State superintendent helps prepare local teachers

The start of school is approaching very soon for Jefferson County School District 251. To prepare, the teachers in K-5 took part in a professional developmental workshop on Friday.

“We have noticed that our reading scores k-5, are not where we would like them to be,” said Michele Southwick, the director elementary education. “About a year and half ago I reached out to Margo Healy. She is a reading consultant from Boise she has come out to work with two of our elementary schools last year, Farnsworth Elementary and Roberts Elementary. This year she’s working with those two schools again, but we’ve added Southfork Elementary and Jefferson Elementary.”

Teachers learned tips on how to follow a district-wide program, using more benchmark tests to see how proficient kids are in reading and how to target what kids might be missing in lesson plans.

Next year, the school district would like to add the other two elementary schools, Harwood Elementary and Midway Elementary.

Idaho state superintendent of education, Sherri Ybarra, also stopped by.

“To places that were a little anemic is professional development and technology so we do need to continue our invest in professional development it is paying off it is very important,” Ybarra said. “Events like this do help our students become successful.”

Ybarra also took a tour of Rigby High School.

Friday morning, she visited Blackfoot High School and Snake River High school for back to school events.