REDESIGNED CENTER FOR AMERICAN EDUCATION WEBSITE EMPOWERS PARENTS WITH NEW TOOLS, RESOURCES

By Kaitlyn Shepherd

Idaho parents and residents now have more resources at their disposal to help them better understand the state’s education system, the benefits of school choice, and the educational resources available to them and their children.

The pandemic opened many parents’ eyes not only to problems with their local schools but also to the necessity of providing a high-quality education for their kids. Frustrated parents may not know how to find information about what is happening in their district or the resources and alternative options available to them.

IFF’s Center for American Education (CAE) exists to help parents find answers to these questions. Our redesigned website provides a variety of new resources and tools to enlighten and empower families.

The Idaho K-12 LEAD Map, released last month, helps parents better understand the quality of their local public school district. View the map to find information on student academic performance; district spending per student; the superintendent’s total salary; diversity, equity, and inclusion personnel; critical social justice incidents; and nearby alternative educational providers. The map allows users to track districts’ rainy day fund balances as well. Help the CAE track social justice incidents by submitting an incident report form, located below the map legend.

The Stories of Education Choice page details the testimonies of Idaho families who transitioned their children from public schools and now see them thriving in a choice environment. These accounts provide first-hand insight into the variety of available educational options and the many benefits of school choice.

The new Parent Resource Center aims to empower Idaho parents. The curricular materials and online resources tab lists carefully curated online resources on a variety of topics including art and music, civics and government, literature, entertainment, finance, and more. Whether you are homeschooling or simply want to find age-appropriate, high-quality activities to supplement your child’s learning, this page is for you.

In the coming weeks, the Parent Resource Center will feature instructional articles on learning models like microschools, classical schools, and more.

View the Idaho research tab to read our in-depth research on K-12 and higher education in Idaho. Visit the national research tab to learn more about our reports in other states that have contributed to real reforms across the country.

The video and media section compiles a comprehensive list of the CAE’s webinars, interviews, video testimonies, presentations, and other recordings on a variety of education-related issues.

The Education Index provides timely legislative analysis so that state legislation is comprehensible and accessible. It also promotes transparency by helping the public understand how their lawmakers vote on critical education issues.

Receive regular updates and stay connected to the CAE’s data-driven research by subscribing to our email list using the banner at the top of the homepage.
To view our research and explore the new resources, visit our updated website at CenterforAmericanEducation.org.

From idahofreedom.org