House Education Committee Approves Final Bill in Students Come First

The House Education Committee approved Senate Bill 1184 on a 12-6 vote Tuesday.  Senate Bill 1184 is the third and final bill in the Students Come First plan. The bill now heads to the full House for approval.

The other two bills in the Students Come First bill have been signed into law.

Here are excerpts from debate in the House Education Committee on Tuesday:

“We’ve been working towards this for over a decade.  We’re in what I consider a natural evolvement of proper use of technology.  This isn’t startling to me at all.  It’s just something we ought to be doing…There’s just too much good in this bill, and a lot of previous planning has gone into this.  It’s a natural evolvement of the more effective use of technology to the betterment of our students.”
- Representative Mack Shirley, Vice Chair of House Education Committee

“Because we didn’t step up and bite the bullet sooner, we’re biting the bullet now…Where do we start if we don’t start now?”
- Representative Pete Nielsen

“History shows that inefficiencies are pushed aside and replaced in every field of human endeavor.  We went from quill pens to typewriters to word processors… Now we see this pressure for change and for reduction of inefficiency has been brought to the fore by our lack of money to sustain the old model.  We simply don’t have the money to sustain it…Over the next 5-10 years we will have schools in the state that are better equipped to teach our young people to compete in the world that we know is not coming but is already here.”
- Representative Stephen Hartgen

“The investment in technology is less than 2% of the total budget that we’re spending, and the reason that you buy tools in a business is to reduce costs and increase productivity.”
- Representative Steven Thayn

~ Melissa M.

JFAC Sets Public Schools Budget

The Idaho Legislature’s budget-setting committee today approved a 1.3 percent reduction for K-12 public schools next fiscal year.

“No one is pleased with having to reduce funding for Idaho’s schools a third year in a row, but considering the much deeper cuts that were anticipated at the beginning of January, I must give credit to Idaho’s legislators and the Governor for working with me on this budget,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “We have continued to put students first by working to preserve funding for Idaho schools in this tough economic time and to reform our public education system so we can educate more students at a higher level with limited resources.”

To do this, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and Superintendent Luna put forward the Students Come First plan, a comprehensive way for the state to spend the money it currently has differently. Two of the three bills in the Students Come First plan have been signed into law. Senate Bill 1184 has been approved by the Senate and is on its way to the House.

The FY2012 public schools budget approved in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) today reflects the beginning of these education reforms in Idaho. Here are highlights of the budget:

• Salaries and benefits: The budget will decrease the money the state sends to districts and public charter schools for teacher, administrator and classified staff salaries by 1.67 percent. The budget does provide funding to increase the minimum teacher pay to $30,000 a year and to restore education credits and fund one year of experience on the salary grid for teachers, which has been frozen the past two years.
• Dual credit for high school students: The budget includes $850,000 for high school students to take dual credit courses if they have completed state graduation requirements.
• New high school graduation requirements: The budget includes $5.8 million to fund the new high school graduation requirements for the Class of 2013. Under these new requirements, students must take three years of math and three years of science as well as complete a college entrance exam, such as the ACT or SAT.  
• Classroom technology: The budget provides more than $13 million to give Idaho teachers the tools they need in the classroom. Of this funding, $10 million will go toward instructional technology in the classroom and $3 million for professional development.
• Idaho Math Initiative, Idaho Reading Initiative, and ISAT Remediation: The budget maintains level funding for these key initiatives at $9.4 million.

The fiscal year 2012 budget begins July 1, 2011. The appropriations bill approved in JFAC today now goes to the full House and Senate for approval.

~ Melissa M.

Idaho Senate Approves Final Bill in Students Come First Plan

The Idaho Senate approved the final bill in the Students Come First plan on a 20-15 vote.

“We are another step closer to reforming Idaho’s public education system,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “I thank the senators for their passionate debate, hearing from the public, considering the facts, and voting accordingly.”

Senate Bill 1184 is the third bill in the Students Come First education reform package put forward by Superintendent Luna and Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter. The first two bills have already been signed into law. The third bill stabilizes the public schools budget next year and reforms the classroom to ensure every Idaho student is prepared for the 21st century.

The third bill now moves on to the House Education Committee for consideration.

~ Melissa M.

Third Bill in Students Come First Reform Package Moves to Full Senate

On a 6-3 vote, the Senate Education Committee approved the third bill in the Students Come First education reform package. The bill now heads to the full Senate for approval.

The bill approved today is a revised version of Senate Bill 1113. The new bill reforms the classroom and stabilizes the public schools budget next year. Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter has already signed into law the other two parts of the education reform package.

“I am pleased with the compromise senators reached on this bill,” Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna said. “It gives our local school districts the additional flexibility they requested while still reforming our classrooms to give teachers and students the tools they need to raise academic achievement.”

Here are the highlights of Senate Bill 1184, the third bill in Students Come First education reform package:

• Local control: The bill gives Idaho school districts the local control and flexibility they requested in setting budgets next year. It no longer increases the student-teacher ratio to find cost savings.
• Teacher pay: The bill increases the minimum teacher pay to $30,000 a year, restores education credits in the salary grid, and funds further movement on the grid for teachers. The salary grid for teachers has been frozen for the past two years.
• More parent involvement: The bill empowers parents by giving them access to local school district budgets and master agreements online as well as a fiscal report card for every school district in Idaho.
• One-to-one ratio: The bill implements a one-to-one ratio of students to mobile computing devices in every public high school within five years. Idaho’s high school teachers will receive these devices and professional development first in Fall 2012. Students will have access to these devices in the classroom beginning in Fall 2013.
• Advanced classroom technology: The state will give teachers the tools they need in the classroom by investing $10 million a year for instructional technology and $3 million for professional development.
• Online courses: The bill directs the State Board of Education to develop an online course requirement for the Class of 2016.
• Statewide task force: The bill creates a statewide task force to develop plans for implementing the one-to-one mobile computing devices, advanced classroom technology, and online course requirement. The task force will include superintendents, principals, classroom teachers, educational technology experts, representatives of the business community, leaders of educational stakeholder groups, and legislators.

~ Melissa M.

Third Bill in Students Come First Introduced Today

The Senate State Affairs Committee this morning approved the introduction of the third bill in the Students Come First plan. Senator John Goedde, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, introduced the new bill. It will likely be heard in his committee next week.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna is pleased with the compromise that has been put forth by senators. This bill will give school districts the additional flexibility they requested.  It will still stabilize the public schools budget and give our schools the technology and tools they need to educate more students at a higher level with limited resources.

Here are highlights of the new bill: 

• More flexibility in funding: The bill revises Senate Bill 1113 to give Idaho school districts more flexibility in dealing with less money next year. The new bill does not increase the student-teacher ratio. Rather, it leaves those decisions up to local school boards, which is what school districts requested throughout public testimony.
• Teacher pay: The bill increases the minimum teacher pay to $30,000 a year, restores the education credits in the salary grid that have been previously frozen, and funds further movement on the grid for teachers.
• One-to-one ratio: The new bill will still implement a one-to-one ratio of mobile computing devices in every public high school within five years, but now Idaho’s high school teachers will receive these devices first before they are distributed for students to use in the classroom. Teachers will receive the mobile devices in Fall 2012.
• Classroom technology: The state will give teachers the tools they need in the classroom by investing $10 million a year for instructional technology and $3 million for professional development.
• Online courses: The bill directs the State Board of Education to develop the online course requirement for the Class of 2016.
• Statewide task force: The bill defines the role and membership of a statewide task force to develop plans for the implementation of the online courses, one-to-one mobile computing devices, and advanced classroom technology. The task force will include superintendents, principals, classroom teachers, educational technology experts, representatives of the business community, leaders of educational stakeholder groups, and legislators.

A full comparison of the new bill and Senate Bill 1113 is available online.

~ Melissa M.

Governor Signs First Two Education Reform Bills into Law

Governor C. L. “Butch” Otter issued the following statement today after signing Senate Bills 1108 and 1110 into law, completing the first two-thirds of his effort with Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna to enact their Students Come First proposals for Idaho public schools.

“I had the privilege of signing into law today two bills that have been a long time coming, have been publicly vetted and debated to an unprecedented degree, and will improve the ability of our public schools to fulfill their mission of educating Idaho’s children. But our work is not done. We are committed to continuing our work with lawmakers and stakeholders on legislation to provide students and educators with the technology and flexibility they need to be successful in an increasingly competitive world.” 

Most Valuable Class in Apangea’s online math competition selected

Students in Mr. Trent Mercia’s class of Ellis Elementary in Pocatello have been honored as Most Valuable Class (MVC) for their outstanding efforts during the Apangea i2 Math Challenge competition. The competition pitted Indiana students against Idaho students to see which state could complete the most math problems using the Apangea’s differentiated online math program.  Students in the Most Valuable Class demonstrated a true commitment to academic excellence by logging onto computers well past school hours and on weekends.

Launched on Feb. 1, the month-long contest was the first state-versus-state math challenge. Indiana and Idaho students in grades 4-12 earned points for their state’s team for every problem solved.  While Idaho did not take home the i2 trophy, the state is thrilled to celebrate the top students in each region and the Most Valuable Class. 

"I am so proud of Idaho students. They never cease to amaze me," Idaho Superintendent Tom Luna said. "They worked hard and spent thousands of hours in the month of February solving math problems. Congratulations to the MVC and regional winners and all those who took part in this great competition."

Here are the Regional Student Awardees for the i2 contest:
Region 1: Sean Hirtle, Mullan Trail Elementary, Post Falls School District &
               Beau Garland, Twin Lakes Elementary, Lakeland School District
Region 2: Dustin Houston, Northwest Childrens Home Education Center, Lewiston School District
Region 3: Tanmay Shetye, White Pine Elementary, Boise School District &
               Garrisen Cizmich, Idaho Virtual Academy
Region 4: Josh Allen, Twin Falls High School, Twin Falls School District
Region 5: Emilee Johnston, Gate City Elementary, Pocatello School District
Region 6: Daylan Bird, Mountain View Middle, Blackfoot School District

The MVC will be awarded with a trophy, t-shirts, certificates, plus lunch served by Superintendent Luna and other special quests.  One of the regional winners will be selected to win a $600 grand-prize package. 

Students in both states spent more than 60,000 hours solving problems on Apangea Math, earning a combined total of more than 15 million points by logging on at school, home and even the library, as part of the Idaho’s Online@YourLibrary program.

Apangea Math is part of the Idaho Math Initiative, a statewide initiative to raise student achievement in mathematics across all grades. Through Apangea’s online supplemental math and tutoring programs, thousands of Idaho students have received extra assistance in school and at home in the evenings and on the weekends.

~ Melissa M.