News
The latest and breaking news and investigative reports about Idaho public education.
Lawmakers call for rare summer meeting to address school accountability plan
The Legislature’s education committees will jointly meet because they have not been provided with regular updates on a plan to comply with federal education requirements.
Boise teacher elected to president of the IEA
Kari Overall, an educator from South Junior High, will take over for Penni Cyr, who is retiring after six years serving in the leadership role of Idaho’s teachers union.
Funding formula committee resumes its long slog
The panel of 10 state lawmakers is staring at a huge task: unraveling and rewriting a formula used to carve up nearly $1.7 billion in K-12 money. Not surprisingly, committee members are in no rush to finish the job.
Ybarra releases latest draft of Idaho’s ESSA compliance plan
Idaho is on its sixth draft. The state faces a Sept. 18 deadline to submit the final plan to the feds.
Charters earn mixed opinions and varied student results
Charter schools represent both the best and the worst in terms of school performance and are favored by some, shunned by others.
Idaho charter schools underserve minority and poor populations
Many Idaho charter schools still aren’t offering programs for poorer students, including free-and-reduced lunch and busing.
Funding formula committee resumes work Tuesday
It’s the second round of summer school for the 10 lawmakers who will try to rework Idaho’s 23-year-old K-12 funding formula.
Education news around Idaho
This week’s briefs feature Linda Clark’s election as president of the State Board of Education, the Governor’s Cup Scholarships winners, kids who took home prizes at the Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship competition and STEM grants awarded to local libraries.
Education groups feel disrespected over lack of ESSA participation
ISBA Executive Director Karen Echeveria is afraid Idaho’s ESSA plan will be a disaster without buy-in from the education groups affected by the federal law.
ISAT, SAT scores remain virtually flat
The State Board of Education took a quick and cursory look at the numbers Thursday afternoon. The state will release more comprehensive ISAT results in the fall.