Budget Surplus Should Lead to Investments in Idaho Students and Educators With a budget surplus of $70 million in the first two months of the 2020-21 fiscal year and optimism around state revenue growth for the remainder of the year, Governor Little should immediately rescind the nearly $100 million holdback he instituted at the height…
Proposal Leaves Large Gaps in Student Services The K-12 budget proposal unveiled recently by Superintendent Ybarra is woefully inadequate to meet the needs of Idaho students. Even by middle-of-a-pandemic standards, the lack of commitment to and investment in Idaho’s public schools is deeply troubling. IEA representatives provided input to the State Department of Education prior…
How safe are educators and students if districts decide to reopen school buildings? We discussed the many facets of this question with Dr. Kenny Bramwell, System Director for St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital. Get a medical professional’s perspective on several aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic and what factors schools should be weighing as they consider whether or not…
IEA Summer Institute Moves Online, More than 600 Members Participate Like many events in 2020, the IEA Summer Institute, scheduled for late July in Lewiston, had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Or did it? Spearheaded by the IEA’s Center for Teaching and Learning team, Summer Institute rose from the ashes and was…
“No Accountability” Legislation: Bad Policy, Wrong Message Statement from IEA President Layne McInelly– The Idaho legislature will be considering a proposal during the upcoming special session that could create chaos and distrust in our state. At a minimum, it sends a message that is the exact opposite of what we should be communicating with our…
Statement from IEA President Layne McInelly As positivity rates of the dangerous COVID-19 virus continue to increase in many Idaho communities, the course of action for public schools in those areas is clear—school buildings in communities considered “hot spots” should remain closed and districts should shift to online instruction. It’s an unfortunate circumstance but a…