Coeur d’Alene School Board approves new curricula

The Coeur d’Alene School Board voted Monday night to approve new curricula, developed by local teachers, to align with the Idaho Common Core standards. The curricula will guide instruction from kindergarten through 12th grades starting this fall.

The math and English/language arts curricula were approved 3-2 with new board members Tom Hearn, Christa Hazel and Dave Eubanks in favor, and trustees Tom Hamilton and Terri Seymour opposed.

The district and all other public schools in Idaho have been preparing to switch to the new standards the past few years. A growing movement opposed to Common Core has challenged state leaders to back away from the new educational standards, but state education chief Tom Luna and Gov. Butch Otter have remained supportive of the move.

The more rigorous standards were developed by state education chiefs and governors with bipartisan support and adopted by almost all states.