Fox Wins Ok On Phonics Bills Legislature Grants Hearings On Three Education Measures
The Idaho Legislature is a place where lawmakers talk frequently about ensuring local districts retain control over public schools.
But three measures approved for introduction Friday in the House Education Committee would take away some local decision-making.
With little discussion, the committee approved legislation from Schools Superintendent Anne Fox to require more college training in phonics reading instruction and a companion bill mandating at least 45 minutes per day in phonics in the first two grades.
She won preliminary approval for a third bill requiring districts with financial or academic problems to prepare reports for her department on how they are going to solve the problems.
The “Academic and Financial Accountability Act” would require districts with low achievement levels to come up with plans to fix the problems. Exactly what would be considered desirable achievement would be up to the state Department of Education, which Fox heads.
Districts with budget deficits that extend past one school year also would have to submit plans on fixing the problem, with a prediction of when the deficit would be erased.
One of Fox’s bills would require new teachers to show they have passed at least three semester hours in phonics to get an Idaho teacher certificate. That’s not required now, and Fox said some reading instructors have told her they had little or no phonics training in college.
The companion bill, requiring schools to teach reading phonics at least 45 minutes daily in kindergarten and first grade, also would mandate “intensive-systematic” phonics instruction through the third grade.
Darrell Loosle, Fox’s chief deputy, said the number of districts required to produce plans for improvement in academics would depend on where the standards are set, but the department thinks between 10 and 15 districts would fall under the proposed new law.
Four districts would need to submit financial plans to wipe out their deficits based on current budgets, he said.
A committee member suggested districts with low achievement levels should put more pressure on teachers to improve.
“As far as exerting pressure on teachers, that would be up to the local district, not us,” Loosle said.
Even if that proposal wins House approval, it probably will go nowhere in the Senate. Education Chairman Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, said earlier his panel likely would not consider the Fox bill. Considering the tumultuous relationship between Fox and the state Board of Education, he said, “I question whether this is the time when the state wants to take over schools.”
Fox called her bill pushing phonics instruction extremely important to her.
“This is one of the most special days of my life,” she said. “It will give kids a chance for the best education possible.”
If Fox’s proposal becomes law, after next Jan. 1, any teacher applying for Idaho credentials must show at least three hours in phonics reading instruction - even for veteran teachers coming from other states.
xxxx Fox bills The House Education Committee will debate three bills backed by Anne Fox: A measure to require all kindergarten and first-grade teachers to teach 45 minutes of phonics each day. A bill to require state colleges and universities to provide elementary-teaching students with a three-credit course in intensive-systematic phonics. A bill to require school districts suffering from low academic achievement to write improvement plans.