Ed Stakeholders Find Commonality

They still are three separate groups, with distinct memberships — the Idaho School Boards Association , the Idaho Association of School Administrators and the Idaho Education Association, the state’s teachers’ union. But for most of the 2014 session, these three groups have spoken as one, with a good deal of success. They are pushing for a teacher pay raise and teacher leadership “premiums.” They endorse a plan to begin reversing recession-era budget cuts. They support a controversial pilot exam aligned with the new Idaho Core Standards . A year after battling publicly over a series of labor laws, they even agree about keeping three of the laws on the books for another year. And the stakeholder groups agree on two other points. They appreciate the improved working relationship, and know it will take effort to stay on the same side/ Kevin Richert , IdahoED NEWS. More here.

Question: Do you consider this a good legislative year for education?