State of Idaho Archives: on Education
Brad Little:
Local and parental control of schools
I oppose the federalization of our education system. I support local and parental control of our public schools.
Parents and teachers play an integral role in ensuring our children are getting the most out of the classroom.
Source: 2018 Idaho Gubernatorial website BradLittleForIdaho.com
Sep 1, 2017
Brad Little:
Invest in public school teacher salary increases
Education policy requires long-term planning and commitment. These past four years, Idaho has a successful record of responsible investment in education. We have increased the budget for our schools by 32%. This past year, Idaho teachers received one
of the nation's largest year-to-year pay increases.As Governor, I will continue our momentum and be an unrelenting advocate for educational excellence in our state. To amplify the voices of those on the front lines of education, I will create a
Children's Cabinet to advise me throughout my term on a variety of education issues. My Children's Cabinet will consist of traditional education stakeholders, parents, and groups across our state dedicated to advocating for children.
Our Task Force on
Public Education and its five-year plan has been the envy of other states. It has been the force behind an unprecedented, sustained effort to improve Idaho education.
My budget recommends the next phase of increased teacher salaries.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to Idaho legislature
Jan 7, 2019
Brad Little:
Doubled funding for literacy; don't rely on property tax
As state elected leaders, our constitutional obligation to K-12 public education is clear. Article 9 Section 1 states it is our duty "to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools." I want to thank the
Legislature for joining me last year in passing significant investments in public education. We raised starting teacher pay. We increased funds available for Opportunity Scholarships. We doubled funding for one of my highest priority areas--literacy.
We cannot simply rely on the good hearts of teachers any longer to retain an effective teaching workforce in Idaho. We must pay them competitively. Your property taxes shoulder a growing share of teacher salaries and operating expenses in our school
districts. It's out of balance and not sustainable. I propose we put an additional $30 million in ongoing General Fund as a down payment to continue increasing teacher pay over the next several years. Performance criteria will ensure accountability.
Source: 2020 Idaho State of the State address
Jan 6, 2020
Brad Little:
Direct state colleges & universities to work together
I have directed our universities, community colleges, and the State Board of Education to adopt a fresh approach to meeting the needs of Idaho students and businesses by working together. I am recommending the development of cybersecurity programs
that will be offered jointly by Boise State University, Idaho State University, and University of Idaho. This increased level of collaboration will offer Idahoans a path to earn a degree in a high-demand profession by partnering with Idaho employers.
Source: 2020 Idaho State of the State address
Jan 6, 2020
Brad Little:
Make sure all students can read by end of third grade
With all the disruptions in education delivery over the past ten months, many of Idaho's students are experiencing a learning loss. We must close the achievement gap. To help, my "Building Idaho's Future" plan recommends investments in literacy--my
highest priority in education.We must ensure this school year is an anomaly--not a permanent system-wide flaw for Idaho's students in the next decade or more. We must make sure all young students are on track to read by the end of the third grade.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2021
Brad Little:
Add $47 million in ongoing funding to literacy programs
It all starts with literacy. Today, I propose adding $47 million in ongoing funding to literacy programs--to build on the reading success that parents instill at home. Local school districts across Idaho, with input from families, will decide how best
to deploy the resources. Literacy has been my top priority because it just makes sense. Our investments in education later on will have more impact if we can work with families to get more students to read proficiently early on.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 10, 2022
Brad Little:
Empowering Parents grants let families control education
Last year, we served 18,000 Idaho families and 46,000 students with grants to help cover educational needs outside the classroom. And now, to build on our success, I am proposing $50 million for the new Empowering Parents grants.
The grants will cover things such as computers, tutoring, internet connectivity and other needs so students have the best chance for success. The Empowering Parents grants put families in control of their child's education, as it should be.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 10, 2022
Brad Little:
Double scholarships for members of Idaho National Guard
I want to invest in the soldiers and airmen of the Idaho National Guard. My plan doubles our investment in scholarships for Guardsmen, which boosts our efforts to get more Idahoans to sign up for the Guard. Military service has always been one of the
most honorable ways for a person to serve their community, state, and country. We are so grateful to our Guardsmen and all military service members and veterans for all they have done and continue to do to promote freedom and peace in our country.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 10, 2022
Butch Otter:
No major school improvement measures, just progress
My highest priority remains public schools. You will find that my budget recommendation includes increased funding for K-12 education. However, I do NOT seek to simply revisit issues related to school improvement that were raised in the recent election.
Instead, I've asked the State Board of Education to assemble a broad cross-section of stakeholders to study the message voters sent us and identify elements of school improvement on which there is broad agreement. I'm convinced that acting too quickly or
without due deliberation will generate needless distraction from our goals of improving efficiency, effectiveness, transparency and accountability in our education system. Let me say it again: I am neither calling for nor expecting major school
improvement measures this year. But I believe there are areas in which we can make progress, and I encourage you and all citizens to engage in that public discussion. It's our very best chance to strengthen the foundation of our future.
Source: Idaho 2013 State of the State Address
Jan 7, 2013
Butch Otter:
Replace "K-thru-12" with "K-thru-Career"
My education task force recognized the importance of the increased academic rigor we will see by successfully implementing the Idaho Core Standards. The task force recommendations are already inspiring promise to make the idea
of "K-through-12" education obsolete. The standard for Idaho's commitment to education excellence and workforce readiness can perhaps better be characterized as "K-through-Career."
It is a straightforward but profound way of describing our goals for building out and maintaining a continuum of education and training opportunities. It is a formula that emphasizes local autonomy and
accountability as the keys to success not only for our schools but also for our communities, our economy, and most importantly for our students.
Source: 2014 Idaho State of the State speech
Jan 6, 2014
Butch Otter:
Need to increase access to college education
Along with insisting on transparency and robust local accountability, the foundation we're building will advance our goal of ensuring that 60 percent of Idaho citizens between the ages of
25 and 34 have a college degree or professional-technical certification by 2020.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2016
Butch Otter:
Imperative that reading outcomes are improved
Let me impress upon you the urgent need to address the cornerstone of successful lifelong learning--reading proficiency. If we're serious about wanting long-term improvement in school outcomes, we must intensify our efforts to provide the kind of proven
support that works for students who struggle to develop reading skills. My budget includes $10.7 million to pay for intervention support for students in kindergarten through third grade who are not yet proficient on the state reading indicator.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2016
Butch Otter:
Career ladders will attract and retain school staff
Overall, I'm calling for a 7.9-percent increase in public school funding, including more than $38 million to continue putting the teacher career ladder in place. And I'm asking for almost $1.8 million to move such non-instructional school staff as
counselors, nurses and speech pathologists onto the career ladder. I believe implementing the career ladder--based on specific student success measures--is essential to attracting and retaining the best teachers for Idaho schools.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2016
Butch Otter:
$5M for professional development for teachers
Success in teacher retention also means continuing investment in their professional development. So I'm asking for an investment of $5 million for professional development aimed specifically at mentoring new teachers. I support Superintendent Ybarra's
request to fully restore pre-recession levels of operating funds to school districts. Our Task Force recommended a five-year plan for that process. But the timeline can be cut to three years by approving my recommendation for nearly $30 million.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2016
Butch Otter:
Move to `mastery-based' learning from `seat time'
The Task Force recommends moving Idaho to a voluntary "mastery-based" education system. That's one in which teachers are encouraged to provide individualized learning focused on mastery of subject-matter
content and concepts rather than classroom "seat time." My fiscal 2017 budget includes $1.1 million to support up to 20 school districts in developing model programs for others to follow throughout Idaho.
Source: 2016 State of the State speech to Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2016
Butch Otter:
$58M to make public school teacher pay competitive
My first and most significant recommendation is for an ongoing allocation of $58 million to continue implementing the career ladder pay model for our public school teachers. Along with the $75 million that we invested in that effort during the past
two years, this new and largest tranche will keep us on track to reaching our five-year funding goal for attracting and retaining more of the best and brightest educators available. I'm also calling for an ongoing investment of $2.5 million a year
for leadership training of principals in low-performing schools.As we work to improve the competitiveness of Idaho's teacher pay, it's critical that we have a solid basis for rewarding excellence. Looking beyond the recent challenges that we've
experienced with teacher evaluations, this training will help ensure that school administrators can professionally, thoroughly and meaningfully assess teacher effectiveness and help guide their professional growth.
Source: 2017 State of the State address to Idaho Legislature
Jan 9, 2017
Butch Otter:
Focus on student outcomes
To ensure we have effective teachers leading that effort in every Idaho classroom, my Executive Budget calls for providing nearly $42 million in 2019 for the 4th year of implementing our career-ladder system for educators. Shifting how we fund teacher
salaries from years of service to student outcomes represents a significant ongoing investment in human capital--supporting teachers' professional development while establishing a long-term blueprint for teacher recruitment and retention.
Source: 2018 Idaho State of the State address
Jan 8, 2018
David Roth:
Incentivize states to invest more in education
I will fight for more coordinated efforts to bring critical resources to our schools and communities. I would like to see more incentives that encourage states to increase their own investments in education, especially early childhood programs.
When Idaho invests in our kids, the federal government should be there to strengthen that investment with more dollars, more tools and more resources for our classroom teachers.
Source: 2022 Idaho Senate campaign website RothForIdaho.org
May 22, 2022
Dirk Kempthorne:
Reading Initiative: 90% of 3rd graders reading by 2004
Only 50 percent of Idaho children are reading at grade level by the third grade. This makes the Reading Initiative critical to Idaho. We know we are making progress because we have defined a benchmark, we’ve taken a measurement, we have outstanding
teachers involved, and there’s a synergy out there. We know the mission. We should lay out further goals. We should all agree that one year from now, 60% will be reading at grade level. And the following year, 70%. And by the end of 2004, 90%.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 8, 2001
Dirk Kempthorne:
Exit standards for high school via SAT-like exam
In 2005, we must and will have standards in place for our students. I have had high school students ask me: “do you believe that there should be exiting standards?” And I tell the students: “absolutely”. And I’m going to suggest to you that we no
longer use the term “exiting standards” with regard to these students. These are achievement standards. A model that I’m suggesting to the State Board of Education is similar to the SAT format, where a student who does not succeed on the first test
will have the opportunity to study further and then take it again.
In fact, you may have three bites at the apple. And there’s no penalty if you take the test again. In fact, maybe you’ve already passed it,
but you’d still like to take it again and improve on your scores. But our students are going to know what’s necessary for graduation, and they will have to pass the test to receive their diploma.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 8, 2001
Dirk Kempthorne:
Supports charter schools and innovative classrooms
Read the list of the innovative grants we’ve awarded-and look at what the teachers of Idaho can do. They said that with a few dollars, we can do innovative things. And they did it in a classroom where we gave them an additional $500. I support and I
believe in charter schools. In essence, what we have created with this program in schools throughout the state are charter classrooms for $500 each. It worked [because] we encouraged innovation without a guaranteed result and without penalizing failure.
Source: 2001 State of the State address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 8, 2001
Ed Humphreys:
Problems in education will be solved through school choice
Problems in education will be solved by returning power to families and teachers through school choice. Nothing will have a more positive impact on wage growth for teachers and protect the free exchange of ideas in public education than school choice.
Our state universities teach ideologies counter to Idahoans values. Even worse, families have little power over how children are educated in public schools.
Whether knowingly or not, some of our state government is supporting anti-American activists with our tax dollars.
From special interest "science" to racist indoctrination, there is a taxpayer funded support structure to market socialist and communist ideas.
Source: 2021 ID Gubernatorial campaign website EdForIdaho.com
Oct 4, 2021
Gary Jones:
Leadership & local control will improve schools
I believe Idaho's greatest resource is our children. Despite words, task forces and good intentions, our system is failing many of our students. Idaho ranks 39th in high school graduation rates and only 20 percent of our kids are college
and career ready when they graduate. We must do better. Many of the answers to achieving excellence in education already exist. What we need is relentless leadership, local control and the ability to scale what is working.
Source: Magic Valley Times-News OpEd for 2018 Idaho Governor race
Apr 8, 2017
Janice McGeachin:
Children should not be taught to hate America nor each other
Education is one of our traditional values. I do not support cronyism that costs Idaho's taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. Idaho needs an education system that prepares young people to live productive lives, not one that indoctrinates them in
Marxist, socialist ideology. Our children should not be taught to hate America nor to hate each other. I have assembled a Task Force that will soon begin assessing these issues.Yesterday evening,
I was on Tucker Carlson Tonight to talk about our efforts to Make Idaho Free Again. Our state and our country are under attack. The radical left is working overtime to undermine our individual rights, compromise our state sovereignty,
and obliterate our traditional conservative values. They are infiltrating our schools and universities with Marxist indoctrination and the lies and fallacies of critical race theory.
Source: 2021 ID Senate campaign website JaniceForIdaho.com
Aug 25, 2021
Janice McGeachin:
Supports internships, apprenticeship training, trade schools
I have long been a strong supporter of internships, apprenticeship training, and trade schools. It's why I serve as President of the Career Technical Education Foundation Board.
In Idaho's schools, we will teach our kids how to build, design, engineer, cook, serve, compute, barber, and work as police, firefighters, nurses, doctors, electricians, and plumbers.
Source: 2021 ID Senate campaign website JaniceForIdaho.com
Aug 25, 2021
Jerry Brady:
Evaluate and reward teachers
We'd like to focus on evaluating teachers based on student performance. This is a tough one for teachers to swallow. Remember: In the good/bad teacher report, the good teachers worked under the same conditions as the poor teachers.
And clear measurements of success can be and have been written. No, spending money alone won't work. But if good teachers make so much of a difference, it only makes sense to reward them disproportionately.
Source: Idaho Falls Post-Register "Reward Good Teaching"
Feb 1, 2002
Jerry Sturgill:
Investments in education are investments in our future
My Mom was a high school teacher and I attended public schools. At college I studied economics and I have spent my whole career as a lawyer and businessman working to help businesses do better.
I have volunteered at my kid's schools and been on a school board. I know that investments in education are investments in our future.
They promote the health of our economy and our society.High school graduation rates in Idaho have hovered below 80% for the last several years. Only 53% of high school graduates continue on to college. That is the lowest number in this country.
For those lucky enough to go to college, 72% of them will leave college with an average of $26,091 in debt. More than 50% of those who attend college in Idaho leave Idaho within four years after their graduation.
Source: 2016 Idaho Senate campaign website Sturgill4Senate.com
Aug 31, 2016
Jim Risch:
Local decisions on education dollars, not federal
The responsibility of educating our youth lies first with parents and also with local school officials. Parents and local school boards know our children best and they should decide what should be taught and how our education dollars should be
spent, not the federal government.Nevertheless, there is a proper role for the federal government in education. The federal government can assist and partner with state and local school districts and provide support for needed educational objectives.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2020 Idaho Senate race
Apr 3, 2008
Michael Crapo:
Preserve state and local decision-making authority
In Congress, I have consistently worked to enact laws that achieve increased support for public education and preserve decision-making authority for states, local communities and especially local school boards.
It is important that we provide a strong foundation for education, as is referenced in the above quote. However, there is a proper role for federal support of education.
The federal government can provide resources, research, incentives and direct support for needed educational objectives. Programs like Headstart, IDEA,
Impact Aid, EPSCoR, vocational-technical education and child nutrition programs are just a few of the important successes we have achieved in this arena.
Source: Vote-USA.org on 2011 Idaho Senate incumbents
Jan 11, 2011
Nancy Harris:
Education without massive debt
Q: What is your political philosophy?A: In Idaho, we care about our neighbors and those who are in our communities. We want our kids to get a good education without being saddled with massive debt.
We want our kids to have the opportunities to do meaningful work that pays well and does not pollute our environment.
Source: Ballotpedia.org Candidate Connection: 2020 Idaho Senate race
Sep 9, 2019
Nancy Harris:
Protect public education from privatization
- Provide early childhood education for all children
- Protect public education from privatization to ensure that all children have an equal chance at success
- Make higher education affordable
- Expand grants
- Make student loans affordable
- Advocating for Working Families
Source: 2020 Idaho Senate website NancyHarrisForSenate.com
Feb 5, 2020
Natalie Fleming:
Allow bankruptcy filers to clear student debt
Put an end to predatory student lending by allowing bankruptcy filers to clear student debt. The threat of bankruptcy will force banks into reasonable repayment options. Banks will stop pursuing naive 18-year-olds, loan less money, and sucker
fewer students into believing they can easily pay the massive loan off later. Universities that want to survive must choose to adapt. It's called the free market economy and it works.
Source: 2022 Idaho Senate campaign website NatalieIsAwesome.com
Jun 28, 2022
Nels Mitchell:
More funding for schools, from property tax, not sales tax
As the Idaho Legislature struggles to set education funding, Mitchell says Idahoans would do well to remember the root cause of today's misery: "During his seven months as fill-in governor, Jim Risch started the 'race to the bottom' in our schools, and
he owes an apology to the people of Idaho.""In 2006, Risch sold the legislature on a wrong-headed plan to swap public schools' property tax funding for an increase in the sales tax," Mitchell said. "He promised us schools wouldn't lose money.
The fact is, they lost big--$50 million in one fell swoop, and that was just the beginning."
Mitchell said Risch's scheme raised the sales tax by a penny, which impacted all Idaho families, while the concurrent property tax cut mostly benefited
big corporations, and wealthy Idahoans. They got hefty breaks while Idaho families paid more in sales tax and often more in property tax as well because of override levies. "The future of our state lies in our public education system," Mitchell said.
Source: 2014 Senate Campaign web, NelsMitchellForIdaho.com, "P.R."
Mar 5, 2014
Paulette Jordan:
Spending wiser will help create funds to invest in education
We can improve the source of funding to our public schools through smarter spending. By eliminating avoidable costs to our state such as expensive and unnecessary legal conflicts, costly contracts to house Idaho prisoners in other states, and tax
loopholes for big corporations, we will have more money to direct to our state's students. My first priority is to invest in an opt-in statewide universal preschool program, where these additional education dollars will have the highest return.
Source: 2018 Idaho Governor campaign website JordanForGovernor.com
May 15, 2018
Paulette Jordan:
Invest in STEM technology in high school to drive economy
I want to grow Idaho's information technology sector by investing in STEM education at the high school level, so that our state has the workforce to create and drive a booming tech industry.
I will also help foster public-private partnerships between our universities, technology companies, and the Idaho National Lab in order to expand job opportunities for Idaho's students in the information technology sector.
Source: 2018 Idaho Governor campaign website JordanForGovernor.com
May 15, 2018
Rex Rammell:
Department of Education is unconstitutional; eliminate it
Rammell, when asked if there are government programs that should be cut, said, "It would be easier to list the programs we should keep."
He claims the Department of Education is unconstitutional and should be eliminated.
Source: 2008 Idaho Senate Debate reported in Boise Weekly City Desk
Oct 9, 2008
Ron DeSantis:
Provide parents with means to enforce state standards
While it is important to embrace high academic standards and to measure student achievement, the FSA test is not the best way to do it. I am proposing the elimination of the FSA and replacing it with periodic progress monitoring. This will lead to
meaningful feedback for parents and teachers and reduce the time dedicated to testing, leaving more time for learning. This reform will be better for students, teachers and parents, and it will help Florida remain a leader in education reform.
Florida has enacted a Parents' Bill of Rights and we reject the notion that parents shouldn't have a say in what their kids learn in school. Indeed, Florida law should provide parents with the right to review the curriculum used in their children's
schools. We should provide parents with recourse so that state standards are enforced, such as Florida's prohibition on infusing subjects with critical race theory in our classrooms.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 11, 2022
Stephen Heidt:
Idaho is suffering from its tight-fisted funding for schools
We need tuition-free technical schooling, apprenticeships, and other post-secondary education to expand access to education. It will provide Idahoans equal opportunity and reduce incarceration rates. It will enrich our community and make Idaho
a greater place to live. Fully funded education is worth investing in because, with education, you get what you pay for, and Idaho is suffering from its tight-fisted funding for schools. Failure to pay for education is the same as paying for the crime.
Source: 2022 Idaho Governor campaign website HeidtForGovernor.com
May 19, 2022
Brad Little:
Support public schools AND educational freedom
We also put the single largest ongoing investment ever into Idaho education - $330 million for public schools and $80 million for in-demand career training. The people's vote affirming tax relief and our education investments passed in every single
county, every single city, and every single legislative district. The overwhelming support of our plan means, unmistakably, Idahoans expect us to support public schools.
We are third in the nation for education freedom--measures that include spending, school choice, transparency, and regulations. Whether it is traditional public schools,
public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, or homeschooling, hundreds of schooling options are available to Idaho families.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 9, 2023
Brad Little:
$8500 scholarship for in-state post-high school education
I am very proud to announce my budget provides access to a scholarship of $8,500 starting next year to graduating high school students in Idaho to attend an Idaho university, community college, career technical or workforce training program of their
choice. Never have we provided a catalyst of this magnitude for students to "go on," in whatever way suits them. There are many pathways to success in today's economy and all pathways deserve our support.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature
Jan 9, 2023
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023