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Policy

Boise mayor lobbies for city sales tax

By IFF
June 5, 2010
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter wants approval for a city sales tax so more can be spent on transit projects and education. In Thursday’s State of the City address, Bieter called on Gov. Butch Otter and the Legislature to give cities the power to invoke local-option sales taxes. He said if Boise had such authority, a […]
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The online learning revolution

By Mitch Coffman
June 2, 2010
Many people who have put a lot of thought into it – and many others who have also bet something of their fortunes on it - believe the future holds a customized learning experience for every student. Odds are it will not look exactly as pictured in the 2009 Star Trek reboot movie with little […]
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Unsolicited Advice and Online School

By Mitch Coffman
May 26, 2010
High voter turnout makes passing school district bonds and levies difficult, and it’s not going to get any easier in the future. Historically, school districts have been allowed to hold elections on obscure days at unusual polling locations. Districts count on turning out teachers and parents with students enrolled in the affected schools, and low […]
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Attitude adjustment

By Mitch Coffman
May 18, 2010
From the May 15, 2010 Idaho Falls Post-Register: Teacher negotiations are the last piece of the budget puzzle in Rexburg, where trustees are trying to make about $3 million in cuts. Last week, teachers turned down the trustees' proposal of 10.5 percent in pay cuts over three years . . . . Sherri Christensen, REA […]
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School districts have yet to consider pay, benefit changes

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President
May 10, 2010
All across the state, local school districts are holding meetings, hearings and work sessions to figure out how they’ll come to terms with $128 million in cuts approved by the Legislature and Gov. Butch Otter. So far, most of the recommendations fail to impress. Many school districts are resorting to the old standby — turning […]
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Who benefits?

By Mitch Coffman
April 29, 2010
A school district trustee’s job is to administer for the benefit of a school district. That is not the same thing as administering for the benefit of students. A trustee in Rexburg said too much in the Rexburg Standard Journal’s “Madison School District cuts school year by one week, saving $100,000” on April 24: Madison […]
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Paying for what you get.

By Mitch Coffman
April 26, 2010
Even the most casual news observer has surely noticed it by now: public education budgets are dropping. For many school boards and administrators it’s the first time, ever, they’ve had to think about making do with considerably less. The public trough is emptying – or at least becoming less full – at many levels of […]
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Getting what you pay for?

By Mitch Coffman
April 19, 2010
My husband is a Sony fan. He has strong preferences following many years of selling consumer electronics. I personally have not been such a careful student of the variances between brands of stereos, TVs and DVD players. However, my marriage has taught me (among other things) Sony’s products are more dependable, last longer and are […]
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No Union Left Behind

By Mitch Coffman
April 13, 2010
In the third presidential debate, Senator Obama said, “I support charter schools and pay for performance for teachers. Doesn’t make me popular with the teachers union.” School choice observers noticed the change in Democratic rhetoric and were intrigued, but once he was elected we were certain President Obama would pick some edu-flack to head his […]
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New lawnmowers for some, while Boise taxpayers foot the bill

By IFF
April 10, 2010
A program to help 50 Boise residents trade in their gas-powered lawn powers for new electric models will cost taxpayers $4,850, even though there's little evidence to support the notion that the program will help the environment. This is Boise’s second year participating in an event called “Mow Down Pollution,” modeled after a Canadian environmental […]
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School districts dip into reserve funds for raises

By IFF
March 30, 2010
Despite the 2009 legislature freezing funds for time on the job pay raises for the state’s public school teachers, Idaho’s two largest school districts awarded the increases anyway. They were obligated by multi-year contracts with local teachers’ associations. State funding for “step”, or years on the job pay raises, was cut off in last year’s […]
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IFF to stand with state in legal action to block health insurance mandate

By Wayne Hoffman, IFF’s former President
March 19, 2010
Idaho Freedom Foundation Executive Director Wayne Hoffman said Thursday the IFF will stand with the state of Idaho and join in any legal action to keep Idahoans free from having to buy health insurance under a federally-passed health insurance mandate. Gov. Butch Otter on Wednesday signed the Idaho Health Freedom Act, which says residents of […]
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