Task force schedules next round of meetings

The governor’s Taskforce for Improving Education has divided into three focus groups to tackle the responsibility of narrowing ideas for improving education in Idaho.

The 31-member task force will convene on Aug. 23 to review three or four ideas from each group and agree to about 10 recommendations to present to Gov. Butch Otter.

ReedDeMordaunt1175
Rep. Reed DeMordaunt serves as a chair of one of the focus groups.

In the meantime, the three focus groups will meet, beginning this week. House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Reed DeMordaunt is the chairman of one of the groups; other chairmen are State Board of Education member Rod Lewis and Idaho Association of School Administrators Executive Director Rob Winslow. For background information, check the State Board of Education site.

Here is the schedule for the first round of meetings:

  • Structural Change — 10 to 11 a.m. on Friday, June 7. Video/teleconference.
  • Effective Teachers and Leaders — 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Friday, June 7. Video/teleconference (originating from Office of the State Board of Education, 650 W. State St., Boise, third floor).
  • Fiscal Stability — 9 a.m. to noon, Wednesday, June 12. Joint School District No. 2 offices, 1303 E. Central Drive, Meridian.

Here are the members of the three committees:

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND LEADERS

Brian Smith
John Goedde
Karen Echeverria
Katie Pemberton
Rod Lewis, Chair
Penni Cyr
Steve Higgins
Janie Ward-Engelking
Mary Ann Ranells
Mary Huff
Phyllis Nichols

FISCAL STABILITY

Alex LaBeau
Geoffrey Thomas
Linda Clark
Rob Winslow, Chair
Wayne Freedman
Laurie Boeckel
Roger Quarles
Teresa Jackman

 STRUCTURAL CHANGE

Bob Lokken
Reed DeMordaunt, Chair
Mike Lanza
Anne Ritter
Ken Edmunds
Alan Millar
Tom Luna
Cheryl Charlton
Cindy Wilson
Roger Brown
Corinne Mantle-Bromley

Jennifer Swindell

Jennifer Swindell

Managing editor and CEO Jennifer Swindell founded Idaho Education News in 2013. She has led the online news platform as it has grown in readership and engagement every year, reaching over two million pageviews a year. Jennifer has more than 35 years of experience in Idaho journalism. She also has served as a public information officer for Idaho schools and as a communication director at Boise State University. She can be reached at [email protected].

Get EdNews in your inbox

Weekly round up every Friday