Voices
Educators, community members and students share their opinions about Idaho education.
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Is education Idaho’s top priority?
If our elected leaders take the same approach to education that they have for many years—offering minimal, inadequate support—we can expect the same results: grossly unequal opportunity and not enough graduates continuing beyond high school.
For the sake of children and teachers: Opt out
We have reached a testing crisis in Idaho and Common Core hasn’t helped. As a current high school English teacher, I know. We are over-testing children, including the new eight-hour Common Core test: the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC).
Ideas for improving the governor’s budget
Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy proposes a reallocation of available resources to increase investment in Idaho education.
Charter commission should stand on its own
After 10 years, it is time to give the state’s Public Charter School Commission its operational freedom so it can get on with its mission of helping provide great choices for Idaho’s students and families.
TFA helps high-need schools and subject areas
We know that the best way to continually improve is in partnership with veteran educators, experts across fields, community organizations, families and our students.
Change begins by supporting public schools
Applaud efforts that make schools better.
Teach for America falls short in special education
TFA is a step toward the de-professionalization of the teaching profession. We can do better. Every child with a disability deserves a world-class education. TFA does not fulfill this mandate, especially for Idaho’s special education students.
Work together to implement recommendations
We have to end this cycle where students perform well in K-12, receive a high school diploma, and then just three months later too many of these same students realize they are woefully unprepared for the real world.
We can learn from those doing it better
Poland embraced bold reforms to its education system in the 1990s that included creating more rigorous national standards, allowing the creation of private schools, crafting better systems for identifying struggling students and providing support for new teachers.
TVEP focuses on a shared community vision
The Treasure Valley Education Partnership is cultivating a unique partnership to minimize challenges and maximize opportunities for Idaho children to succeed beyond high school. It’s about advancing a world-class education system that leads all students to their career of choice.