Voices

I want to thank the current members of the Legislature for their commitment to the teachers of this state.

Changes to state law should make it easier for charter schools to get access to private lending for new school growth, but charters have struggled to serve more students (diverse and otherwise) because they lack the facilities to get it done.

This southeast Idaho parent did his own research to unveil evidence supporting his philosophy that paying more towards education is not the way to improve results.

Because of the impact I could see programs like Head Start having on the community, my own family and even on myself wanted to get more involved.

The consequences of Idaho not testing 95 percent of its students is misunderstood and overblown to the point undo pressure is being directed at parents, school board members and educators.

Charters have the freedom to choose unique educational approaches not found in a traditional school. This means charters would not attract the same student population as a neighborhood school.

Charter schools are public and open to all students regardless of ethnicity, religion, gender, or disability. Yet, in instance after instance, charter schools’ student demographic makeups are outrageously imbalanced in comparison to the communities’ demographics that they operate in.

Imagine what we could do for education if we maximized the potential of technology for teachers and students.

The federal Charter Schools Program is the only federal funding source that supports the opening of new charter schools, and the charter school community is counting on Idaho’s Congressional delegation to support the expansion of charter schools in Idaho.