You’ve probably heard that the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry has asked lawmakers to repeal the personal property tax. Not only could this be one of the biggest issues of this legislative session, it could also be one of the biggest threats to public school budgets this year. The video below explains what the…
As part of Idaho’s Education Week, today the Housing Education Committee heard a presentation from Michelle Extrom, Education Program Director for the National Conference of State Legislatures on Educator Effectiveness. IEA President Penni Cyr attended, and reported that “many of their proposals were right in line with IEA’s Education Excellence Task Force report.” The report…
House Education Chair Rep. Reed DeMordaunt (R-Eagle) and Senate Education Chair John Goedde (R-CDA) announced plans today to hold a joint session of their committees to listen to ideas from the public about how to improve Idaho’s public schools. The hearing is scheduled for next Friday, February 1st.
Next week is being billed as “education week” at the statehouse. Early each January, lawmakers shine the spotlight on all levels of our state’s public education system. It’s an opportunity for lawmakers to learn more about the many programs each of these important institutions are implementing to help ensure greater student achievement.
This morning, representatives from the State Department of Education spoke to the House Education Committee on the Common Core standards. Their presentation focused on the background and goals of the standards; however, there was little discussion regarding teacher professional development in preparation for the rollout of the standards in all Idaho classrooms that begins in…
This week, we’ve been exploring the potential impact that repealing Idaho’s personal property tax will have on schools and services. Despite its name, this tax isn’t levied on property held by individuals, but on equipment that companies use—equipment like pipelines, mining machinery and aircraft. Some are advocating repeal of the tax.