Idaho

News, analysis, and opinion about K-12 education in Idaho
This artist sketch depicts Justice Amy Coney Barrett, from left, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Justices announce opinions at the Supreme Court in Washington, on June 27, 2025.
An artist sketch depicting Justice Amy Coney Barrett, from left, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., Justice Elena Kagan, Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson as the Justices announce opinions at the Supreme Court in Washington, on June 27, 2025. The Supreme Court on July 3, 2025, announced it will hear cases challenging Idaho and West Virginia laws that bar transgender students from participating in girls’ or women’s school sports, stepping into a high-profile legal battle over transgender rights in schools.
Dana Verkouteren via AP
Law & Courts Supreme Court to Weigh State Laws Barring Transgender Athletes in Girls' Sports
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up transgender sports laws from Idaho and West Virginia, among the 27 states that have such laws.
Mark Walsh, July 3, 2025
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5 min read
Restroom sign male female
Getty
Law & Courts Idaho Can Restrict Transgender Students’ Restroom Use, Appeals Court Rules
A federal appeals court panel declined to block an Idaho law requiring students to use restrooms that align with their "biological sex."
Mark Walsh, March 21, 2025
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3 min read
The U.S. Supreme Court is seen on Thursday, June 29, 2023, in Washington.
The Biden administration's new Title IX regulation was set to take effect Aug. 1, but only in parts of the country as court injunctions block it in 26 states and the U.S. Supreme Court weighs a request to step into the debate.
AP
Law & Courts Biden's Title IX Rule Takes Effect Amid a Confusing Legal Landscape
The rule that expands protections for LGBTQ+ students is effective Aug. 1, but injunctions currently block it in 26 states.
Mark Walsh, July 31, 2024
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7 min read
cellphone distraction policy bans in schools static
Laura Baker/Education Week via canva
Ed-Tech Policy Tracker Which States Ban or Restrict Cellphones in Schools?
See which states are requiring cellphone restrictions or bans in schools.
Arianna Prothero, Lauraine Langreo & Alyson Klein, June 28, 2024
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1 min read
Gov. Brad Little provides his vision for the 2024 Idaho Legislative session during his State of the State address on Jan. 8, 2024, at the Statehouse in Boise.
Idaho Gov. Brad Little outlines his priorities during his State of the State address before lawmakers on Jan. 8, 2024, at the capitol in Boise.
Darin Oswald/Idaho Statesman via AP
States What's on the K-12 Agenda for States This Year? 4 Takeaways
Reading instruction, private school choice, and teacher pay are among the issues leading governors' K-12 education agendas.
Mark Lieberman, January 30, 2024
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6 min read
Karen Lauritzen stands for a portrait on the Millikin University Campus in Decatur, Ill., on August 30, 2023. Idaho’s Teacher of the Year moved to Illinois for a new job due to right-wing harassment over her support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter.
Karen Lauritzen stands for a portrait on the Millikin University Campus in Decatur, Ill., on August 30, 2023. Laurizen, Idaho’s 2023 Teacher of the Year, moved to Illinois for a new job due to harassment over her support of the LGBTQ+ community and Black Lives Matter.
Neeta R. Satam for Education Week
Teaching Profession In Their Own Words 'I Was Not Done': How Politics Drove This Teacher of the Year Out of the Classroom
Karen Lauritzen was accused of being a pro-LGBTQ+ activist. The consequences derailed her career.
Madeline Will, August 31, 2023
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6 min read
Student teacher Lana Scott, who plans to graduate from Bowie State University in the spring of 2023, teaches a small group of kindergartners at Whitehall Elementary School the alphabet, Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2023, in Bowie, Md.
Student teacher Lana Scott, who plans to graduate from Bowie State University in the spring of 2023, teaches a small group of kindergartners at Whitehall Elementary School the alphabet, Jan. 24, 2023, in Bowie, Md.
Julia Nikhinson/AP
Teacher Preparation Some States Plan to Give Teachers-in-Training Their Own Classrooms, Prompting Concerns
Critics say some states' plans contravene the spirit of apprenticeships by allowing trainees to assume classrooms before earning their degrees.
Madeline Will, August 1, 2023
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10 min read
101022 idaho student school board BS
School & District Management Video How a High School Student Became a School Board Member
This high school senior in Idaho beat out an incumbent to become his city's first student school board member. Here's how.
Kaylee Domzalski, October 18, 2022
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2:33
Conceptual Illustration of school board elections voting
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management Q&A An Idaho Student Won a School Board Seat. He Has a Message for Students Everywhere
Shiva Rajbhandari defeated an incumbent candidate this September on a platform for student voice.
Ileana Najarro, October 11, 2022
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6 min read
Image of ballots going into a box.
iStock/Getty
States School-Related Ballot Measures to Watch This Midterm Election
Voters in six states will decide on issues ranging from more funding for free school meals and the arts to reining in the state board.
Libby Stanford, October 6, 2022
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7 min read
Illustration of voting.
DigitalVision Vectors
States Election Guide 2022: Results on the Issues and Races Affecting K-12
Education was at the heart of some of the most contentious issues on voters' minds as they weigh candidates from governor to local school board.
Libby Stanford, September 27, 2022
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14 min read
Composite image of school building and climate change protestors.
Illustration by F. Sheehan/Education Week (Images: iStock/Getty and E+)
School & District Management 'It Has to Be a Priority': Why Schools Can't Ignore the Climate Crisis
Schools have a part to play in combating climate change, but they don't always know how.
Mark Lieberman, May 18, 2022
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16 min read
Collage of figures and money texture.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and iStock/Getty
Education Funding State K-12 Spending Is Inequitable and Inadequate. See Where Yours Ranks
There's a $17,000 per student difference between the highest- and lowest-spending states. High-poverty schools suffer especially.
Mark Lieberman, October 28, 2021
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4 min read
Laur Kaufman, 13, of Harlingen, waves a flag at a rally against House Bill 25, a bill that would ban transgender girls from participating in girls school sports, outside the Capitol in Austin, Texas, on Wednesday, Oct. 6, 2021.
Laur Kaufman, 13, of Harlingen, Texas, waves a flag at a rally at the state capitol in Austin against a bill that would restrict transgender students' access to single-sex sports teams.
Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via AP
Equity & Diversity Transgender Students and School Sports: Six Things to Know About a Raging Debate
States have considered a surge of legislation that would restrict transgender students from teams that align with their gender identity.
Evie Blad, October 22, 2021
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9 min read
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