Step in the Right Direction
In January we brought to the attention of the Senate and House Education Committees the fact that according to Idaho law, school districts could not choose their own curriculum but were bound to what the SBOE approved. Senator Goedde heard our complaint and moved forward to fix the problem.
Wednesday, March 5th SB 1377 passed the Senate and is now headed off to the House. The last section reads,
(4) The board of trustees of each school district may adopt their own curricular materials consistent with the provisions of section 33-512A, Idaho Code. Curricular materials adopted must be consistent with Idaho content standards as established by the state board of education.
Thank you, Senator Goedde for giving Idaho School districts a little more control over curriculum. Now lets get some decent standards to be consistent with.
School Districts must choose textbooks that is aligned with state standards which is established by the SBE, which now are CCS. Then what benefit is it for the district to choose their own books when it must be Common Core? Could this be an attempt to appease without providing a real fix and keep control or an honest miss of the real issue?
A good example of how being informed, speaking out, and following through can make all the difference. One step in the right direction!