Idaho School Choice Week Flagship Event: School Fair and the Faces of School Choice Rally at the Capitol!
Jan
24
11:15 AM11:15

Idaho School Choice Week Flagship Event: School Fair and the Faces of School Choice Rally at the Capitol!

January 24th, 2023

11:15 AM Student-Led Rally: Faces of school choice

Schools of choice, families, and community supporters of all school options.

Once again we will be hosting the Idaho flagship event for School Choice Week! Our student-led rally at the capitol will put the many faces of school choice front and center for our lawmakers during the 2023 session of the Idaho Legislature. Meet us on the steps at 11:15 AM with signs of support, yellow school choice week scarves (or wear something yellow if you can). We encourage schools of choice, families, and community supporters to attend this event to celebrate and promote school choice and all of our wonderful public school options!

10 AM - 3 PM School Fair in the Rotunda

Then, walk inside the Capitol Rotunda and check out the showcase of public school choices and homeschool offerings with our School Fair! 10 AM - 3 PM Mountain

Travel grants: Bringing a busload of students? We have travel grants to help with the cost. Signup on the main signup form to be notified when more information is available.

Check back here for details on speakers and activities including grants for charter school bus transportation and other prizes.

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The Charter School Family's Hospitality Tent at the Caldwell Winter Wonderland!
Nov
18
6:00 PM18:00

The Charter School Family's Hospitality Tent at the Caldwell Winter Wonderland!

  • In front of the Caldwell Luxe Reel Theater (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Join us at our hospitality tent for the opening night of Caldwell’s Winter Wonderland! Signup to receive 4 free hot chocolate’s and 4 free popcorns. You’ll be entered to win prizes including movie tickets, ice skating and more! Bring a chair, warm blanket, and wear your warm winter clothes. We’ll have a tent and heaters! Meet other charter school families and advocates working hard for education freedom at the Capitol.

Sign up here

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Sep
21
to Oct 28

Schools of Choice Families Meet w/Legislators

  • Meridian, Nampa/Caldwell, Twin Falls, Idaho Falls, North Idaho (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

Families of Virtual Charter Schools and Charter Schools are invited to attend a meeting with their local Legislators.

  • Discuss policies related to the oversight and regulation of virtual charter schools, in-person charter schools and school choice.

  • Express your right to choose the best public education option for your child.

  • Free Pizza provided by a local business and The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families.

  • Please RSVP so we know how much food to provide.

TBA: Locations, Dates, Times, and Legislators

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Jul
12
1:30 PM13:30

Virtual School Families Meet w/Rep. Galloway


It's time to get together!

Dear Fellow Virtual School Families:

We have arranged a meeting with Rep. Codi Galloway to visit with virtual school families.

She is a strong supporter of School Choice and public school options. She serves District 15 in Boise and served as one of our favorite school choice advocates on the House Education Committee.

We have a strong working relationship with her and wanted you to meet her directly as our records indicate you are currently (or recently) a resident of the district she represents.

As a family with a student attending a virtual charter school in Idaho, it is important that our legislators understand why families have chosen the public school option that best fits their child's needs. We believe you are the perfect messenger to advocate for school choice.

We hope you can participate. It will be a casual event where you can ask questions and hear from Rep. Galloway as well. Kids are always welcome! 


Date: Tuesday, July 12, 2022
Time: 1:30 PM Mountain Time
Location: Hobble Creek Park
6050 N Park Meadow Way, Boise, ID 83713

Tell us you’ll be there! Hello@idchartercoalition.org

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School Choice Week
Jan
24
to Jan 30

School Choice Week

Mark your calendar! January 24-30, 2021

School Choice Week is coming up in January 2021. We are inviting all school choice supporters to show up and show unity behind the school choice movement to raise public awareness and support our legislative efforts at the following events: 

MONDAY:

Virtual Idaho Education Trivia: Jan 25th, Monday, 6-8 PM

  • Answering school choice and Idaho education trivia questions correctly will allow students, parents and families to escape the game and win big prizes. RSVP Here to receive the link to the game and be entered to win!

TUESDAY: Jan 26th

  • Winners and Prizes Announced on Facebook for Trivia Game

WEDNESDAY: Virtual Panel: Wed, Jan 27, 10AM-12PM Celebrating all school choices in Idaho

  • School Choice- Special Guest Andrew Campanella of National School Choice Week discusses the school choice movement in celebration of all school options.

  • Charter Schools

  • Traditional Schools

  • Homeschooling

  • Private Schools

  • Parent Support for Online Learning Q and A

MUST BE REGISTERED ON EVENTBRITE AND ATTEND VIRTUAL EVENT WITH THE CODE PROVIDED AFTER REGISTRATION TO BE EILIGBLE FOR GREAT PRIZES! CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

THURSDAY: Wear Yellow! And Car parades in your area

  • Wear yellow, make homemade signs, and school choice week’s signature color yellow, take a pic and send to us. Most creative classroom or family will be entered to win great prizes. Bonus points for car caravans/parades in your town! RSVP

FRIDAY Call to Action- Jan 29

  • Prizes announced for “Wear Yellow” and “Car Caravan” events.

  • Call to advocacy

  • Letters, videos and meet with legislators in home district

RSVP for Trivia, Advocacy Day, and Wear Yellow/Caravan Events Here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1jZu5UnfQRTZX7W9k4epAPR380VCYYiIhPTdnBuqqvSA/edit

RSVP for Virtual Panel with Andrew Campanella and Idaho’s Education Celebration here on Event Brite

Fill out this short form and let us know you'll participate in a school choice meeting with legislators in your community.

https://forms.gle/FBSeUxSdZyvoq4Xh9

“During National School Choice Week, schools and organizations across Idaho partner with families to raise awareness about the different K-12 education options available to children. This not-for-profit effort is designed to inform and assist parents, while shining a positive spotlight on the importance of opportunity in education.”

Find out more information here.

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Idaho State Board of Education Meeting, Boise
Dec
17
9:00 AM09:00

Idaho State Board of Education Meeting, Boise

The Idaho State Board of Education will hold a virtual regular Board meeting on Thursday, December 17, 2020 starting at 9 a.m. (MST).

The meeting will be carried via livestream on the State Board’s YouTube Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7j4VGGyNzPa6g6a-zVTHnA

The public can also listen to the meeting by calling (877) 820-7831; Passcode: 7483005.

The agenda and meeting materials are posted on the State Board of Education website:
https://boardofed.idaho.gov/event/board-meeting-boise-4/

Agenda items include:

  • Consider waiving the Board rule requiring students take a college entrance exam in order to graduate from high school.  The waiver would apply to students graduating at the end of the 2020-21 school year, including the 2021 summer term.  Students normally take the exam during their junior year but it was cancelled last spring due to the pandemic meaning those students who are now seniors, had to wait until this fall to take the exam.  About 80 percent of high school seniors have taken the exam, and there are additional opportunities for seniors to take it during the national testing dates between now and the end of the spring term.

  • The Board will also hear an update on the Strong Families, Strong Students program that awards grants to families to help meet their students’ educational needs during the pandemic.  Last week, families in Wave One began receiving e-mail notifications about the status of their applications and have started to access their virtual wallets through ClassWallet®.

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Apr
6
3:00 PM15:00

LIVE ONLINE: Idaho State Board of Education Special Meeting

Idaho State Board of education Special Meeting Live Stream: : https://www.facebook.com/idsboe/

The Idaho State Board of Education will consider extending its soft closure directive to public school districts and charter schools when it holds a virtual special Board meeting on Monday, April 6, 2020 at 3 p.m. (MDT).

 

The meeting will be carried via livestream on the Board Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/idsboe/

 

The Board approved the soft closure directive on March 23rd in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

The Board will also consider waiving rules defining semester credit hours, and requesting the governor consider suspending certain statutory requirements to provide school districts added flexibility as they continue to provide student instruction and other essential services to their communities during this crisis.  The Board will also hear updates from K-12 and higher education leaders.

 

Monday’s special Board meeting agenda and materials are posted on the Board website: https://boardofed.idaho.gov/event/special-board-meeting-boise-9/

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Aug
15
7:00 AM07:00

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: Idaho Public Charter School Commission- First meeting after the illegal executive session audio revealed anti-charter bias

Attention parents! The next commission meeting is scheduled. Please click “going” or “interested” so you’ll get the reminders as the meeting nears. We plan to post the link to the audio on the day of the event.

RSVP on Facebook


UPDATE:

Hi Everyone! Looking forward to our opportunity to advocate for school choice on Thursday at the first Commission meeting post-Attorney General's decision on the illegal April PCSC Executive Session. 

If you can be there to talk about why school choice is important to you-- we really need you to!

A few things to note:

1. Recall that the illegal executive session revealed the commission's intent to close several schools. Some of the schools discussed are the only option a parent has for their child.

2. Also recall that we posted on our website a contrast between what the staff and commissioners say in public meetings versus private meetings. In Public- they say they can't close the schools.... in private, they spend two hours talking about how they will skirt the law to close them, how the governor's office/SBOE/ and legislators can be manipulated into agreeing with them. This is something the commission's staff has been trained by national organizations to do-- manipulate our elected officials.

3. Don't forget the commission held a special meeting to allow the public to "vent" and in this meeting they passed a resolution to apologize for breaking open meeting law. THIS DOES NOT MEAN THEY ARE SORRY FOR PLOTTING TO CLOSE OUR SCHOOLS WITHOUT DUE PROCESS FOR THE SCHOOLS DISCUSSED.

4. In the testimony at the special commission meeting on April 1st, we heard from school after school that claimed the commission's staff has a hit list-- and the schools on that list have experienced their data being manipulated by commission staff in an effort to paint their school as failing-- and, there is no process to have it corrected-- even after pointing it out to the staff it is still presented to commissioners incorrectly.

5. In odd news: We would share the link to the audio/video of the special meeting but Idaho Public Television tells us the commission's staff specifically asked them not to save it on their website. We've requested the audio from the meeting and will have it on our website as soon as it is received.

Parents, we need you now more than ever. Just being present will go a long way! Hope to see you there.

FROM THE COMMISSION: Updated Meeting Materials and Agenda

Dear Charter School Board Members, Administrators, and Stakeholders:
The next regular meeting of the Idaho Public Charter School Commission (PCSC) will be held on Thursday, August 15, 2019, in Boise at the Capitol Building, EW 41 at 9:00AM. If you will be submitting materials for the PCSC’s consideration, such materials are due in the PCSC office by 5:00pm MST on July 17, 2019.
Meeting materials submission policies are available on the PCSC website. It is your responsibility to read and abide by them. Materials submitted late or otherwise out of compliance with the policies will be rejected.
Reminder #1: If your school is considering submitting charter amendments for approval, please contact me prior to submitting amendments to the PCSC to discuss whether such amendments are necessary at this time. Statutory changes have minimized the role of charters in the PCSC’s accountability and oversight practices, so we would like to guide you in considering your options.
Reminder #2: If your school is considering submitting charter or performance certificate amendment(s) for approval, please contact me to establish a timeline for submission in advance of the meeting materials deadline to ensure PCSC staff has adequate time for review and to meet our statutory obligations (as applicable).
The tentative agenda for the meeting is listed below; please notify me as soon as possible if you believe your school should be added to this list:
A. Commission Work
1. Agenda Review / Approval (Action Item)
2. Minutes Review / Approval (Action Item)
B. Adoption of Charter School Performance Certificate
1. MOSAICS Public School (Action Item)
C. Oversight
1. Peace Valley Charter School – Condition Status Update (Action Item)
The meeting will begin at 9:00am; it is not possible for us to predict the time when your agenda item will be considered. The next scheduled PCSC regular meeting following the August meeting will be on October 10, 2019.

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Jul
24
4:00 PM16:00

Idaho House GOP Legislative Town Hall in Twin Falls

  • Planning and Zoning room at the County West building (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

RSVP on Facebook.

The Speaker of the House has authority to appoint a member of the public to the Public Charter School Commission. Speaker Scott Bedke and all members of the House Leadership including members of the education committee will be in Twin Falls for a Town Hall Meeting. This is the perfect opportunity to ask our legislators to hold the commission and staff accountable for the malpractice heard in the illegal executive session of the April Charter School Commission meeting. We are asking for the Attorney General's office to recuse themselves as they had staff at the illegal meeting and cannot be expected to investigate themselves. We are asking for an independent investigation. We are asking for the business of the public to be conducted in public so schools can hear what they are being accused of and have the opportunity to defend themselves.

Leaders in attendance:

Speaker of the House, Scott Bedke (Oakley)
Majority Leader, Mike Moyle
Majority Caucus Chair, Megan Blanksma
Assistant Majority Leader, Jason Monks
Rep. Lance Clow (Twin Falls)
Rep. Linda Wright Hartgen (Twin Falls)
Rep. Laurie Lickley (Jerome)
Rep. Clark Kauffman (Filer)
Rep. Fred Wood (Burley)

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Coalition at Bogus Basin Mountain
Dec
28
10:00 AM10:00

Coalition at Bogus Basin Mountain

RSVP today for FREE tickets to either the sled hill or the new Bogus Basin Mountain Coaster!

We will be set-up in the lodge area for a lunch and then for those who RSVP, we will allow charter families to head to the sled hill or mountain coaster. This is an open event for all charter parents and students in Idaho!

Lunch
12:00PM -1:00PM
FUN
1:00PM- 2:00PM

E-mail or call Coalition Manager, Murphy Olmstead to RSVP today!
murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com
208-871-3885

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Coalition at the Farmstead!
Oct
30
4:00 PM16:00

Coalition at the Farmstead!

The Coalition of Idaho Charter school Families invites you to join us at the Farmstead Corn Maze!


Join us at the Farmstead Corn Maze for an evening of fun before Halloween!

When: Tuesday, October 30th

6:00PM- 8:00PM

We will have a table set-up with food/ drinks and some great information for charter parents around the Treasure Valley! The Farmstead has activities from hayrides, farm animals, a potato sack slide and the famous corn maze!

If interested please RSVP by e-mailing

murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com

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Apr
27
1:00 PM13:00

Discovery Center of Idaho Event!

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families will be hosting a day at the Discovery Center of Idaho. As the school year is coming to a close, we wanted to reach out to share a fun and educational experience!
The first 10 people to RSVP will receive FREE admission!
 

We will be set-up at the front where we will get you to sign-in and enjoy a fun-filled day in the exhibit. If you would like to RSVP, please e-mail our Coalition Manager at murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com

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Snowshoes and Nordic Skiing at Bogus Basin
Dec
29
11:00 AM11:00

Snowshoes and Nordic Skiing at Bogus Basin

We at the Coalition invite you to join us for a fun day exploring the Nordic trails at our neighborhood hill, Bogus Basin! This is a fun way to get everyone out of the house during the holiday season and enjoy the beautiful mountain. We will provide warm drinks and snacks on the mountain. Let's hope for some snowfall the next week. 

FREE snowshoe or Nordic ski rentals for those that show up!

The first 20 to RSVP get free rentals, (ONLY 4 SPOTS LEFT) please RSVP to below.

E-mail murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com and let us know how many will be in attendance!

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Scavenger Hunt @the State Capitol!
Nov
10
8:00 AM08:00

Scavenger Hunt @the State Capitol!

Join us for a fun-filled day at the Idaho State Capitol! We will be hosting formerIdaho Attorney General, Dave Leroy, who will be speaking as William Wallace. We will also be hosting other speakers and information about our states history. There will also be a chance to win prizes in our Scavenger Hunt! We will have small snacks for the everyone but please bring your own lunch to the event.

November 10th, 2017 10:00AM – 1:00PM

Where: Idaho State Capitol Building
700 W Jefferson St, Boise, ID 83702

 

Questions?

Contact: Murphy Olmstead

Phone: 208-871-3885

Email: murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com

 

 

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Book Drive at the Moscow Public Library!
Oct
6
2:00 PM14:00

Book Drive at the Moscow Public Library!

Hello Everybody!

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families is hosting a Book Drive!                     
Moscow Public Library on October 6th from 4:00PM- 6:00PM.

 Address: 110 S. Jefferson Street Moscow, ID 83843

I hope the start of school has gone great for all of those enrolled in your charter of choice this Fall! We here at the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families are going to be in the Moscow, ID area on October 6th to host an book drive for the charter school families of the Palouse! Our mission is to promote and advocate for public policy in Idaho that furthers the advancement of charter schools and the innovations in education. In preparation for a great year, we wanted to host an event to get together those families involved with the program who want to learn more about how they can help keep our kids in their school of choice!

Please bring any old/ used books and we will collect them to donate to the Moscow Public Library!! We will be providing snacks and information at the event. Also, take some time to explore your local library and all it has to offer.

Please RSVP with Murphy Olmstead if you plan to attend.

Murphy Olmstead

PH: (208) 871-3885

murphy@wittmeyerassociates.com

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Solar Eclipse Information Session
Aug
18
10:00 AM10:00

Solar Eclipse Information Session

Information Session!

August 18th, 2017 Friday- 12-3PM 

Herrett Center for Arts & Science on the College of Southern Idaho campus

Frost Learning Lab & Eccles Library

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families is hosting an information session at the Herrett Center! We will be giving out information for the advocacy of school choice in Idaho and ways that you can get involved in the Coalition. Drinks and cookies will be provided and the museum is free to the public. We hope to see you all there!

The first 25 people that show up get free Solar Eclipse glasses!

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Capitol Day at the Legislature
Jan
27
7:00 AM07:00

Capitol Day at the Legislature

 

·         Tuesday, January 27, 2015

·         9:00am  3:00pm

·         Basque Center 

Please register by January 20, 2015 at REGISTER NOW!

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families and supporters of Education Choice for Idaho proudly announces our 2015 Capitol Day event in Boise on Tuesday, January 27th! The Capitol Steps Rally provides the opportunity to speak directly with your elected officials in Boise and let them know how important the continuation of public charter and public virtual schools are to our children as well as to the over 11,000 Idaho students and their families who are not able to benefit from charter and virtual school public education in Idaho. Please join us! This is a fun and educational way to introduce our children to the workings of state government and the legislative process.

Students may also enter the Idaho Ed Choice Video Contest for a chance to win a Chromebook for themselves and a Samsung tablet for their school, to be awarded at the Capitol Day Rally. To enter, students should create a short video (up to 90 seconds) showing what Educational Choice means to them or their family. Learn more or submit your video on the Idaho Ed Choice Facebook page.

Please register by January 20, 2015 at
REGISTER NOW!

AGENDA


12:00 to 1:15 PM - Rally on the Capitol Steps
1:30 PM - Signing of Proclamation 2nd Floor Rotunda


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Nov
1
9:00 AM09:00

The Harvest Festival Hot Dog Feast

  • 3100 S Meridian Road Meridian, Idaho 83642 (map)
  • Google Calendar ICS

The Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families Presents

The Harvest Festival Hot Dog Feast

Attention residents of legislative Districts 20, 21, 22. Want to meet your candidates? Attend our free event on November 1st! Check it out here! 

The details are below.  

November 1, 2014

11 am to 2 pm


Legacy Feed & Seed—Under the Porch!!

3100 S Meridian Road

Meridian, Idaho 83642

Meet Legislative Candidates from Districts 20, 21, 22

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