D93 Superintendent Concerned Over Ed Changes

School superintendents from across the state wrapped up their second day of meetings in the state’s capital Wednesday. Bonneville Joint School District Superintendent Chuck Shackett is excited but has a lot to do before school starts.

Shackett said Idaho is paving the way in education, and he is happy that pay for performance will give him the chance to reward underpaid teachers. On Wednesday, the administrators saw a presentation from an Oregon school that uses iPods in the classroom. Shackett thought that was interesting because Idaho schools are required to use a handheld device in their freshman classes. They also saw a presentation from the College Board about how every Idaho student will get to take the SAT for free, a new requirement for junior-year students.

While he is interested in all of these things, Shackett does have mixed feelings.

“While you might support the direction and the legislation, the rubber has to hit the road at some point, and we’re getting close to that. And as a superintendent, it’s my responsibility to make sure that occurs smoothly. And when you’re not quite sure how you’re going to pull it off, it’s concerning,” he said.

Shackett is waiting for his first teachers’ meeting to decide how to evaluate for the pay-for-performance regulation.