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Idaho is focused on education |
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August 23, 2016 |
By Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter
As students start a new school year, they and
their families should be confident that Idaho is
focused on providing the opportunities and
support they need to learn and achieve. Our
five-year plan for improving education in Idaho
is well underway, and recommendations from the
Task Force for Improving Education are being
deployed in schools and districts across Idaho.
Among the most important of these is a renewed
focus on reading literacy. With an appropriation
of more than $9 million for the budget year that
began July 1, districts will be able to provide
additional support to struggling readers in
kindergarten through third grade. More immediate
and focused intervention will mean that those
students have a better chance to catch up to
grade level and be prepared to move on.
Ensuring that students master content and skills
before they advance is the basis for Idaho’s
shift to mastery based education. With help from
a cadre of Idaho educators and national experts,
the first group of 19 schools and districts are
starting to implement mastery education models
in every region of the state this year. These
incubators will pave the way for others to
transition to more individualized, project-based
learning focused on student outcomes.
We are entering the second year of increased
funding for teacher salaries through the career
ladder. Continued support for higher salaries
for educators will be critical as school
districts work to address the teacher shortage
Idaho and many other states are facing.
Continued investment in professional development
for teachers also is crucial to ensuring that
teachers have the support and opportunities they
need to grow in their profession and improve
instruction.
With an appropriation of $31 million for this
school year, we fulfilled the promise to restore
funding for district operations to pre-recession
levels two years ahead of schedule. Coupled with
an infusion of funds in other targeted areas,
Idaho has made great strides in support of our
education system.
Idaho’s programs to provide high school students
with opportunities to earn college credit or
technical certifications also continue to grow.
In addition, this year students will receive
more college and career advising with a new $5
million appropriation. While it’s a good start,
I will ask the Legislature for additional
funding for these efforts in 2017 so that
students and parents can make more informed
decisions about the future.
We hope that future leads many students to one
of Idaho’s institutions of higher learning. In
order to reach the state’s goal that 60 percent
of our citizens age 25-34 attain a postsecondary
degree or technical certification by 2020, we
need students to go on after high school.
I want to thank the 2016 Legislature for
doubling the funds for the Idaho Opportunity
Scholarship, which helps students with financial
need and merit to achieve their goal of going
on. In addition, I will ask the 2017 Legislature
to approve funding for the Adult Completion
Scholarship to help those Idahoans with some
college but no degree to come back and finish a
degree or certificate.
While we are making tremendous progress in
education, K through Career, there remains much
work to be done and additional investments are
required. The continued partnership of
educators, school boards, legislators and
education organizations is essential as we work
toward our common goal of improving education in
Idaho. I am committed to the course we have
charted and confident in the investments we are
making in Idaho’s future. |
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