The 2011 Legislative Program is coming soon. For now, here's the IEA's review of the 2010 session of the Idaho Legislature.

The Idaho Education Association represents more than 12,000 Idaho public school employees. The IEA supports policy decisions that advance the interests of children and public education. Annually the IEA’s Delegate Assembly determines the Association’s legislative goals for the upcoming legislative session.

IEA’s legislative goals are based upon six criteria:

· Student Achievement

· Professional Development

· School and Community Relations

· New Teacher Support

· Professional Advocacy

· Adequate and Stable Funding

All legislative proposals considered by the IEA are measured against these criteria. The following are the policy issues IEA recommends for action by the 2010 Legislature.

Student Achievement

For students to reach their potential and function successfully as adults in the 21st century, they must have caring, competent, and qualified teachers, rigorous, well-funded programs, and modern facilities conducive to learning.

Therefore, we support:

• Funding for the statewide longitudinal data system;
• Compulsory full-day kindergarten;
• State funded voluntary pre-school programs, including English Language Learners pre-school programs;
• Additional funding for intervention and remediation;
• Adequate funding for technology;
• Legislation requiring home-schooled students to meet all of the standards set by the State Board of Education.

Professional Development

Continuous professional development is necessary for educators to achieve and maintain the highest standards for student learning and professional practice. Professional development should be based on clearly articulated goals, designed and directed by the professionals at each site, useful to educators in meeting the needs of students, and incorporated into the teaching day.

Therefore, we support:

• Funding for quality professional development, i.e., opportunities for educators to master content knowledge and methods of instruction;
• Financial support for National Board certification;
• Legislation to financially help, encourage, and incentivize current non-certified classroom aides to pursue teaching certification.

School and Community Relations

For students to reach their maximum potential, the entire community must be involved in their education. Business leaders, policymakers, and patrons who may not have children enrolled in our public schools are vital partners with parents and teachers in educating Idaho’s children.

Therefore, we support:

• Legislation to target assistance for schools in low socio-economic or culturally diverse neighborhoods and communities;
• Legislation strengthening the enforcement of Idaho’s compulsory attendance laws.

New Teacher Support

Proper training and support for new teachers is paramount to their success.

Therefore, we support:

• Legislative efforts to reinstate a fully-funded new teacher support program for all beginning teachers including mentoring, peer assistance, and professional development;
• Legislative efforts to create a student loan forgiveness program for educators who agree to teach in Idaho’s public schools.

Professional Advocacy

The IEA is committed to ensuring passage of legislation that empowers educators and elevates the profession.

Therefore, we support:

• Legislation to improve special education teachers’ working conditions, in particular paperwork reduction;
• Legislation to change the Idaho tax code to mirror the federal tax code giving educators a $250 credit for personal expenditures made by teachers for classroom supplies;
• Legislation to provide Education Support Professionals (secretaries, custodians, bus drivers, food service staff, instructional aides, and maintenance workers) with a system of fair employment assurances;
• Legislation providing for an ESP comprehensive collective bargaining law that allows them to be compensated fairly and to make a living wage;
• Legislation amending the current funding formula by requiring all non-certified administrative employees to be moved from the classified category to the administrative category.

Adequate, Stable Funding and Compensation

To achieve our commitment to an equal educational opportunity for all students, Idaho’s public education system must be adequately funded and those who work in our public schools must be appropriately compensated.

Therefore, we support:

• Efforts to increase salaries for all educators, believing that the state should provide, at a minimum, a cost of living increase and a beginning teacher salary of no less than $40,000;
• Legislation providing for an Education Support Professionals comprehensive collective bargaining law that would allow these valued employees to be compensated fairly and make a living wage;
• Changes to the current teacher compensation system if they contain, at a minimum, the following components:
  • Adequate, stable funding of the current salary formula;
  • Demonstrated improvement in student learning;
  • Multiple methods to measure student growth;
  • Rewards based on building or team level goals.

We oppose any efforts to change or weaken PERSI’s defined benefit program.