Voices
Education budget is ‘depressing’
Sen. Dan Schmidt, a Democrat from North Idaho, says the details of the proposed education budget are unimaginative and depressing. Sen. Schmidt sits on the budget committee.
Cursive will not fix what ails education
Wayne Hoffman, the executive director of the Freedom Foundation, says that lawmakers should promote school choice and stop the discussion about making cursive, or computers, mandatory. The only thing that should be mandatory is the need for policymakers to rethink how education is delivered.
Capitol Notes from the ISBA, Jan. 28
Each Monday during the legislative session, the Idaho School Boards Association’s executive director writes a synopsis of the weekly legislative happenings in education and how it relates to the interests of the ISBA.
ISBA leaders support this legislation
Officers and regional representatives of the Idaho School Boards Association have agreed to support several pieces of legislation this session that they say will enhance their ability to be good stewards of scarce taxpayer’s dollars.
Support lags for Boise State students
Boise State president Bob Kustra points out that because Boise State leads the state in enrollment increases during recent years, students do not have the same level of financial support that students at other Idaho schools do.
Union responds to Luna’s budget request
The Idaho Education Association applauds some items in Superintendent Tom Luna’s budget proposal, but hopes that before lawmakers dive into new long-term policy decisions, they wait for the governor’s task force to deliver their recommendations.
Capitol Notes from the ISBA, Jan. 21
Capitol Notes is a weekly feature written by the Idaho School Boards Association executive director Karen Echeverria.
School reform must be about learning
School reform should be about improving learning. We must focus on learning, must insist that every student acquires the essential concepts, information, attitudes at each level of the school ‘ladder.’
Business leaders present their priorities
We have elevated the level of interest in education and now have a unique opportunity to come together and craft meaningful, needed reform for our students, schools and communities.
Stay focused with a logical timeline for action
The elections are over and we need to move forward. We need our leaders to sharpen the focus and stabilize our system so students can achieve at high levels.