Idaho Education Notecard March 23, 2018
This week’s education headlines:
Reading resolution. The impasse over a statewide reading test finally broke this week, as lawmakers freed up $550,000 to roll out a new test in 2018-19. This means kindergarten through third-grade teachers will use a new online test to try to identify at-risk readers. The passage of the budget bill was one of the last unresolved issues of the 2018 legislative session. More HERE.
A not-too-early look back. Pay raises for teachers, new science standards, more money for college scholarships and school safety legislation. As the 2018 legislative session heads toward adjournment, who won and who lost in the year’s education debates? And what does the outcome mean for students, parents, teachers and taxpayers? More HERE.
Sugar-Salem do-over. The Sugar-Salem School District has done a re-do on its hiring of a superintendent, in response to an open meetings complaint from Idaho Education News. According to district meeting meetings, trustees publicly identified their pick as “Candidate O,” rather than identifying the new superintendent by name. After Idaho Education News filed its complaint, trustee Greg Stoddard suggested seeking a restraining order against its reporting staff. More HERE.
‘This is a call to action.’ On Wednesday, students at Boise High School spent the day at a student-led summit to explore the promise of social justice in America. Students gave 80 presentations on topics ranging from the struggles of undocumented Americans to the importance of intersectional feminism and women’s equality. “I want students to know they have a platform to get their voice out and can start a movement if they want,” student organizer Caitlin Clark said. More HERE.
Tweeting about teaching. Longtime educator Janet Avery became restless and lost her sense of career purpose about five years ago. Twitter changed that; now the Jerome School District administrator hosts #IDedchat, a weekly Wednesday night forum that allows educators to collaborate and offer support. She sees the social media platform as an ideal venue for “participant-driven” professional development. More HERE.
Kevin Richert is a reporter and blogger with Idaho Education News (idahoednews.org.) Idaho Education News is an independent news site focused on education policy and politics, funded by the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Family Foundation. Richert has worked in the Idaho news media since 1985, as a reporter, editor and columnist.
