(R-L) House Candidate Dom Gelsomino (R-Meridian, District 21), House Candidate Natalie Maclachlan (D-Boise, District 22), Sen. Ali Rabe (D-Boise, District 22), Sen. Fred Martin (R-Boise, District 15), Rep. Steve Berch (D-Boise, District 16), House Candidate Soñia Galaviz (D-Boise, District 16), West Ada EA President Sam Perez.
On Tuesday, IEA Associate Executive Director Matt Compton and Political Director Chris Parri joined West Ada Education Association members as they met with legislators and legislative candidates vying to represent areas in the in the West Ada School District.
The group discussed 2022’s outstanding legislative session, future plans, and strategic considerations for the next legislative session. Most importantly, IEA members shared their stories — successes, heartbreaks, and everything in between — with a bipartisan group of legislators and candidates. Likewise, educators were able to hear from those legislators about their education priorities.
“This meeting was a step in the right direction,” said West Ada EA President Sam Perez. “Educators, political candidates, and incumbents challenged the status quo by ignoring partisanship, and instead, participated in an all-inclusive forum where each person had an equal voice and opportunity to be heard. The WAEA hopes to have more political engagement within future elections that will help students and staff thrive with the support of all Idaho citizens.”
Each participating candidate is endorsed by IEA:
- Sen. Fred Martin (R-Boise, District 15)
- Sen. Ali Rabe (D-Boise, District 22)
- Rep. Steve Berch (D-Boise, District 16)
- House Candidate Natalie Maclachlan (D-Boise, District 22)
- House Candidate Soñia Galaviz (D-Boise, District 16)
- House Candidate Dom Gelsomino (R-Meridian, District 21)
IEA’s Parri said these small, informal meetings are important to protecting and enhancing public education in Idaho.
“In its 130-year history, IEA has learned that the most creative, impactful policy solutions for pressing education issues come from strong relationships between educators and their elected representatives,” Parri said. “Those relationships remain the bedrock upon which IEA can construct local and statewide policies that result in better outcomes for all educators and students.”
Earlier this week, IEA presented members with its bi-partisan list of candidate endorsements for the May 17 primary election — the result of weeks of work and more than five dozen candidate interviews by IEA’s Political Action Committee for Education or PACE.
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In the coming months, IEA’s political team will be traveling the state to discuss the legislative session with members, discuss future plans, and facilitate meetings with elected officials.
“Thank you to everyone who attended and organized the event in West Ada,” Compton said. “With political attention so often cast as partisan national debates and contentious issues, direct meetings with legislators where disagreements can be explored in good faith and common ground forged are where true breakthroughs can happen.”