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Idaho House Education committee again blocks more education choice
If additional education choice is going to come to the Gem State, it won't be originating in the Idaho House Education Committee. Today,...

Chris Cargill
Mar 14, 20233 min read


Try, try again on expanding education choice in Idaho
Education choice is on the agenda again as the Idaho legislature comes down the home stretch. This week, two bills will be heard in...

Chris Cargill
Mar 13, 20232 min read


Here’s what’s in the new Idaho education choice bill
The Idaho state Senate is now considering a new education choice bill – SB 1144 – that seeks to expand the state’s already-successful...

Chris Cargill
Mar 7, 20232 min read


No one is proposing school “vouchers”
In the sometimes-heated debate over bringing more education choice options to the region, Republicans, Democrats, and some in the media...

Chris Cargill
Mar 6, 20232 min read


Second Idaho ESA proposal doesn't even get hearing
It's hard to make sense of the strategy in advancing additional education choice options in the Idaho legislature - if there even is one....

Chris Cargill
Mar 2, 20233 min read


Where things stand with ed choice proposals across the region
A flurry of legislation throughout the Mountain States has made it difficult to track everything that’s going on. In Washington state,...

Chris Cargill
Mar 1, 20232 min read


Homeschool Parents: It’s time to support Education Savings Accounts
If there is one thing homeschool families have in common, it’s the desire to be left alone about their education choices. Parents go to...

Amber Gunn
Feb 28, 20234 min read


Free markets, education and short-sightedness
During the lengthy debate over Idaho Senate Bill 1038 on the Idaho Senate floor on Monday, Senator Carrie Semmelroth used an unusual...

Chris Cargill
Feb 27, 20232 min read


First Idaho ESA bill this session fails Senate vote... but stay tuned
"It's a journey," Idaho Senator Dave Lent said, before voting against Senate Bill 1038 - the first bill of the session to create...

Chris Cargill
Feb 27, 20232 min read


An Education Savings Account is not a "voucher"
As Idaho, Wyoming, Washington and Montana all consider bills to create Education Savings Accounts (ESA) for children and their families,...

Chris Cargill
Feb 27, 20231 min read


The much-needed "Parental Bill of Rights"
Parents should be the ultimate authority when it comes to the education of their child. Too often, politicians look the other way while...

Chris Cargill
Feb 23, 20231 min read


New predictions on Idaho ESA program require major scrutiny
It produced some eye-opening numbers that got the attention of media including the Idaho Statesman and KTVB. But a new blog from the...

Chris Cargill
Feb 22, 20234 min read


It's past-time to bring charter schools to Montana
The Treasure State is one of the only states left that does not permit charter schools - but that might be about to change. A slew of...

Chris Cargill
Feb 17, 20232 min read


Who speaks for the kids?
When the Idaho Senate education committee heard an education choice bill this week, dozens of people signed up to testify – I was one of...

Chris Cargill
Feb 17, 20232 min read


Idaho Senate committee passes Education Savings Accounts
Today, the Idaho Senate Education committee passed SB 1038 - a bill that would create universal Education Savings Accounts (ESA's). The...

Chris Cargill
Feb 15, 20232 min read


The "only helps the rich" argument against ed choice just doesn't fly
As Idaho, Washington, Wyoming and Montana now consider Education Savings Accounts to help families improve educational outcomes, one...

Chris Cargill
Feb 13, 20231 min read


Legislative session checklist: policies introduced, policies waiting
Legislative sessions in Idaho, Montana and Washington are more than a month old, and we are getting a rough idea of what could be in play...

Chris Cargill
Feb 12, 20236 min read


Removing March and August school elections makes sense
Policymakers across the region and nation are always looking for ways to increase voter turnout and community involvement. Idaho...

Chris Cargill
Feb 8, 20232 min read


When school districts over-collect for bond payments
If you take out a mortgage, you typically know what your payment is going to be each month, and from year to year. But if you approve a...

Chris Cargill
Feb 7, 20231 min read


Should high school students be required to take financial literacy?
The statistics are eye-opening, and concerning. Only 24% of millennials in the U.S. understand basic financial principles. About half of...

Chris Cargill
Feb 6, 20231 min read
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