The House Education Committee approved HB 568, Rep. Marc Gibbs’ (R-Grace) bill that would allow trustees of small school districts with fewer than 1200 students to hire their spouses to serve as teachers. This is the third iteration of this legislation; the first two had flaws that needed correction.
The IEA opposes the legislation not only because it appears to sanction nepotism, but because other avenues already exist to assist districts in hiring qualified staff. Currently, there are several alternative certification routes districts can rely upon to hire qualified staff. Additionally, the Idaho Digital Learning Academy is available to offer courses to students that they are otherwise unable to access in their own districts.
