EdNC, March 16, 2022, by Mebane Rash. “Students in high-poverty schools are about half as likely to have access to highly effective teachers, compared to students in low-poverty schools,” said Johanna Anderson, executive director of The Belk Foundation, at a recent convening of their board of directors and education stakeholders. This is not a new data […]
A smart tool for helping to address Idaho’s school facilities challenge
Idaho Ed News, March 7, 2022, by Terry Ryan “Idaho had the largest percentage population growth in 2021, followed by Utah, Montana and Arizona” read the December 27th, 2021 headline. It is well known to those of us living here that our state is growing. As a result of this growth in new residents we need […]
The Great Resignation Hasn’t Hit School Teachers Yet. Here’s Why It Still Might
CNET, February 14, 2022 by Antonio Ruiz Camacho. The pandemic may be the last straw for a profession mired in stagnant pay, compounding demands and endemic burnout. The situation has some asking if the field of teaching needs a reset. It took just a simple question for Andria Nelson to grasp how different the world […]
New team-teaching model ready for breakout year
ASU News, February 8, 2022. Virtual conference convenes education leaders from around the world to consider a redesign of the classroom. America does not have a shortage of licensed teachers. It does, however, have a shortage of people who want to teach. High pressure. Low pay. Little encouragement. More responsibilities heaped on each year. These […]
Growing Idaho: Study shows need for more than 100 new schools by 2030
KTVB, February 8, 2022, by Tristan Lewis. A study commissioned by BLUUM shows there could be more than 42,000 more K-12 students in the state by 2030, compared to 2020. As the state of Idaho grows in population, Gem State school populations are growing as well. A new study by Idaho non-profit BLUUM showed Idaho […]
Idaho legislators could fund full-day kindergarten. Here’s why experts say it’s important
Idaho Statesman, January 10, 2022, by Becca Savransky. Idaho legislators this year plan to push to fund optional full-day kindergarten, a proposal experts say would help improve Idaho’s reading outcomes as children enter first grade. Lawmakers said not only will funding full-day kindergarten give more kids that extra academic time, but will also alleviate some […]
New study shows all-day kindergarten would help Idaho students make up for learning loss
Idaho Stateman, December 21, 2021, by Terry Ryan. The COVID-19 pandemic has depressed in historic fashion literacy results for elementary school children across the country. Performance on the iReady test administered nationally by Curriculum Associates showed, “compared to historical averages, fewer second and third graders were at grade level in reading (six and five percentage […]
Idaho lawmakers hoping to pass bill for all-day kindergarten in 2022, after years of attempts
KTVB7, December 17, 2021, by Tristan Lewis. Conversations surrounding free all-day kindergarten, the benefits behind it and how lawmakers want it paid for are starting up once again, as the 2022 legislative session is just weeks away. “Really, this isn’t new,” District 18 Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said. “This is a bill I’ve been working […]
Idaho’s full-day kindergarteners outpace half-day students in reading
Idaho Ed News, December 17, 2021, by Kyle Pfannenstiel. Idaho’s full-day kindergarteners are advancing their reading and writing skills faster than their peers in half-day programs, a new report shows. The research, published Thursday by North Carolina-based education firm Public Impact and Idaho charter support group Bluum, found that the state’s full-day kindergarteners started last school year behind students in half-day programs, but closed the achievement […]
4 Ways Districts Are Giving Teachers More Flexibility in Their Jobs
Education Week, May 4, 2021, by Madeline Will. The coronavirus pandemic and resulting lockdowns have permanently shifted the way many industries think about how and where people work. But will school districts follow suit and embrace workplace flexibility? The model of one teacher standing in front of a class for six or seven hours a […]
Education Lessons from the Pandemic
The Hill, March 13, 2021, by Thomas Toch and Lynn Olson. The pandemic relief package that just cleared Congress includes no less than $126 billion for schools, and there’s talk in education circles of using a portion of the money to reduce class sizes by hiring thousands of teachers to increase social distancing in schools. But scattered teacher shortages in parts […]
How Schools Should Use Funds from the American Rescue Plan to Support Students
From Chiefs for Change, March 11, 2021 Chiefs for Change is grateful to President Biden for his leadership and to Congress for approving emergency relief aid that is commensurate with the tremendous challenges America’s schools are facing amid Covid-19. As K-12 leaders prepare to receive their share of the $123 billion included in the American Rescue […]