Education In Idaho

I loved school. That’s me in Miss Jill’s first-grade class (Second row, blue sweater) at Central Elementary in Sugar City. I had a wonderful experience, and I want to make sure the same holds true for all Idaho students.

During the 2020 Legislative Session, we took steps to improve our K-12 schools:

• We passed a concurrent resolution to form an interim committee to replace Idaho’s Common Core standards with new content standards. (SCR132)
• We passed a concurrent resolution to switch Idaho’s students from the ISAT/SBAC to the ACT/SAT. (SCR120)
• We increased experienced teacher pay to a starting level of $52,000 with increased accountability. (H637)

All of our kids need a quality education so they have options. Our local schools need a competitive framework that will attract new businesses and provide a skilled workforce. Part of staying competitive means adopting measurable standards that hold people accountable.

Long-term, we need to consider other improvements:

• Increasing student access to vocational training and apprenticeships in junior high and high school
• Addressing concerns about student data collection and protecting student privacy
• Making sure that we treat teachers with the respect their profession deserves
• Adopting growth-based testing that rewards progress over a school year
• Revisiting the role of testing in general and avoiding standards that lead to “teaching to the test”

Saying “Thank You”

It’s only fitting that I say “thank you” to the many teachers who helped me succeed in school. Because of their professionalism and dedication, I had an amazing education.