Bluum is a nonprofit organization helping Idaho become a national model for how to maximize learning outcomes for children and families.
A new study that focuses on K-12 students says the school-age population in the Treasure Valley has increased by nearly 40 percent since 2000.
Parents across the country like charter public schools, and want more of them. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools released a national survey of parents last week that shows “78 percent of parents support having a charter public school in their neighborhood and 73 percent support more charter schools opening nationwide.” Further, “an equal number of parents support the idea of allowing parents to choose their child’s public school, regardless of where they live.”
It’s early Saturday morning. I’m sitting next to a friend of mine who invited me to volunteer at a leadership conference organized by the Caldwell School District’s Migrant Education Program. It is definitely a family affair, preschool-aged children fidget in between classroom tables and teens sit next to adults as they wait for day’s agenda.
The idea behind the bill is to allow the professionals who work closest with Idaho’s children to define how they view success for students and to allow them to create the environment to achieve that.
New money was the big education story coming out of this year’s legislative session in Boise. Over the next year public schools will see a $109 million increase in state funding. This is about a 7.4 percent increase in new dollars, and returns state spending on public schools to pre-recessionary levels.
Earlier this month, our team wrote a piece to celebrate International Women’s Day and acknowledge the women who work in Idaho’s education system. We thanked the many women who champion innovative ideas in education and celebrated women principals leading some of the best schools in the state.
Students from Sage International School’s Green Team presented an innovative, sustainable program to promote recycling in parks at Tuesday’s Boise City Council work session. Sage students approached Boise Parks & Recreation with their new idea for an outdoor recycling bin, named Terra Luna, which addressed the City Council’s desire to increase the number of recycling bins in Boise’s parks. Over the last 18 months Sage students, in partnership with Parks & Recreation, have worked with community businesses to refine and construct Terra Luna, which mounts onto the city’s existing trash cans.
Compass Public Charter School, located in Meridian, has expanded several times since our inception in 2005. Having started as a K-7 school with 270 students and 12 employees, Compass has grown into a K-12 school of 860 students and 74 employees. This growth has provided the school with many opportunities to learn from mistakes and to build on successes.
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