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Bluum is a nonprofit organization helping Idaho become a national model for how to maximize learning outcomes for children and families.

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Key Takeaways for Idaho from the National Summit on Education

By Ray Crowell
One of the largest convenings of legislators, state superintendents, policymakers and thought leaders in the country, ExcelinEd’s annual National Summit on Education couldn’t have been timelier. The two-day event in Salt Lake City featured notable speakers and timely strategy sessions spanning a range of topics that included evolving laws, emerging trends, policy challenges and successes, and the latest innovations transforming education. With more than two dozen sessions at the conference several jumped out as most relevant for Idaho students.

NAEP Scores Hold Troubling and Good News in Both Traditional and Charter Schools

By Terry Ryan and Ray Crowell
The recent release of NAEP scores holds much troubling news for the nation’s students and some important lessons for us here in Idaho. NAEP is considered the “Gold Standard” in student performance over time across the nation’s schools. The 2022 results have triggered anguish and deep concern as our student performance, especially in math, has declined significantly since the last NAEP administration in 2019. Educators and policy makers were expecting to see a decline because of COVID-19 and the school closures it precipitated. In much of the country and for our neediest students these declines were worse than many had feared.

Idaho’s Public Charter Schools at 25: The Best is Yet to Come

— By Terry Ryan —
Going back to its creation story in the last quarter of the 20th century, the public charter school bargain in America called for an exchange of operational freedom for schools in return for accountability tied to results. As far back as the 1970s the University of Massachusetts-Amherst education professor Ray Budde proposed letting teachers create semi-autonomous schools that would combine enhanced teacher freedom and flexibilities with stringent accountability for student results.

More of a Professional Than a Student

— By Kristen McCarver —
“I love seeing their faces every day, and especially love seeing their excitement.” Paige Pence is a third-year Kindergarten teacher at North Idaho STEM Charter Academy in Rathdrum. She’s also a school alumna. Teaching was always on the table as a career path for Paige. Her interest was piqued when North Idaho STEM offered an opportunity for students to serve as teaching assistants as a high school elective.

Idaho Needs to Get Creative to Meet its School Facilites Challenge

— By Keith Donahue and Terry Ryan —
As America’s second fastest growing state, Idaho’s student population continues to grow. This comes as little surprise for any of us that visit schools in our fastest growing communities. You see it in the hallways and in the lines of traffic as parents let their children off for school in the mornings. From 2012-13 to 2021-22 our K-12 student enrollment grew from 264,760 to 319,159; a net gain of 54,399 students.

New Leadership for a New School Year

Bluum is committed to ensuring Idaho’s children reach their fullest potential by cultivating great leaders and innovative schools. Research shows that quality school leadership is a primary driver for improving student achievement, which is why we support our partner schools in seeking out the very best education leaders they can find from across the state and the nation.