Bill provides needed funding for Idaho charter schools.

Bill provides needed funding for Idaho charter schools.

May 16, 2016 Valley Times Page 7

By Tom LeClaire, President, Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families

As a college intern for then-Idaho State Senator Terry Sverdston, Chairman of the Senate Education Committee, I worked on an issue regarding transfer students. I learned that schools receiving these students did not get funding until the next fiscal year. At the time, in 1987, the amount of money involved was so low nothing was done.

Imagine my surprise last year when I learned the Coalition of Idaho Charter School Families (CICSF) was supporting funding for schools who receive students during the school year! What was a small problem in 1987 had become a big problem by 2015. These days, there are thousands of “mobile students” because there is more school choice and parents and students frequently decide to change schools to meet their needs during the school year. One school, the Idaho Virtual Academy (IDVA), starts the year with about 2,000 students. For each of these students, IDVA provides a computer and all the textbooks, work books and reading material for an entire year of coursework. IDVA’s costs per student are approximately the same for all of their students, no matter when they enroll. Unfortunately, the State of Idaho does not pay IDVA the complete cost for “mobile students.” By January of each school year, about 500 new students transfer to IDVA. The policy creates a shortfall of approximately $1.8 million of the $2.5 million in costs associated with adding those students. It doesn’t quite put them out of business, but it certainly makes life difficult.

The Idaho Department of Education and State Board of Education studied this issue for years. Whenever they brought “stakeholders” together to talk about it, it became clear the stakeholders were only interested in keeping the status quo. After all, the schools the students were leaving weren’t losing any money. The funding stayed at the school where the student was enrolled in August. If a student moved to another school, the original school had the same money and lower costs. After many years of working on this issue, CICSF asked a handful of dedicated school choice legislators to help resolve the matter in 2015. Their bill passed the legislature but was vetoed. In 2016, those dedicated legislators came back with a modified bill that passed the legislature and was signed by the governor. CICSF sends a big thank you to the legislators who pushed this needed legislation through the Idaho Legislature.

Senator Sverdston is retired now but still an active leader in Idaho as a member of the Idaho Forest Owners Association board of directors in Cataldo. I think he would be proud of inspiring my volunteerism on this issue. By the way, if you support charter schools, join CICSF. I was so impressed with CICSF, I joined the board of directors. Go to http://www.idchartercoalition.org/join/, sign up with our organization and let us know if you want to be on our board

Parent Advocacy Boot Camp 2016

Parent Advocacy Boot Camp 2016

PublicSchoolOptions.org 2016 Boot Camp: July 10th – July 12th, 2016

Residence Inn Arlington Capitol View Hotel (2850 South Potomac Avenue Arlington, VA 22202)

Please note important registration guidelines below: 

FLIGHTS: Recommended that you book flights into Reagan National Airport (DCA) as soon as possible. If attendees have difficulty booking into DCA because of prohibitive flight costs, limited flight routes, etc., attendees should book their flights into Dulles International Airport (IAD, 40 minutes away from hotel) or Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI, 50 minutes away from the hotel). However, we HIGHLY recommend attendees fly in and out of DCA due to its close proximity to the hotel (short 5 minute drive to the airport AND a complimentary shuttle is available!). 

CONFERENCE START/END TIMES: Please ensure you arrive in time on Sunday (7/10) to attend our welcome reception at 7pm. Attendees should expect to arrive back at the hotel on Tuesday (7/12) at 2:00pm following Capitol Hill meetings and lunch, and should book their departing flight accordingly. **Note: Reimbursement for your flight and any related travel costs (i.e. your cab ride to and from the airport) will be arranged through your coalition manager.

HOTEL INFORMATION: Your rooms on the nights of Sunday (7/10) & Monday (7/11) will be reserved and paid for by PublicSchoolOptions.org. However, if you wish to extend your stay beyond these two days at this hotel, please select those additional dates below! You will be responsible financially for those additional nights, and a credit card maybe required at check-in to cover those expenses. 

**Do not call the hotel and book your own room** PSO will be providing the hotel with a master rooming list of all attendees (including additional nights for those who are planning to extend their stay).

In order to ensure space for conference attendees and to guarantee the group’s full participation, conference activities at the hotel and off-site activities Monday night will be restricted to registered conference attendees only. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.

After registration, you will begin receiving logistical and conference information from the PSO staff in the weeks leading up to the conference. 

Pleas Click Here to sing up!

Golden Apple Award 2016

May 11, 2016 Announcement

The following Legislators are recipients of the coveted Golden Apple Award for their dedication to expanding school choice in Idaho:

Senator Bob Nonini

Senator Mary Souza

Senator Cliff Bayer

Senator Lori Den Hartog

Senator Jim Patrick

Representative Judy Boyle

Representative Tom Dayley

Representative Steven Harris

Representative Wendy Horman

Representative Julie Van Orden

In addition, the Coalition has awarded the prestigious Champion of School

Choice Award to:

Charter School Commissioner Gayann DeMordaunt for her continued support for school choice.

Alan Reed, Chairman of the Idaho Charter School Commission. Idaho Falls Commissioner Reed served on the Idaho Falls District 91 School Board from 1994 through 2003. For seven of those years, he served as chairman. He attended Ricks College and University of Idaho at University Place in Idaho Falls. Reed is the president and co-owner of Reed's Dairy in Idaho Falls, which is a milking, bottling and sales company that manufactures ice cream and cheese. Reed has shipped his specialty dairy products nationwide and to Japan. He was born and raised in Idaho Falls and married his high school sweetheart, Holly. They have four children, all educated in District 91.

OLIVIA THOMAS: LOTS OF IDEAS→

OLIVIA THOMAS: LOTS OF IDEAS

“I think being able to have the White House on your resume is pretty amazing,” said Thomas, who learned she’d be going to the fair only a few days ago.

“The president is going to be there. He might be able to play my game as well.”

Her passion for contests turned into a love for video games at age 9. Next year it will lead her to Boise State University, where she is planning a double major in computer science and the new College of Innovation and Design’s major in gaming, interactive media and mobile technology. She wants to build games that are instructional and have learning elements.

Using different platforms, she’s invented about 60 games, many of them Nancy Drew-style mysteries. “I’ve done a lot of adventure games,” she said. Her head is packed with stories she wants to put into computer games.

“I made one treasure hunt,” she said. “The players had to go into cases ... to find the treasures.”

Then she got the idea for a game she called “Colorless.” Players learn that certain color blocks have special functions, she said, but when the colors fade players have “to use clues to help them get through the last level.”

Last year she entered her game in the National STEM Video Challenge, and was named one of the winners. “Her game was so interesting,” said Catherine Jhee, a spokesman for Joan Ganz Cooney Center in New York that helps run the challenge. The challenge recommended Thomas and some other entrants for the White House Science Fair.

And even as she prepared to be in the fair, her mind keeps tossing around ideas: “I always wanted to make a history game, something with time travel,” she said. Or a game to help kids solve algebraic equation. Or...

(this article is from the Idaho Statesman published on April 11th

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/education/article71289062.html#storylink=cpy

Coalition Newsletter End of Legislative Session

3/25/16

This newsletter is being written as the Idaho House of Representatives is in its last hour of the 2016 Legislature (afternoon of March 25). The Senate finalized its business last night and closed sine die. The House is about to adjourn also.

Of interest to Coalition Members, is the news that both Senate and House have now Passed HB 603, a bill that would provide a little more than $1 million to schools that experience enrollment growth during the school year. Coalition leadership and members worked from January to March 24th to pass a bill that will provide additional funding help virtual charter schools and alternative schools that accept at-risk transfer students. 

While this small amount is helpful, it does not meet the need.  Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said the bill would provide funding for only eight schools that have experienced growth of at least 3 percent during the year — and doesn’t help students who transfer to other schools.

HB 603 now goes to Gov. Butch Otter, who vetoed a similar bill on student mobility bill in 2015.

DESPITE RESERVATIONS, SENATE OKS STUDENT MOBILITY BILL

Kevin Richert 03/24/2016

One lawmaker called it a “pittance.” Another said it was “disservice” to some students.

But the Senate set its reservations aside long enough to pass a stopgap “student mobility” bill on a 34-1 vote.

House Bill 603 would provide a little more than $1 million to schools that experience enrollment growth during the school year. Supporters say the money would help virtual charter schools and alternative schools that accept at-risk transfer students.

Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, said the bill would provide funding for only eight schools that have experienced growth of at least 3 percent during the year — and doesn’t help students who transfer to other schools.

“I hope you realize that we may have to come back and do something more,” she said.

The Legislature is certainly going to revisit this complicated issue. HB 603 would be in effect for only three years, while a legislative interim committee takes a more detailed look at the entire school funding formula.

Senate Education Committee Chairman Dean Mortimer conceded the state could do more to help growing schools — but not this year. “This is the best we can get,” said Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls.

Earlier this week, Mortimer’s committee voted to send the bill to the Senate floor for amendment — with Ward-Engelking and other senators hoping to expand the bill to cover more schools. Ultimately, the bill was left as is.

HB 603 now goes to Gov. Butch Otter, who vetoed a student mobility bill in 2015.

STUDENT MOBILITY BILL RUNS INTO A ROAD BLOCK

Clark Corbin 03/22/2016

1

For most of the legislative session, lawmakers and charter school officials have been trying to hammer out a bill to address “student mobility:” providing funding for schools that add students during the school year.

On Tuesday, that bill’s circuitous path to passage became a bit more complicated.

Rep. Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle

The Senate Education Committee voted to send the student mobility bill to the floor for amendments. And the bill’s House sponsor, Education Committee Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, expressed concern about an 11th-hour rewrite.

“This has been carefully crafted legislation,” said DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, moments before the committee vote.

The student mobility issue has been a conundrum since the 2015 session, when Gov. Butch Otter vetoed a bill supported by charter and virtual school leaders. House Bill 603 attempts to address the issue — at least for the time being. Schools would be eligible for additional money if they absorbed more than 3 percent growth during the academic year.

Supporters say the bill is designed to help virtual and alternative schools that take on at-risk students during the course of the academic year. On Tuesday, senators heard from Monti Pittman, head of the Idaho College and Career Readiness Academy, where enrollment has skyrocketed from 68 to 121 students during the course of the year.

Committee members were hung up on the 3 percent threshold — and several said they wanted to reword the bill to help more growing schools.

“I think we have enough money to do more,” said Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise.

Other committee members echoed DeMordaunt’s concerns — and said a late-session rewrite could kill student mobility legislation for one more year.

“The hour is late,” said Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene. “The day is late.”

With lawmakers hoping to adjourn the 2016 session this week, time is tight.

First, senators would need to amend the bill and pass it. Then the bill would have to go back to the House, and lawmakers would have to buy off on the Senate amendments. Only then could the bill go to Otter’s desk.

Also unresolved is the funding. As written now, HB 603 has a projected price tag of about $1 million — and amendments could drive up that cost. The Joint Finance-Appropriation Committee hasn’t set aside any money for student mobility

http://www.idahoednews.org/news/lawmakers-union-spar-teacher-bonuses/

In other States

Charter schools closing the gap between rich and poor students*

Washington Examiner | March 24, 2016
A new project called the Education Equality Index grades schools on how well they close the educational gap between rich and poor students. Charter schools make up 7 percent of all public schools nationwide, but 30 percent of the schools identified as closing the gap in the index. "While we celebrate the schools that are significantly improving student achievement, this report is a reminder of the need for even more high-quality charter schools," said Nina Rees, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools.