Featured Series

Stories about Idaho’s educators, students and policy makers plus features on bright spots in Idaho education.

Day 2: Meeting employees

“It feels like an avalanche,” Debbie Critchfield said of the transition. “But it also is really exhilarating.”

Retired teacher takes over House Education Committee

Rep. Julie Yamamoto says she wants to create a collaborative environment in her committee as the members take up some of the most divisive issues in Idaho education, such as school choice.

‘A very interesting year ahead of us:’ Lent steps in as Senate Education chair

The key is keeping the infighting and ideological battles to a minimum, said Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls, who brings a diverse resume to one of the most crucial assignments at the Statehouse.

Day 1: Debbie gets sworn in

And so it begins — a new era in Idaho education.

My goodbye to teaching: why I left the profession I was called to

Why one Idaho teacher went from an idealistic, hopeful new educator to one who was ready to close the classroom door for good.

Idaho’s teachers are tired, but they’re sticking it out

More than 500 Idaho educators completed our 23-question survey, sharing their thoughts on the state of their profession.

Educators open up about classroom realities

Many wish that parents, politicians, and community members would listen to their pleas and ideas before making decisions or forming hasty conclusions about Idaho’s education system.

It’s not the teacher pipeline that’s the problem – it’s the classroom reality

Simply put, enough people enter the profession but not enough stay. Idaho’s colleges are pivoting to solve the problem.

Months into the school year, schools still struggling to fill staff

And most of the administrators EdNews surveyed rated their teacher turnover this school year as “more than average.”

The history, context and conflicts of teacher evaluations

They were supposed to be a golden ticket to strengthen education, attract teachers and boost morale. But more often, they are tedious checklists that have minimal impact on teacher pay.