Building Bridges at the 2023 Case Conference

As Bluum’s Special Education Development Director, I, Jennifer Ribordy, recently joined forces with national collaborative partners, including Kaci Coats from the Collaborative for Exceptional Education in Colorado, Brooke Allen from the Diverse Learners Collaborative in Tennessee, and Sarah Okun from the True Measure Collaborative in Washington State. Together, we presented at the 2023 CASE Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, alongside special education leaders from across the country. This premier professional learning and networking event attracted over 1,130 special education leaders and featured more than 80 exhibitors sharing innovative solutions to field-related needs.

Five Years of Future Public School

As Future Public School marks its 5th anniversary, we have taken the time to reflect on the school’s journey and the formation of key partnerships. We dive into the deliberate efforts of the team to establish an intentional culture that withstood the challenges posed by COVID. Additionally, we explore the vision for the future. We take immense pride in Idaho New School Fellow Amanda Cox and her team, celebrating all that they have accomplished throughout the years.

Federal Grant Funds Available to State’s Largest Charter School Authorizer

Boise nonprofit Bluum is ready to support the Idaho Public Charter School Commission — the state’s largest authorizer — with up to $750,000 in grant funds, particularly after recent research indicates that the agency authorizing charter schools matters. The money can be used to purchase new equipment and programs or hire experts to help strengthen an authorizer’s operations.A decision about collaborating with Bluum likely won’t happen until a new director is hired, which is expected before the end of the year, based on comments at a meeting this month. Two more special meetings are scheduled, one this month and one in December. The seven-person board also has three new members whose appointments are pending Senate confirmation in the upcoming legislative session.

Terry Ryan at ExcelinEd Summit in Atlanta

The yearly National Summit on Education, hosted by ExcelinEd, brings together education policymakers, state education chiefs, and advocates in the country. Drawing over a thousand state and national leaders annually, this event provides a distinctive platform for sharing results-based solutions and strategies that hold the potential to shape crucial public policy decisions for transforming education. Serving as a catalyst, this summit accelerates improvements in education nationwide.

This year, the summit will take place from November 15th-17th in Atlanta, Georgia.

School Choice and the Montana Paradox

Montanans proudly describe themselves as an independent bunch, marching to their own beat and placing the highest value on individual freedom. It seems incongruous, then, that the geographically massive, sparsely populated state is one of only five in the nation without public charter schools, the leading vehicle in most states for parental choice in education. That could be about to change, if a new law creating “Community Choice Schools” survives a state court challenge. The state legislature passed a bill earlier this year, signed by Governor Greg Gianforte, establishing the choice schools, identical in every respect save the name with charter schools in other states.

Gem Innovation Public Charter Schools Named A Semi-Finalist For National Prize That “Honors Educators Who Achieve Excellence”

Idaho-based public charter school network, Gem Innovation Schools is in the running for a substantial $1 million dollar award for excellence. The Yass Prize is dedicated to recognizing and championing the best-in-class educational organizations from across the United States. Rooted in four main principles (Sustainable, Transformational, Outstanding, Permissionless), the Yass Prize is committed to guiding policy changes and driving positive outcomes for all children.

How Idaho earned a $24.9 million grant to expand school choice opportunities

So much of what happens in the world of public education occurs in the trenches of anonymity where teachers work day-in and day-out to help their students learn, and where administrators labor to make the environment their teachers teach and their students learn as healthy and vibrant as they can, and where parents drop their children off at schools in the hope that their babies will learn what they need to excel in life and as educated citizens of the greatest country in the world. As an educator – or really as a friend and advocate for education and parent choice in learning – it feels good when the work you do is acknowledged and appreciated.

22-23 Special Education Leadership Fellowship: Jared Bissen

I am the Director of Special Education for Gem Prep Schools. I chose to participate in the SELF Leadership Program to continue to improve my knowledge to help continue our growth in supporting scholars with IEPs and ensuring they get the education they are entitled to. I was also looking forward to getting some new insights from people outside our organization to help us not only highlight strong practices but also highlight areas of growth.

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