The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a plethora of new and unexpected concerns for professional educators. It has also brought to the forefront issues that have been percolating and under-emphasized for years. IEA members are among those with a front-row seat for how both sets of concerns are impacting their work, as well as the…
2020 feels like we are living in a simulation of a bad version of the movie Groundhog Day and someone needs to fix the script–fast. Educators are routinely boxed into having to make impossible choices in this script. None of the choices presented leave us with any real satisfactory answers. Here are some of the…
Legislature Passes Troubling Liability Immunity Bill The centerpiece of the special (officially “extraordinary) legislative session called by Gov. Brad Little was developing legislation to grant immunity from liability to school boards and businesses. What resulted was House Bill 6, introduced by Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot, and passed by both chambers of the legislature almost completely…
Julie Underwood is the essence of the self-made, do-it-all educator. Classroom teacher? Check. Debate coach? Check. Motivated by student success? Check. Adaptable to the changes brought about by COVID-19? Check. A strong proponent of the value of the IEA and her local education association? Check. She is teaching ninth-grade English at Kimberly High School this…
The shift to emergency instruction this spring was an adjustment for educators. And for parents. But what about those who are both? In this IEA REPORTER interview, we spoke with members Sally Mitchell from Boise and Lacey Watkins from Moscow. They share their stories about the challenges created by the unexpected move to online education…
Educators Rally to Support Their Students Routines for school schedules and daily life have been turned upside down by the COVID-19 public health crisis and the steps taken to protect the safety of Idaho educators, students, and communities. The resulting turmoil has made the 2019-2020 school year one professional educators will not soon forget. Once…