SR: Idaho Needs Education Fix

The current state of education in Idaho could be condensed into one of those melodramatic movie trailers: “In a world where 60 percent of jobs require some post-secondary education, fewer than 40 percent of Idahoans have any credentials beyond a high school diploma.” In fact, that’s the message state schools Superintendent Tom Luna delivered to a special legislative committee on Thursday. With an above-average high school graduation rate, the state might seem like it’s doing well, but the “stark reality,” Luna said, is that the high rate is the product of low standards. The proof is the low percentage of Idahoans who seek to further their education, whether at college or in a technical school. Plus, a high percentage of those who do enroll in colleges need remedial course work to catch up. But the good news is that Idaho leaders are not satisfied/ Spokesman-Review . More here .

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Question: Do Idaho Republicans finally have the political will to fix the education system that they’ve allowed to languish during the Great Recession?