Karen Echeverria of the Idaho School Boards Association said the ISBA, the Idaho School Administrators Association, and the Idaho Education Association, the state teachers union, all have been meeting regularly this legislative session and plan to continue doing so; the three presented a joint statement at the JFAC public hearing today. Echeverria said all three back the 20 recommendations of the governor’s education improvement task force. “We do not support breaking these up and implementing some but not others,” she said.

Robin Nettinga of the IEA said the three groups all want funding for implementing new Idaho core standards, teacher mentoring efforts, and salary improvements for teachers, including a base salary increase next year of at least 1 percent. Rob Winslow of the ISAA said restoration of discretionary funding for school districts is crucial; he also backed increased advanced opportunities, to be funded from the public education stabilization fund; and funding for technology pilot projects.