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Let Learning Grow: The Seven Values that Bind Idaho’s Charter Schools
By Terry Ryan
“Let Learning Grow” is the tagline for Bluum. While Bluum is an organization committed to expanding and strengthening Idaho’s public charter school sector, what matters most are the values that unite Bluum and its partner schools. Bluum is as much an idea as it is an organization. The Bluum idea of “Let Learning Grow” is animated by seven core values that shine through our partner schools:
• Learning
• Family
• Citizenship
• Community
• Leadership
• Purpose
• Persistence
Each of these values tells part of the story of what makes great schools possible. But they are more than words on a page. They show up every day in our partner schools’ classrooms, hallways, and communities across the Gem State. Some values may run deeper in certain school models than others, but a version of these principles flows through all of our partner schools. School choice animated by these values is how American education can deliver on its promise of preparing students for life, citizenship, and a sense of purpose and meaning.
In this video series, we’ll explore each of these seven values and see how they come to life in Bluum partner schools. Through the voices of educators, students, and families, you’ll see how learning grows when schools commit to these principles.
Each video highlights one of these core values—showing how they shape culture, inspire students, and strengthen communities. Together, they reveal what the Bluum idea of “Let Learning Grow” looks like in action.
Let’s begin with the first value: Learning. Noah Webster, in his 1828 Dictionary, defined learning as “gaining knowledge by instruction or reading, by study, by experience or observation; acquiring skill by practice.” He also described learning as “acquired knowledge or ideas in any branch of science or literature; erudition; literature; science.” While we could expand on this definition, it serves well as a first principle.
Family. The primary unit for transmitting learning and values is the family. Effective schools work with families—irrespective of structure, whether nuclear, single-parent, extended, blended, or adoptive—to educate children. It is a team effort. Bluum schools work with and for families, but they are also families themselves. Great schools are extended families. It is a team effort. Bluum schools work with and for families, but they are also families themselves. Great schools are extended families. They look out for one another. They stand together when the going gets tough.
Citizenship. James Madison wrote, “Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives.” He warned that “a popular government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both.” In our politically charged and often divided times, shared citizenship is more important than ever. Our schools play a central role in forming citizens who can sustain a free society.
Community. Family and community are the pillars that support citizenship. Strong communities are built on strong families and engaged citizens. Aristotle reflected on this interconnectedness when he observed in the fourth century BC, “What is the essence of life? To serve others and to do good.” Our schools serve as anchors within their communities, and our children are reflections of the families and communities that shape them.
Leadership. Joe Albertson believed deeply in the importance of leadership and results. These ideas run through Bluum’s work. If one theme has remained constant throughout Bluum’s decade of work in Idaho, it is the belief that outstanding leadership forms the foundation of excellent schools. This belief shapes how Bluum identifies, invests in, and supports school leaders across the state.
Purpose. Our partner schools have distinct purposes based on the students they serve, the models they deliver, and the communities they represent. Purpose gives meaning to their work. Through their schools, students learn that life makes the most sense when it is guided by a sense of purpose.
Persistence. Few endeavors in public education are more challenging than starting a public charter school. Even with the help and support of Bluum and other partners, launching a charter school is filled with obstacles—from securing land and financing facilities to navigating local politics and agencies, and building a team of educators capable of delivering on the mission. It requires resilience, determination, and persistence.
Together, these seven values—Learning, Family, Citizenship, Community, Leadership, Purpose, and Persistence—form the foundation of the Bluum idea. They guide the work of our partner schools and shape the environments where students grow, families engage, and communities strengthen. When these values take root, schools become more than places of instruction—they become places where character is formed, opportunity expands, and the promise of education comes alive. That is what it means to truly let learning grow.
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