2023 19:28:08 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=81232 In 1973 I walked into Mrs. Armacost’s first grade classroom at Council Elementary School and yesterday, almost 50 years later, in the year 2023,  I walked out of my superintendent’s office at Council High School and into my retirement from public education. My education took me from graduation at Council High School (as a state football champion!) to Idaho State University (GO BENGALS!) and then advanced degrees from both Boise State and University of Idaho. My teaching/coaching career started as a New Plymouth Pilgrim in 1994 teaching government/history and coaching football, basketball and track. I added three terms in the Idaho Legislature and two years as Gov. Butch Otter’s education/transportation advisor to my resume starting in 2002. Leaving politics, I proudly returned to the classroom as a Murtaugh Red Devil, before coming back to New Plymouth to teach and then the move into administration with an amazing staff to work with as principal. I was then given the opportunity to return to Council to finish out the last five years of my career, back to being a Lumberjack, taking the dual role of superintendent/high school principal at Council.

Arriving back in Council, I soon realized the devastating effect the Great Recession had on both my hometown of Council and Council School District. Student numbers were cut in half from my graduation in 1984, around 400 down to a little over 200 students K-12. The budget was in shambles with a grand total of $16 left in our accounts after the snowmaggedon winter. Both the elementary and high school were labeled bottom five schools, a reflection of some of the lowest test scores in the state. Grades were inflated, curriculum was outdated and technology was 20 years old and more of a burden than help. Grounds were overgrown with weeds and facilities had fallen into disrepair with trash piled high in both buildings.

With the support of the board, staff and community, we set a very high goal to bring our Lumberjacks back to the top in just five years and I’m very proud to say we accomplished that lofty goal. We rose up from the bottom 5 to now being considered one of the Best Small Schools in the State of Idaho today! Our test scores in both the ES and HS are near the very top of the state, we have new curriculum and new technology in every classroom. We have one-to-one Chromebooks for every student K-12. We have added several electives in the HS, including JH Art/Drama, HS Art, Design & Tech, Yearbook, English Comp, SAT Prep, Sr. Project and Business Computer Apps. With a firm commitment to investing in our foundation, we were one of the first schools in the state to offer an on-sight pre-K program at our school to prepare our 4 year olds for kindergarten. We even went a step further and started a preschool program to get our 3 year olds a good start and offer any special services needed. All free to our parents.

We also worked hard to bring back Lumberjack pride and rebuild our athletic programs. We added strength training in our class schedule which has helped our athletes tremendously and kept them healthy. We added some great coaches to our staff. Our efforts paid off. We have gone from zero state appearances six years ago, to every sport going to state this year, winning multiple state top 4 finish trophies in basketball, first ever state trophies in volleyball and first ever state championship in girl’s basketball!  Lumberjack pride is definitely back!

We have also added several security features to protect our students and staff with 32 cameras in both buildings, new doors with secure FOB entrance systems, secure vestibules and a new intercom at the elementary. We were able to accomplish all of this with an amazing team of teachers and support staff.  And that $16 has grown to over $750,000 now in our forest funds/maintenance/facilities accounts!  Our grounds are beautiful and our facilities now include new football bleachers, a new bus barn on campus, new parking lots and a Lumberjack gymnasium to be proud of with new floor and bleachers.

All of the hard work to bring our Lumberjacks back to the top of the state in both academics and athletics has not come easy. As the Superintendent/HS Principal I had to make some tough decisions that were not popular and not easy. If you want a great school and great education for our kids, you have to make decisions based on the question, “What is best for our kids!”So I have had to let go teachers and support staff who were not best for kids. I have had to discipline students, suspend students and athletes who were not following the rules and were not doing things the Lumberjack way. Those people in the community who wanted what was best for our kids and our school have supported my decisions and continued to support me as their leader. I will always be eternally grateful for that support.

But there are members of our community who have not supported these efforts and have repeatedly attacked our school, our teachers and me personally. When they didn’t like me defending our school and teachers, they went around me and started complaining directly to the board. They have made up lies and perpetuated rumors that were damaging to my career and hurtful to my family. These people are the worst segments of society, social media parasites who feed on the negativity and take joy out of spreading lies and filth.

When I was directed by the board to deal with a difficult personnel matter, I did what I was told and then turned the matter over to the board and the district attorney. I have not been involved since, yet have taken all the blame. When the board did not come out and publicly support me in February, or any time since,  I knew it was time for me to consider resigning/retirement. The decision to resign was 100% mine. I was not forced to resigned, asked to resign or threatened with legal action to resign.

When I got here 5 years ago, I told the board that I would stay and turn this school district around as long as I had their full support and nothing less. For 4 ½ years that is exactly what I got and why we turned this school district around. Sadly, over the last four months that is no longer the case and it is time for me to move on.

I did what I came to do. I’m proud of what we have accomplished. My Lumberjacks are back on top where they belong. And as I look over the last 30 years, I have some great memories. To all of you students, athletes, teachers, parents, friends and family  from New Plymouth to Murtaugh to Council, my political friends and my Bengal brothers who have supported me over the last 30 years…………..THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING………………….and if you know me, you know my retirement will be spent in the mountains of Idaho,  chasing deer and elk and catching a fish or two…………..you are welcome to join me……………… if you can find me!

]]> 81232 School superintendent qualifications https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/school-superintendent-qualifications/ Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:42:57 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=80956 Recently, there has been acrimonious debate regarding the hiring of Branden Durst as superintendent of West Bonner School District. I do not personally know Mr. Durst, but I am very familiar with the essential qualifications necessary to serving as an effective K-12 school Superintendent.

I recognize that finding the right superintendent is the most important function of a school board. Good superintendents with experience are very hard to find as the job is one of the most difficult education positions imaginable.

First and foremost, the superintendent must possess multiyear classroom teaching experience. There is simply no substitute for having firsthand knowledge of the curriculum, effective lesson design, classroom time management, appropriately addressing student misbehavior, and child pedagogical development.

Without classroom experience, how could a superintendent be taken seriously by other educators without the requisite professional background knowledge?

A superintendent must know how to work closely with a local governing school board who often have widely differing views regarding how best to educate children. Boards are regularly split in their educational and political viewpoints. How a Superintendent manages these significant board differences will often determine the success of their district, not to mention the longevity of their career in that community.

A superintendent must be extremely knowledgeable regarding educational law (personnel, collective bargaining, budgeting, transportation, food services, student discipline to name a few) including the very demanding and detailed federal laws pertaining to special needs populations.

Also, a superintendent must be very familiar with state board policies, state department regulations, and their own local school board policies. This vast legal knowledge does not just magically occur, it requires a prodigious amount of time and effort with continuous diligent updating.

Mastering and managing the intricacies of the school budget with a maze of federal and state regulations thrown in the mix by itself is a gargantuan task. A poorly managed budget is devastating to district employees and to the community as the school district is often the county’s largest employer.

Due to aging statewide K-12 school facilities a superintendent will most likely be faced with the difficult decision to go to the local taxpayers for a bond or levy. Being familiar with student growth patterns, architectural designs, facility – construction cost projections, bond payments, bond or levy laws and legal documentation is a time consuming and daunting task.

A superintendent must be able to smoothly address competing parental and educator concerns. Making exceptions or favoring one over another due to personal political views is a recipe for disaster.

Frequently, a superintendent must restrain their personal political views in order to not offend their patrons and subsequently polarize a community. Unlike the campaign trail, as superintendent, you can’t make empty promises, you must stay focused on the primary concern of students, their physical, mental, emotional wellbeing and successful learning and not politics.

As superintendent you must love and accept every child, regardless of race, immigration status, religion, ethnicity, English language ability, socio-economic status, handicapping condition, gender, or sexual orientation. Every child in the district is your first and foremost concern always.

In regards to the superintendent contract, it needs to be a standard one. As I was commencing my work as superintendent, I was given sage advice by a seasoned superintendent veteran when he said to me, “Geoff, you never want to drive a Cadillac in a pickup truck community. Never let your contract be a lightning rod. Stay in the salary mainstream.”

That was incredibly good advice which remained with me throughout my career.

As superintendent you wear many hats: Chief Educator, Chief Academic and Executive Officer, Budget Supervisor / Facilitator, Community Leader, District Spokesperson, Bond Spokesperson, Board Spokesperson, Chief Student Advocate, and all too often Community Spear Catcher.

All this and more are what someone signs up for when they seek the Superintendent position. I wish the West Bonner School District well in their decision making.

]]> 80956 Absenteeism is not solely the teacher’s problem https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/absenteeism-is-not-solely-the-teachers-problem/ Tue, 20 Jun 2023 22:51:41 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=80509 I taught school in another era, before the turn of the century, 1967-76; in a time when a public school education meant something different than it does today. Yes, there were kids who missed school, who missed a lot of school, but their numbers were small in comparison to today’s significant absenteeism. One of the sad outcomes from the covid epidemic is the school absentee epidemic. And because of the trend to not attend school the epidemic continues in a different form.

The loud and clear message from the governor and some legislators (state education money will be based on attendance not registration) is that this absentee epidemic is “your local school district problem, the class room teacher problem, the school board and administrators problem, and the student’s problem” not the state’s problem. Yet the state is responsible for a free and equitable education for Idaho students. The state has resources that most school districts do not have to encourage
parents and their children to get back into school. Even better the state of Idaho, State Department of Education and school districts could come together to collaborate on the concerns around low school attendance to help get students back into school. ” What can we do together to increase student attendance?”

This problem of low attendance has an impact on teacher moral and brings up the question of whether or not to continue teaching. Imagine preparing lessons to engage students with classrooms partly empty and with students apathetic to learning. This is not solely “the teacher’s problem.” Its an immediate problem with long range consequences to the futures of these students, their families of the future and the economics of our state. These should certainly be of concern to state leadership and the Department of Education.

]]> 80509 New research proves public charter schools improve student outcomes https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/new-research-proves-public-charter-schools-improve-student-outcomes/ Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:20:09 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=80263 Public charter schools are making a positive difference. That’s the main conclusion from Stanford’s Center for Research on Educational Outcomes (CREDO) analysis.

The CREDO study has been produced three times – once in 2009, again in 2013 and the latest version in 2023. More than 3.7 million students across 43 states attend charter schools, including in Idaho and Washington. Montana has just recently legalized public charter schools.

Charter schools are public schools that operate under governing board that are separate and distinct from local school districts. Doing so allows for flexibility, even as the charter schools must submit to accountability reviews to remain open.

Some of Idaho’s charter schools are considered the best in the state. Still, opponents have used previous versions of the CREDO analysis as well as other studies to call into question the effectiveness of charter school education. That ends now.

The latest CREDO study shows increases in outcomes for just about every student category in nearly all states. The typical charter school student had math and reading gains that outpaced peers in traditional public schools. In math, charter schools advanced learning by an additional six days. In reading, charter school students advanced 16 days of learning each year.

While these numbers are national averages, certain state by state data shows even stronger gains. Idaho’s charter school students gained an additional 17 days of learning in reading. Washington’s advancement approached 30 days. In Math, Washington students advanced almost 40 days while Idaho students advanced eight.

 

 

Researchers at Stanford say the work specifically focuses on a specific outcome – whether the students are making progress over the academic year.

Do all students benefit? The CREDO research shows:

  • Black and Hispanic students in charter schools advance more than their TPS peers by large margins in math and reading.
  • Multiracial, Native American and White students in charter schools show equivalent progress to their TPS peers in reading but have weaker growth than their TPS peers in math.
  • Asian students in charter schools showed similar growth to their TPS peers.
  • Charter school students in poverty had stronger growth.
  • English-language learner students attending charter schools had stronger growth.
  • Students receiving special education services had significantly weaker growth in both math and reading.

Because the CREDO research has been consistently reviewing the performance of charter schools for more than 15 years, it can certainly be labeled one of the most if not the most credible of major charter school students.

“Findings from the 2023 report take on even more weight when considered in the historical context of the 15 years we have studied the impact of charter schools. Between the 2009 and 2023 studies, against a backdrop of flat performance for the nation, the trend of learning gains for students enrolled in charter schools is both large and positive. Over the 15 years covered by the studies, the reading growth of students in charter schools rose by 23 days of learning each year. In the same period, student learning in math increased by 37 days of learning each year.”

]]> 80263 My checklist for analyzing policy https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/my-checklist-for-analyzing-policy/ Tue, 13 Jun 2023 14:54:01 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=80206 Recently, too much of what passes as a public policy debate in our country could instead be confused for an episode of Survivor. While politics, name-calling, and resorting to partisan labels may make for good TV, it rarely results in good policy.

While the Mountain States Policy Center doesn’t shy away from our belief in individualism and the power of hard work and innovation and that free markets have allowed us to thrive, we know the importance that fact-based research and thoughtful debate have on the development of good policy.

To help tone down some of the rhetoric and refocus the conversation in a constructive way, here is a checklist that can be used to analyze policy:

  1. Read source details. To fully understand what a bill, study, or court ruling says it is best to go directly to the source and read the full details. Nuance and important factors can too easily be missed if relying on summaries and talking points.
  2. Analyze citations. Footnotes and source links are more than a requirement from our past term papers. Looking up the details relied on in a report can provide additional context and reveal if the base document accurately reflects the information cited.
  3. Consider counterpoints. The goal of a policy proposal is to improve things. By considering opposing viewpoints and critiques, you can present the best recommendation to accomplish your goals.
  4. Switch actors to see if your opinion changes. Focusing on the partisan label of a bill sponsor or the background of an author can often prejudice our opinion before we even consider the details. Pretend that the proposal comes from a different camp to see if that changes your opinion.
  5. Formulate a position and make a recommendation. After reading the details, verifying the sources, considering alternative viewpoints, and checking to make sure partisan labels weren’t dictating your opinion you are now in an excellent position to make a policy recommendation.

As we discussed in our most recent Peak Policy video update, we need to leave the tribal yelling for the sporting events and instead focus our public policy debates in a constructive and thoughtful way. This checklist for analyzing public policy is one way to do that.

]]> 80206 Labrador performs political hatchet job on Open Primaries initiative https://www.idahoednews.org/voices/labrador-performs-political-hatchet-job-on-open-primaries-initiative/ Wed, 07 Jun 2023 16:40:11 +0000 https://www.idahoednews.org/?p=79831 Anyone who expected Attorney General Raul Labrador’s review of Reclaim Idaho’s “Open Primaries” initiative to be a political hatchet job, would not have been disappointed. The AG’s review, released on May 31, made any number of legally faulty claims about the initiative. Labrador set the stage with a May 2 tweet about the initiative, saying, “Let’s defeat these bad ideas coming from liberal outside groups.” His chief political operative, Theo Wold, has been doing his best to paint the initiative as an evil liberal plot, designed to subvert the Republican Party.

They ignore the fact that many traditional Idaho Republicans, like former House Speaker Bruce Newcomb, strongly support the initiative. Newcomb calls it “a simple, common-sense reform that will give us better elections and better leadership.” Hyrum Erickson, an elected Republican precinct committeeman for Madison County, backs the initiative because “our current primary system incentivizes candidates to demonize people who disagree with them rather than focus on solving problems.”

In fact, a broad coalition of home-grown Idaho Republicans, Independents and Democrats believe the plan will allow all Idahoans to participate in selecting our political leaders. They want to break the monopoly that the Dorothy Moon extremist branch of the GOP has had over Idaho elections since the Republican primary was closed in 2012, keeping a majority of Idahoans from having a say in choosing elected leaders.

The Attorney General has a legal duty to review initiatives before they are circulated for signature. Idaho law requires the Attorney General to “recommend to the petitioner such revision or alteration of the measure as may be deemed necessary and appropriate.”

Labrador violated this statutory duty by stating his political views about the initiative, rather than performing an impartial legal analysis. But, this is in keeping with his promise to run a political office, rather than a law office providing sound legal advice.

Labrador’s review asserts the initiative is constitutionally infirm, based upon a 2017 advisory opinion of the Maine Supreme Court. However, the initiative is fashioned after the “Alaska Better Elections Initiative” that was found to be constitutional by the Alaska Supreme Court in 2022.

Labrador takes the absurd position that the right of political parties to control who can vote in primary elections takes priority over the right of voters to vote for the candidates of their choice in those elections. The Idaho Constitution does not grant political parties the right to control who votes in our elections, but our Supreme Court has held the right of citizens to elect their leaders is an inviolable constitutional right.

The AG’s review is a collection of contrived arguments designed to sabotage the initiative. Labrador fears the initiative because it would allow all Idaho voters to have a voice in our elections, rather than the small clique that has driven Idaho politics toward the outer bounds of extremism in recent years.

The “Open Primaries” initiative would establish a primary election where all candidates run on a single ticket, allowing every voter to select from the entire field. The four top vote-getters will be placed on the general election ballot, where all voters can vote for the candidates in their order of preference.

A candidate who receives an outright majority of the vote in the initial vote count wins the office. If there is no majority winner, the candidate receiving the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated and the votes of those who made that candidate their first choice then go to their second-choice candidate in a second count. If a candidate gets a majority in the second count, they win. If not, the process repeats until a candidate gets a majority. The beauty of this system is that every voter has a better chance of influencing the election–if their first choice does not win, their second choice might. The system is often called ranked choice voting.

Alaska’s new election system received plaudits from voters in the 2022 election. Voters surveyed said it was easy to use. It gave them more choices in the election and more influence in selecting their leaders. It has reportedly had the effect of making elected leaders more pragmatic and more responsive to the will of the majority. Idaho desperately needs this type of election reform.

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