It was a slow day for K-12 education today. The House Education Committee did not meet this morning. Senate Ed Committee members passed the following bills with little debate this afternoon.
SB 1057 (http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2013/S1057.htm), sponsored by Sen. Steven Thayn (R-Emmett), would allow kindergarten teachers to visit the parents or guardians of their students during the first week of the school year, at the school district’s discretion. The bill sponsor believes these visits would allow for a stronger school-home partnership that would benefit the student. The IEA supports this legislation.
SB 1091(http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2013/S1091.htm), co-sponsored by Sen’s. Thayn and Branden Durst (D-Boise), would create a stable, long-term funding formula for the Idaho Digital Learning Academy (IDLA), Idaho’s home-grown online education delivery system. The IEA supports this legislation because it focuses on supporting the state-developed system and the Idaho educators who work for IDLA rather than spending state funds on contracts with out-of-state, for-profit education providers.
Both of these pieces of legislation now move to the full Senate.
Teacher of the Year to Address Lawmakers
On Thursday, the House and Senate Education Committees will have the pleasure of hearing from the 2013 Idaho Teacher of the Year, Katie Pemberton.
Pemberton, who was selected earlier this school year, teaches mathematics at Canfield Middle School in Coeur d’Alene.
As Idaho Teacher of the Year, Pemberton becomes Idaho’s nominee for the National Teacher of the Year. She received a $1,000 check from the Idaho State Department of Education, along with an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C. where she will have the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama. She will also attend Space Camp in Alabama.
Sen. Goedde Suffers Loss
Our condolences go out to Sen. John Goedde (R-CDA), chair of the Senate Education Committee, who lost his father last evening. Sen. Goedde has been excused from his legislative work for the past few days as he spent time with his father and other family members. Sen. Mortimer announced that Sen. Goedde will be returning to work tomorrow.
