Issue Position: Idaho-Managed Education

Issue Position

Idaho's adoption and implementation of Common Core can be seen by the Smarter Balance Assessment Consortium (SBAC) test: It is costly, time-consuming, expensive to administer, and intrusive on our schools. The federal government has been imposing education requirements on states since the 1970s. From initiatives in the 1990s such as "No Child Left Behind" and "Race to the Top", the federal government has given us everything except for one thing: a good education. A good education comes from involved parents, good teachers, top-quality learning materials, the latest technology, and a supportive community. All of that exists here in Idaho and is best administered here… not in Washington, D.C.

Idaho must have the opportunity to build an education system that provides high-quality training to ensure a competitive workforce. That includes opportunities for re-training to get people back to work in emerging industries. Rather than imposing federal regulations on our state, I believe the federal government should limit its role in education. It should promote choice and quality, with an eye to getting the best education outcome for every dollar spent. Whether it's public, private, charter, digital or home school, the success of the student must come first. That's why Idahoans, not the federal government, should control our own education system.

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