Idaho Education Notecard for June 2
Kevin Richert, Idaho Education News – This week’s K-12 headlines:
After the snow, hundreds of school days melted away. Idaho schools made up only a fraction of the classroom days lost to the harsh winter of 2017. The idea of extending the school year was a nonstarter — for reasons that had little to do with student performance. Find more here.
GOP lawmaker praises proposed new science standards. Meanwhile, a Boise Democrat said the decision to remove references to climate change was politically driven and amounted to watering down scientific consensus. Find more here.
Six Idaho teens win 9th Circuit civics contest. Nearly 1,000 high school students entered the contest. Find more here.
Idaho students make history at International Science and Engineering Fair. Teams of students from four different Idaho schools traveled to the International Science and Engineering Fair last month. Find more here.
State Board accepting trustee applications for College of Eastern Idaho. Community interest and feedback from local leaders prompted the State Board to expedite the selection process on Wednesday. Find more here.
Nampa trustees hire Kellerer — again. Nampa trustees hired Northwest Nazarene University dean Paula Kellerer to fill the district’s superintendent’s vacancy — resolving a three-week-long legal dispute over the initial hiring. Here’s a recap of what happened Wednesday, and what led up to it. Find more here.
Caldwell school improves reading scores in one year. Teachers at Lincoln Elementary School were concerned about student reading scores and turned to data to make improvements. Find more here.
Middleton alternative school embraces mastery education. Teachers and administrators want to move away from a discipline-based mindset to focus more on student learning and choices. Find more here.
Blaine County negotiations hit a deadlock. The proposed offer would have provided about $1 million for automatic pay raises, and Superintendent GwenCarol Holmes says the district’s options are limited. Find more here.
Labrador to hit road to announce bid for governor. The statewide tour comes three weeks after Rep. Raul Labrador filed campaign paperwork. Find more here.
Nampa agrees to do-over, will hireKellerer by name as superintendent. Board members will meet later this week to void action from the May 9 meeting, when trustees voted to hire “Candidate A” without disclosing who that is. Find more here.
Episode 70: More New Science Standards Proposed. Learn about proposed new science standards and find out what Idaho education leaders are saying about President Trump’s budget proposal. Find more here.
Idaho EdNews settles into new office space. Stop by and visit us and you’ll be eligible to win cool swag. Find 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 K-12 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.
