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.

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.

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

Attorney General Raul Labrador will square off with Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke in an epic Republican primary battle for governor. Or, maybe Gov. Brad Little will run for a third term just to keep Labrador out of there – although I’ll believe that when I see it.

Here’s another option that not a lot of people are talking about. How about putting State Superintendent Debbie Critchfield in the mix? She’s not dropping hints about running, subtle or otherwise. She’s far more interested in the job that she has. But she has qualities that could serve her well in the political world, regardless of where she goes.

For one thing, she’s a politician – and that’s a good thing. Critchfield’s predecessor, Sherri Ybarra, spent eight years saying she was not a politician, and legislators rarely saw her. Critchfield, by contrast, was a fixture in education committee meetings, or anything related to public schools.

“I want to be at the Capitol,” she said. “Everything that happens during those three months … that’s how the schools are going to operate. That’s where they pass the laws and do the budgeting. I can’t imagine being here (at her office) while things are taking place there (at the Capitol).”

Another mark of a good politician – which serves her well as the state superintendent – is the ability to work with those who disagree with her. Sen. Tammy Nichols of Middleton, a leader of the Legislature’s conservative Freedom Caucus, told me she’s more at ease communicating with Critchfield than the governor. That’s probably because Critchfield took the time to attend the senator’s town hall meeting to discuss Nichols’ proposal for Education Savings Accounts, which failed in the Senate.

“I wanted to hear first-hand what it was all about,” Critchfield said.

As it turned out, there’s some common ground with what Critchfield and the senator want in the large scope. Critchfield says Nichol’s plan was not much different from the superintendent’s push for an Empowering Parents grant that is aimed at helping families take charge of learning tools outside the classroom.

As with Nichols and other conservatives, Critchfield is all for school choice. “Idaho has every possible offering of school choice that you can think of, including educating kids at home – and there are no regulations. To me, that’s the ultimate in school choice. The messaging is that Idaho does not have school choice … yes we do.”

Critchfield knows there will be disagreements here and there. She welcomes one-on-one visits with legislators to discuss those differences – another mark of a good politician.

The legislative session, as rocky as it was on high-profile social issues, turned out to be good for Critchfield, the governor and education in general. Lawmakers provided solid funding for schools and teacher salaries, the governor got through his Idaho Launch program for post-secondary education that was panned by conservatives, and Critchfield got the thumbs up for financial literacy education.

It wasn’t all easy, of course. For instance, getting through a Career Technical Education bill turned out to be tougher than she thought. Her proposal received a warm greeting initially, even from staunch conservatives, but some legislators bailed out when the Idaho Freedom Foundation gave it a negative rating. There will be other battles with the IFF down the road, with plenty of debate about what’s being taught in schools and the government’s role in education.

“There is that faction that will object no matter what we do,” Critchfield says. “We hear about curriculum choices, returning to the fundamental basics and people asking why the government is involved in education. But if we believe in not only our constitution, but if we fundamentally agree on having an educated citizenry, there are certain expectations that we collectively are invested in and I believe public education is one of them. I’m hoping that with a changed leadership and a change in culture at the department that we can provide an overall improved tone about the value of education. We’ve got to restore that value.”

Critchfield wasn’t going to solve all disputes during three months of a legislative session, or a few weeks of visiting educators throughout Idaho. But she’s off to a decent start as the state’s superintendent, which is more than can be said for at least a few of her predecessors over the years.

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

Not Debbie Critchfield, the resounding winner of the race for state superintendent of public instruction. The day after the election, she was on an airplane to the State School Board Association Conference in Coeur d’Alene to meet with school board members throughout the state, superintendents and business managers.

It wasn’t the most lavish victory celebration after getting almost 70% of the vote in her victory over Democrat Terry Gilbert. But Critchfield says she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“This is where I need to be – with the people who are doing the work for their local communities,” Critchfield told me.

And it gave her an opportunity to send a message that the bureaucratic divisions between the Department of Education and the State Board of Education are coming to an end. Not surprisingly, she received a warm reception to her victory from a lot of familiar faces. Critchfield, who lives in Oakley, is a former board member with the Cassia school district and a former president of the State Board of Education. During her campaign, Critchfield got an earful of complaints and concerns from school officials.

“What I heard before the election and after, among other things, was there has been a divide between the Department of Education and State Board,” Critchfield said. “For districts, it has been challenging and frustrating to have two different messages, and often, two different interpretations on questions about laws and policy.”

Critchfield touts her strong working relationship with State Board President Kurt Liebich, so that’s at least one thing she won’t need to figure out in the transition to her new job.

Her visit to Coeur d’Alene, she says, is an example of what’s to come as state superintendent. She will be on the road a lot, talking and listening to educators throughout the state. But the road show will have to wait a bit. Her immediate priority is preparing for the legislative session, fine-tuning the budget and meeting with a slate of new legislative leaders and committee chairs.

“That’s what my December will look like,” Critchfield says.  During the session, legislators – who complained about lack of access with outgoing Superintendent Sherri Ybarra during her eight years in office — will be seeing plenty of Critchfield in the committee rooms.

“During the legislative session, the superintendent needs to be the advocate for K-12, and that will be my primary focus,” she said. “I’m not outsourcing that to someone who works at the department, or hiring a special legislative liaison. That’s the job I was hired for.”

And this is a job that she has been preparing to land for more than 20 years, with her involvement in education. Living in Oakley, she also understands that some sharp educators can be found in the rural schools.

Ah, but give her at least a little time to reflect on those impressive election results. Getting almost 70 percent of the vote in a spirited campaign race is quite an accomplishment, even for a Republican in Idaho. Ybarra, by comparison, won her two races by thin margins.

“I think the work I put into it was reflected in the results,” Critchfield says.

There are personal adjustments that lie ahead – including her and her husband, Dave, getting a second home in Boise. “We’re excited about the venture,” she says.

As for the job itself, it appears she will be ready to go on Day One.

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com. Follow Idaho Capital Sun on Facebook and Twitter.

Forget about any compelling discussions about “vision” and “leadership” for public schools, legislators say, because a superintendent has none of those responsibilities. The function of a superintendent includes serving as a secretary to the State Board of Education, carrying out board policies and having a seat on the Land Board.

It’s mundane stuff, for sure. But Sen. Carl Crabtree of Grangeville and Wendy Horman of Idaho Falls, both members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, say that’s what the Idaho Constitution prescribes. Nothing is stated about a state superintendent being a leader for public schools, let alone managing a state agency with a $40 million budget.

So, as they see it, the unquestioned leader for public schools is State Board President Debbie Critchfield – who sits on a board appointed by the governor – and not Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, an elected constitutional officer.

The pecking order was defined, or reaffirmed, this summer by the high court’s dismissal of a lawsuit filed by Ybarra, contesting the Legislature’s decision during this year’s session to yank 18 full-time IT and data management jobs from Ybarra’s department and transferred those positions to the State Board. Lawmakers also shifted $2.7 million from the education department to the State Board.

Ybarra, feeling “blindsided” by the action, contended that the Legislature usurped her constitutional authority. She filed a lawsuit, hired former Attorney General David Leroy to represent her, and off to the Supreme Court they went. The Legislature, which overall has a dismal track record in the courts, ended up winning this one.

But Leroy says legislators are off base with their interpretation of the Supreme Court ruling. He says the implied constitutional powers, which cannot be taken away by legislative action, remains in place.

“They (the justices) just said that managing this technology group was not one of those strong implied powers. We have a superintendent empowered by the constitution to lead and deal with the public schools, period. Where that interfaces with the State Board of Education, I guess, is to be determined on a case-by-case basis,” Leroy said. “The decision was not a blow to the constitutional base of the office, but it continues the confusion of what the line of demarcation is as far as the public schools are concerned between the superintendent, State Board and the governor’s office.”

And the confusion is running rampant. If Critchfield is in charge of the public schools, then Ybarra is little more than a glorified secretary who takes marching orders from the State Board and runs for election every four years. It may take a few more lawsuits to clear everything up, but for now legislators think they are on solid ground with their views – which do not align with Leroy’s.

“Clearly, we have a Supreme Court decision that repeats what the Constitution already says – that the State Board is charged with the general oversight of public education,” says Horman.

Crabtree, while agreeing with Horman, says Idaho’s “business model” for public schools is flawed.

“I don’t blame Sherri for the business structure in Idaho,” says Crabtree. “The problem is that we have an odd business structure – a completely separate politically elected person sitting on an appointed board. It doesn’t make common sense to me, and I don’t think it benefits the kids. If it does, then why aren’t other states stealing our ideas. I think that only one state has this kind of structure. If stealing ideas is a form of flattery, then nobody is doing that.”

Crabtree makes a good point. Changing the business structure won’t be easy, since it involves amending the Constitution, but it’s worth discussing.

When the question is asked about who is in charge of the public schools, it is neither the state superintendent, nor the State Board president. The lead player is the governor, who runs on education platforms and ultimately is judged according to the quality of the public schools.

Since the governor appoints members of the State Board, it only would make sense for him to appoint the state superintendent as well.

So, Ybarra backs Gov. Brad Little in his call to make literacy one of his top priorities. He said in his State of the State address, and other venues, that he wants every child to be reading at least to grade level by the end of the third grade.

During Ybarra’s teaching days, she said, “My colleagues and I would get very nervous at the end of the year if we had even that one student that was not up to grade level by the end of the third grade. We would be having conversations for teachers in the following year to keep an eye on them, because we understood the impact it would have.”

The urgency of the governor’s initiative is glaring. While reading scores in the first three grades have shown modest improvement in the past year, Idaho kids are a long way from where they should be. According to the Idaho Reading Initiative scores, 64 percent of third graders perform at least to grade level. That’s 36 percent who do not. In lower grades, less than half of first graders and only 42 percent of kindergartners are reading at grade level. Apparently, not enough pre-school kids are learning early reading at home.

The research on childhood literacy is clear. Academics are a nightmare for third-grade students who don’t read at grade level. Drop-out rates are high, and some end up in prison.

None of this is new, of course. Little is merely putting a sharper focus on the issue, backed with financial muscle for school districts. The Legislature appropriated $26 million last year to work on improving literacy, and it is part of the education budget this year.

Little also has a strong coalition on his side. He addressed the Idaho State Superintendents Association in August, encouraging educators to be part of his team.

“That spoke to the hearts of every superintendent in the room,” said Dr. Mary Ann Ranells, superintendent of West Ada schools and president of the association. During a breakout session, one superintendent said, ‘the governor has invited us to be on his team, and I think we should.’ Other superintendents offered their enthusiastic support – including Mary Ann’s husband, Bob (the school superintendent at Wallace).

“I’m very much excited,” he said. “All the superintendents in my area are talking about literacy and what they are doing to improve. Most of the districts have hired reading specialists and are making substantial gains. We’re seeing positive growth here.”

Mary Ann Ranells, who leads the largest district in the state, knows it will take more than wishful thinking to meet the ultimate goal – starting with specific learning targets and credible measures for fluency and comprehension. She describes the $26 million from the state as a “gift” that will help students receive the individual attention they need.

“We need to go back to those learning targets,” she said. “So, you know your letters? Show me. So, you know the sounds those letters make? Show me. We need to be that specific with every kid, regardless of personal circumstances. Kids are going to have to hit this out of the park. This is not something you can get a ‘C’ on, or a ‘D.’”

Ranells says she’s seeing progress at West Ada, where a record 80 percent of third graders are reading at grade level, but she’s hardly celebrating. “That means 20 percent are not. I’m not interested in talking about excuses.”

Educators – from Ybarra, to Ranells and down the line – have a long list of things they want to accomplish in their line of work. But all is for naught if kids are not reading proficiently by the third grade.

Little is on the right track by making literacy a centerpiece of his agenda, and kudos to the superintendents for backing him. The effort is long overdue.

In his first year in office, Little has cut the tar out of state regulations – gutting and simplifying 75 percent of the rules – and he has sent out the memo that he expects agencies (aside from public schools) to trim budgets by at least a couple of percentage points. And with Little’s blessing, Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is leading a task force to find ways to make Idaho’s government even more efficient.

A leaner government puts a smile on the faces of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and its growing fan club in the Legislature, which views Little’s effort as a good start to holding down government’s growth. So, heading into a new session, everything for the most part appears to be hunky-dory within the GOP legislative caucuses. Legislators may get around to providing property tax relief, or eliminating the sales tax on groceries – a possibility that Little leaves open. Those would be nice things to have in the Republican trophy case in an election year.

On the Democratic side, there are questions about whether Little is going too far with his “efficiency” platform. They’re not talking about breaking the bank with spending, or taxing Idahoans to the poor house. But they want to take a closer look at the budgets and review of the regulations that Little chopped off.

Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett of Ketchum would like to hear more about where Idaho is being inefficient, because she’s not seeing wasteful practices in state government, and especially the communities she represents. She’d like this session to be a “reality check” on meeting basic needs.

“Being the fastest-growing state in the nation, we’ve done nothing to anticipate infrastructure needs … and not a huge increase in median wages,” she said. “So, our communities and people are not thriving as much as people would like to talk about.”

Rep. Ilana Rubel of Boise, the newly installed House minority leader, urges caution on the grocery sales tax. “We are in a revenue bind right now. We are way below where we thought we would be. There were some tax cuts in the past that we couldn’t afford that have led to an under-revenue situation. We’re seeing dropping literacy levels, and we are not going to be able to address these problems if we take on further revenue cuts.”

Generally, the Dems favor exploring property tax relief, oppose most other tax cuts and like the idea of local-option taxing authority – which will happen when people in Lewiston (Idaho’s Banana Belt) start building snowmen in July. But Democrats have a point. Idaho has needs, and revenue must come from somewhere.

Idaho’s four-year colleges, which already are financially starved, have agreed to a tuition freeze – which could make bad budget situations even worse. Little said the schools should look closer at being more efficient – getting rid of programs that have small enrollment and directing the resources to other areas. He wants to make sure that money goes to “students and outcomes.” We’ll see how all that turns out.

Public schools, the biggest ticket item in the state budget, should get an increase of more than $100 million this year. But there still will be a long line of school districts that will go to voters with supplemental levies – meaning that the state is not “fully” funding public schools. Mind you, no one really knows how much it will take for public schools to be “fully” funded, or how high taxes will need to go to get us there. All we know is that Idaho, languishing near the bottom of most state funding categories, is at least a few ticks shy of full funding.

Most of the budget discussions will occur in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The higher-profile political food fights will be over older issues such as Medicaid expansion and voter initiatives, with plenty of debate over legalizing hemp, redistricting and property taxes.

This is not going to be your typical election-year “caretaker” session, and maybe not an easy one for the governor.

The Idaho Education Association, which fights for more education dollars, happens to agree with that point. Kari Overall, a former Boise teacher and president of the IEA, says it doesn’t matter if Idaho is at the bottom of most funding categories nationwide, or somewhere in the middle.

“The rankings are not as important as what’s inside the schools,” she says. “Every student should have access to a well-rounded public education … access to the arts, music, access to physical education, and access to advanced opportunity courses. They should have access to a school nurse, a psychologist and a social worker. They should be able to go to school five days a week and have access to technology.”

Overall says if Idaho could check off those boxes, then it doesn’t matter how Idaho stacks up with other states.

“But we can’t answer the question of whether we are providing the schools that our students deserve,” she says. “Until we can answer that question, and answer it well, then we need to continue to invest in our public schools.”

That’s not the heartwarming message that Idaho legislators want to hear as they prepare for the next session. As legislators will say from the Republican side, the budget for public schools represents nearly 50 percent of the total state budget, and Idaho can’t afford much more without creating a tax system that resembles Denmark.

In September, State Superintendent Sherri Ybarra revealed her budget proposal that calls for just more than a $100 million increase in education spending – a 5 percent increase. Gov. Brad Little will reveal his budget later, and that’s probably the one that will carry the day in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. But the superintendent’s budget typically is not far off from the governor’s figures.

“This budget request continues our emphasis on improving teacher compensation, enhancing student safety and well-being, and creating innovative, individualized ways to help students meet their potential and find success in academics and beyond,” Ybarra says. “Education stakeholders and Idaho families share those priorities and they also match up well with Gov. Little’s objectives to improve K-12 education in this state.”

The IEA president, who sees a lot of “what’s right” with Idaho schools, agrees with many of Ybarra’s points.

“Idaho has phenomenal educators who are working day in and day out to ensure that Idaho students have access to a quality public education,” Overall says. “In the last five years, we’ve seen a commitment from Idaho legislators to invest more money into the public education system, following massive cuts during the recession. We have a governor who is very pro-public education. Teamed together, it signals that everyone is working toward the same goal that we want what’s best for our students and for our state.”

But there’s plenty of room for improvement, with teacher pay being toward the top of the list. Overall says many of Idaho’s best and brightest instructors are going to other states for better pay.

In addition, she says, “Many districts are on four-day school weeks. Over 80 percent of the districts rely on supplemental levies to make up for what the state is not providing.”

Part of the problem with funding, she says, is that Idaho has not recovered from the recession. The healthy increases over the last five years barely keep up with inflation, and fall short of compensating for the increased number of students in the nation’s fastest growing state.

So, as Overall sees it, Idaho’s focus should not center on dollars spent or finding the next magic “silver-bullet” program for public schools. “Let’s create a picture of what we want our schools to look like and build a budget on making that happen.”

Those conversations do occur in the Legislature, with up to 105 different views about what an ideal system should look like.  And many of those are not in line with the IEA – especially when it comes to money.

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

The No. 2 guy in Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ office visits the Gem State, and Idaho’s top education official – State Superintendent Sherri Ybarra – was nowhere to be found. Not even in the airport’s baggage-claim area.

If Vice President Mike Pence were to visit anywhere in Idaho, you can bet that Gov. Brad Little would be there to greet him, along with any or all members of Idaho’s congressional delegation. In Ybarra’s world, Mitchell Zais – DeVos’ chief deputy – might as well be the nation’s vice president. Building relationships with a top education official never hurts.

Zais had a busy day, as reported by Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News. He visited One Stone, an independent high school in downtown Boise, then followed with a tour of Elevate Academy, a new charter school in Caldwell. Both are funded through grants from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation, and that money doesn’t go to just any school. As Richert reports, One Stone has gone from 30 students in 2016 to 121 students today. Elevate Academy opened this fall with 315 students (sixth through 10^th grade), with an eye toward expanding.

“One of the things we want to highlight is the notion that one size does not fit all, Zais said during a roundtable discussion at One Stone. “There’s lots of different kinds of schools, beyond the traditional one.”

One Stone and Elevate Academy are just two examples, but they aren’t the only ones. Zais’ visit to Idaho was part of a nationwide tour to focus on options beyond the traditional schools – although he made a point with Idaho Education News that traditional schools are a good fit for most students.

Zais hardly was talking about radical ideas. For decades, school choice practically has been a national anthem for Republicans who have long complained about the lack of options for education. Ybarra would have been a welcome voice in the roundtable discussion, perhaps talking about school choice along with innovative approaches to make public schools more relevant in today’s world.

So, why wasn’t Ybarra there? What was she doing that day that was so important that she could not meet with the education secretary’s right-hand man? Her spokesperson said Ybarra had a scheduling conflict, but wasn’t sure what the superintendent was doing that day.

Good lord. Did she break a leg and go to the hospital?

“No. I would have known about that,” the spokesperson said.

In recent months, I’ve defended Ybarra in the face of criticisms that she doesn’t attend enough meetings with legislators or the State Board of Education … or that her car is not parked in the assigned space for days, or weeks, at a time. In my view, if her car is parked in Boise every day, then she’s not doing her job. A superintendent’s time is better spent away from the bureaucratic landmines – visiting schools, talking with educators and promoting education in general. She has an army of staff people who will take notes at meetings, and plenty of managers to do the office grunt work.

But being “too busy” to meet with the deputy secretary is a head-scratcher. Schedules can be revised, even on short notice. I can only imagine the conversation in Ybarra’s scheduling meeting.

Staffer: “The deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Education is coming to the state on Sept. 16. I’m not sure how important this is. He’s going to be visiting an independent high school and a charter school, so it really has nothing to do with us. Besides, Betsy DeVos is a wacko and there’s no telling what kind of a head case they’ll be sending our way.”

Ybarra: “You’re fired. I know Betsy DeVos and happen to like her. But I don’t know anything about this other guy, so I guess I’ll pass. Don’t I have something else to do on Monday?”

So, where were her communications people in this discussion? Ybarra has at least three skilled communicators who are savvy with public relations. It’s amazing that none of them said, “Uh, Sherri … I think you ought to go to this one.”

Zais’ visit may have been partially out of Ybarra’s sphere, but it wouldn’t matter if the purpose of his visit was to inspect school bathrooms. Ybarra should have been there with him. Mark her down for an “unexcused” absence.

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

That has a nice ring to it. Almost any change at the top looks good to me, whether it’s the presidency, or governor of Idaho – and Little’s rise to the state’s highest office is no exception.

Our new governor is as down-to-earth as a politician gets. He’s a third-generation Idahoan, a longtime Emmett rancher, and is not hung up with formalities. So, if folks want to call him “Brad,” that’s fine with him.

The day before his inauguration, and moments after he was grilled by statehouse reporters about the avalanche of issues facing his first days as governor, I happened to browse into the lieutenant governor’s office. The door had the name “Janice McGeachin,” but there was Brad (errrr … the future 33^rd governor of the state of Idaho) at his old desk doing some last-minute work on his computer.

“Well … how did I do down there?” he asked.

He did fine. Little was confident, calm and in control during his nearly hour-long meeting with the media and showed flashes of humor.

“The Legislature never drags its feet,” he said in response to one questioner. “Where did you come up with that idea?”

Little told me that friends have been teasing him about the idea of being governor since his days with the Idaho Cattle Association, of which his family were charter members. He heard more of that friendly “teasing” when he was in Senate leadership, and certainly after he became lieutenant governor in 2009.

“There are so many people I admire who I’ve always thought were smarter, and more politically astute,” he said. “But it wasn’t until I became lieutenant governor, and started seeing things, that I thought I could do this job, and do it well.”

Little had to wait his turn. Gov. Butch Otter decided to run for a third term in 2014, and it wasn’t easy after that. Little survived a hotly contested primary election, then defeated former Democratic Rep. Paulette Jordan after a spirited general election campaign.

“I’m still a little bit in the mode of waking up in the morning and asking if this really happened,” he said on the eve of his inauguration. “As retired governors from both parties have told me, I should never forget about the honor that has been given to me.”

As governor, he represents the interests of roughly 1.7 million Idahoans, with diverse opinions on issues. And not everybody wants to follow the extreme conservative model of burning down state government. Little intends to comply with the wishes of Idahoans, who voted heavily in favor of Medicaid expansion. He wants to stick with his campaign pledge to do all he can to encourage young Idahoans to stay in the state, which means striving for improvements to education.

Little has long supported repealing the state’s sales tax on groceries, a bellwether issue for conservatives. But it won’t be at the expense of his education goals, or the career-ladder for teachers. He dismisses talk about turning over federal land management to the state, which is another conservative rallying cry.

“That isn’t going to happen,” he said bluntly.

Asked how he would be different from Otter, Little says he prefers to look toward the future rather than dwell on the past. But from what I saw during the news conference, Little – a self-described “policy wonk” — seems more focused on details. He has regular conversations with senior management officials from the Agriculture and Interior departments. On the morning of his news conference, he was looking at some 40 charts in the Wall Street Journal pertaining to economic trends. He wants to see “flow charts” from the Department of Correction to see why people are incarcerated.

Don’t expect any tirades about the Idaho media being “enemies of the people.” Little gave props to Betsy Russell of the Idaho Press for her recent analysis regarding repeal of the sales tax on groceries – something he shared with legislative leaders. He said Russell explained the issue far better than accountants.

As with any governor, Little will have his share of detractors along the way. I hear from conservatives who think he’s too liberal by their standards. But I suspect that overall, Idahoans will be seeing competent, thoughtful and sane leadership from the top.

Written by Chuck Malloy, a long-time Idaho journalist, is a columnist with Idaho Politics Weekly. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com

But here she is, taking on Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, who is seeking her second term. Wilson faces quite a challenge, with limited finances and even less name recognition overall. TV land in the Gem State has been more consumed by horse racing and slot machines than the top post in Idaho’s Department of Education.

Still, Wilson has at least a fighting chance in this election. Education professionals, especially those involved with the Idaho Education Association, tend to favor Democratic candidates for state superintendent. Four years ago, Democrat Jana Jones came within a few thousand votes – or about a percentage point – of ruining Ybarra’s political career before it started. It was close enough to encourage Wilson to give it a try this time.

“I’ll tell you why I’m running,” she told me. “I’m running for the kids … I want to be a voice for the kids. There’s a vacuum right now.”

One thing working in Wilson’s favor is her personality; a quick smile and an infectious laugh can go a long way in a political campaign. If her multiple “teacher of the year” awards mean anything, her government classes were not boring.

Ybarra has opened the door some for Wilson. According to Idaho Education News, Ybarra has skipped several candidate forums and has appeared in one campaign event – at an Eagle bar, hosted by a former principal who was accused of sexual harassment. Most of her campaigning will be done on the GOP bus tour. Wilson, meanwhile, has been all over the state meeting with educators and community leaders, and talking with anyone who will listen about her vision for education.

Wilson has the support of one high-profile Republican — Jim Jones, a retired chief justice of the Idaho Supreme Court and former attorney general. Jones spoke in six of Wilson’s classes when she was teaching at Capital High School in Boise and was impressed with how well prepared her students were for his visit. She also has talked about the job with Jerry Evans, a former Republican state superintendent. Evans said he is staying neutral in this race.

“What he told me is that children don’t come to school with little R’s and D’s on their foreheads,” she said. “We need an Idaho education for Idaho kids – not a Republican education system or a Democratic education system. I can talk with people and share a vision, without being part of a political machine, or having plans to shake up things on the Land Board. I am not a crazy partisan. I have Republicans all over the state who are supporting me.”

One knock against her is that she doesn’t have administrative experience, either as a superintendent or school principal. But she’s no stranger to government work, having served on Gov. Butch Otter’s education task force and, more recently, as a member of the state’s Correction Board. Her position on that board has given her a perspective of what happens when an education system fails to reach students. One of her leading campaign platforms is early childhood education and making sure that children are reading at least to grade level by the third grade.

“If students are not reading at grade level by that time, then we have a problem. Seventy percent of those in prison didn’t graduate from high school, or have a GED,” she said. “We’re talking about spending $500 million for a prison. Do we want our state to continue putting our money there? We need to tell the story about how we can change that by providing early childhood learning. It’s an economics argument.”

Wilson is well versed on the challenges of rural schools, having taught in Pierce, Orofino and Shelley. She also has taught in two of the state’s larger districts, Boise and West Ada, based in her hometown of Meridian. She views collaboration as a key to a state superintendent’s success.

“I’ve lived all over the state and I understand the difference between north and south, rural and urban. You have to build relationships to make things happen, and that’s not being done now.”

Next week, I’ll take a closer look at Ybarra’s campaign.

Written by Chuck Malloy, a long-time Idaho journalist and columnist with Idaho Politics Weekly. He may be reached at ctmalloy@outlook.com

Three years ago, he filed a lawsuit against the governor, the state superintendent of public instruction, the Legislature and school districts, claiming they were violating Idahoans’ constitutional right for a free public education. Three months ago, he was elected as a trustee in the West Ada School District, and is causing his share of trouble for a longtime superintendent.

On the other side are community leaders, who are working to recall Joki and three other school board members after they voided a contract extension for Dr. Linda Clark on the grounds that the action by the previous board was taken in violation of Idaho’s open-meeting laws. The heart of the effort could well be labeled as “removal for general principles.” Clark, who has been superintendent for a decade, is highly regarded in the community.

Time will tell if Clark supporters can take Joki off the school board, but it’s highly unlikely they will get rid of him. Leaving quietly is not in his nature.

Joki grew up in Kellogg and Coeur d’Alene, where he graduated in 1964 and taught years later. His father and mother, Alex (a miner) and Katherine, did not finish high school, but raised four boys who finished college. Joki’s parents are gone, but their influence has been a part of him for the 70 years of his life.

“They were very strong people – always standing up for us, and themselves,” Joki said. “They had a hard life, but they were involved. They told us to always speak our minds.”

Joki says his parents also inspired him academically. “An educated person is unafraid to speak his mind, and unafraid to take up an issue,” he said.

He’s also unfraid to “write back,” as he did in response to an Idaho Statesman editorial, which suggested that West Ada trustees should take a “more measured, collaborative mission that began with fact-finding and a listening tour,” before taking drastic actions.

Joki fired back saying the board has standing, “when it discloses hidden contracts, cost overruns, costly central office positions, and questions the decisions and practices of the previous school board.” The trustees’ only agenda, Joki says, is “transparency and the refusal to be a rubber stamp school board.”

The board members are hardly novices in the education field. Joki is a former longtime teacher and school superintendent; one current teacher and two other former teachers also sit on the board. The only non-educator on the board is a Stanford-trained physician. So there’s no issue with IQ levels. The new board members, including Joki, campaigned on the promise that they would provide more scrutiny and accountability, and they have delivered.

The recall effort, Joki says, “is from people who are disgruntled by not getting their way anymore. It hurts two groups – kids and teachers. The difference between this board and the previous board is, the previous board approved almost everything with very little questioning. I think officials, once elected, are sent there to ask questions. There were no secrets about what I was interested in; people knew what they were going to get.”

He fears that the controversy also diverts attention from a school levy vote on Nov. 3 that, if approved, would provide the district with $28 million in funding over two years. Without voter approval, he said, “the general fund budget will go into freefall.”

Meanwhile, his lawsuit against the state has been whittled down by a court order. It was ruled that Joki had no standing to sue state officials and other school districts, so the scope of his complaint was confined to West Ada.

“The lawsuit has been there for three years, and we had a hearing that lasted for three hours,” Joki said. “The suit had two complaints. First, the Legislature has not met its constitutional duty to fund a uniform, thorough and free education. The second was that any school district charging fees as a way to make up the money is violating the constitutional requirement for a free education.”

Joki intends to come out as a winner even if the judge rules against his lawsuit against West Ada. His goal is to eliminate all fees and he’s confident the board can find the money to accomplish that.

“I hope I’m on the school board come January and February,” he said.

Chuck Malloy is a native Idahoan and long-time political reporter and editorial writer. He is a former political editor with the Post Register of Idaho Falls and a former editorial writer with the Idaho Statesman. Contact Malloy at ctmalloy@outlook.com.

Luna had rough moments, starting with the resounding rejection of his Students Come First proposals (“Luna Laws”) by Idaho voters. But there was no question about his abilities as a public speaker and his command of issues. Communication skills served him well whether he was before an editorial board, a business group or a legislative committee.

Yet, if Luna’s successor, State Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, has her way, someone with Luna’s qualifications would not be allowed to even run for the office. According to a story by Clark Corbin in Idaho Education News, Ybarra is proposing legislation that would require candidates for the office to hold an Idaho administrator’s certificate and graduate from an accredited college or university. Luna had no administrative experience before running for office and his only working experience in Idaho education was sitting on the Nampa school board.

Ybarra says her proposal was based on feedback from education professionals.

“Many educators feel it is important to have someone leading the state who has been in their shoes, understands the hard work they do, and has the education credentials to not only understand their needs, but to also best support them,” Ybarra said in an email statement.

“I feel passionately about education, as do all educators throughout the state of Idaho, and it is ultimately about the kids,” she said. “Because kids are of utmost importance, it is vital to many educators that the individual leading the state, supporting teachers and students to achieve, has the educational experience and understanding of how decisions made at the state level effect administrators, teachers and students at the local level.”

Of course, it doesn’t take an administrator to have passion for education; Luna had plenty of that. He brought far more to the table as a candidate than Ybarra, who surprised herself by winning the Republican primary last year.

Ybarra makes a mistake by assuming, as others have done, that she was elected to represent the views and wishes of educators. The superintendent, as with other state constitutional officers, is elected to represent the taxpayers and the education system as a whole.

She thinks a superintendent should have professional requirements, as the attorney general does. But the attorney general’s job is not to represent lawyers and judges. Teachers and administrators have associations and leaders to represent their views, or even lobby the Legislature. The superintendent’s office is the one outlet available for taxpayers, parents and patrons.

Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, for one, opposes Ybarra’s idea.

“I think we should have more options, not fewer,” he said. “How about letting the voters decide it?”

Luna, the “non-professional,” managed to strike a nerve with a lot of voters, and he has some accomplishments to show for his eight years in office – which he listed before leaving office.

In 2007, for instance, only 26 percent of Idaho schools were meeting academic standards. That number has almost tripled, and Idaho’s eighth grade students score in the top 10 in reading and top 15 in math nationally. He pushed for increased accountability, verifying the accuracy of data received from the districts. Millions of dollars have been saved by identifying students that had been double-counted and double-funded. School choice, a favorite issue with some Republicans, was expanded during Luna’s administration. The number of charter schools doubled in eight years, and nearly 20 percent of Idaho’s children attend the school of their choice. His administration opened the door for upgrading technology in the schools and installation of the broadband network.

Luna’s ideas often put him at odds with teachers and administrators, who tend to prefer more conventional strategies. Ybarra’s proposal for limiting the field of candidates is a recipe for maintaining the status quo.

In reality, Ybarra’s proposal probably is not needed. There are not many people who would want the job without a solid administrative background. But Luna was an exception and, in many ways, Idaho’s education system is better off for his leadership.

Idaho’s election system would be worse off by accepting Ybarra’s cookie-cutter standards.

Chuck Malloy is a native Idahoan and long-time political reporter and editorial writer. He is a former political editor with the Post Register of Idaho Falls and a former editorial writer with the Idaho Statesman. He may be contacted at: ctmalloy@outlook.com

But legacy building is taking an ugly detour as a result of the Idaho Education Network broadband contract, which was thrown out in court and the private-prison contract with Corrections Corporation of America, which is under investigation with the FBI. Administration of contracts could be one of the big issues heading into the next legislative session. Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Bone, who chairs the House State Affairs Committee, has told the Post Register he is looking into investigating the IEN issue.

One person who is not letting the broadband issue go away is Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, who is giving the administration plenty of heartaches. Earlier this month, the Midvale Republican circulated a statewide column discussing the broadband contracts and pointing fingers in high places.

“I am not going to let this go away and I don’t think the people of Idaho should let it go away,” said Boyle, who has gained the attention from fellow conservatives and Democrats.

As one of the more conservative members of the Legislature, Boyle says “no” to a lot of things. The broadband contract was not one of them. She sees the value of connecting schools, libraries and state agencies with high-speed Internet and didn’t blink at the $60 million contract.

“Correctly done, it brings the world to Idaho students and citizens, especially in the rural areas,” Boyle said in her commentary. “However, when it becomes illegal and corrupt, I must speak out.”

As with the national debt, the costs for the illegal contracts keep climbing in the form of withheld federal funds and legal fees. And it’s all as a result of former Director of Administration Mike Gwartney, Otter’s right-hand man early in his governorship, changing the terms of the contract – eliminating Syringa, which was supposed to share in proofing the broadband connections. Quest’s name was left on the contract.

Boyle sees the arrangement as an example of “crony capitalism,” which gives special favors to campaign donors. In this case, Boyle says, “the children of Idaho will be the losers” in the deal.

Boyle says her commentary was only a start. The solution is for the Legislature, and possibly the state Department of Education, to investigate further. She has an ally in Democratic Sen. Grant Burgoyne of Boise.

“The Legislature needs to stand up and make sure the money is appropriated and spent properly,” he said.
On the CCA contract, he said, “how did we get in a position where we went for a long period of time with the contractor submitting false billings to us?”
Burgoyne and Boyle are miles apart on many legislative issues, but he admires Boyle for keeping the issue in the forefront.

“Representative Boyle has always stepped up and told people exactly what she thinks,” Burgoyne said. “She’s courageous and outspoken. She does not mislead anybody about what she thinks and her intentions. Those are very good attributes.”

Somewhere, the late former U.S. Rep. Helen Chenoweth – Boyle’s longtime mentor, employer and friend – must be smiling.

Click here to read more about Rep. Judy Boyle.