Idaho’s Public Charter Schools Work Hard to Serve our Students with Special Needs

By Alan Gottlieb

Foreword

In early 2023, Margaret Raymond and James Lynn Woodworth, from Stanford’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO), presented findings on the academic performance of Idaho’s public charter schools. They had been studying charter schools in 29 other states, and said CREDO is known nationally as the “charter school analysis people.”

In their 2023 presentation to the Idaho State Board of Education they reported, “Idaho’s special education results are among the best that we’ve seen nationally.” Raymond went on to say, “We normally see a much larger offset of learning in the special education community.” She concluded, “There is an overall best practices emerging from the picture that we see over time in Idaho that we think actually could be important for other charter school communities around the country to look at, particularly in poverty and special education.”

Frankly, the State Board of Education was surprised by these findings as were we at Bluum. Maybe we shouldn’t have been. Our school partners – as you will read below – take seriously their mission to educate all children to the very best of their abilities. Additionally, Bluum takes this seriously by employing full-time two outstanding special educators – Jennifer Ribordy and Desiree Rivera – to provide special education support to our partner schools that want it. We are exploring going deeper into this in coming months by sponsoring a special education fellowship to further develop expertise in special education for students in Idaho.

In short, we put our money where our mouths are when it comes to supporting special education students who attend Idaho public charter schools. Of course, there is more for public charter schools to do and for those of us who support these schools to do. Further, there is more for the state of Idaho to do, and we are happy to see them doing it with such efforts as House Bill 291 that would would create a “last-dollar” fund to help schools pay for aides for special-needs students.

All of our children deserve the very best that we can give them.

Terry Ryan, CEO

Bluum

Introduction

In a classroom at Alturas International Academy, a public charter school in Idaho Falls, a young boy who once exhibited severe behavioral issues sits quietly, focused on his work.

At Gem Prep Meridian a public charter in the Boise area, a high school senior who’s doctors once predicted would be “developmentally delayed his whole life” prepares his salutatorian speech.

In Fruitland, at Treasure Valley Classical Academy public charter school, twin 4th-graders who previously struggled with reading and math are making steady progress in an environment tailored to their unique needs.

These stories represent a reality across Idaho that contradicts one of the most persistent canards leveled against Idaho’s public charter schools: That they don’t adequately serve students with special needs.

The experiences of families and educators across Idaho’s charter school landscape tell a different story—one of innovation, personalization, and a commitment to serving every child, regardless of their challenges.

Meeting students where they are

For Candise Gilbert, a foster and adoptive parent of seven children in Idaho Falls, finding the right educational environment for her kids with special needs was critical. All of her children have experienced varying degrees of trauma, neglect, and prenatal drug exposure, resulting in complex educational needs.

“I have so appreciated the school because I feel like they’ve just scooped them up and tolerated their behaviors,” Gilbert said about Alturas International Academy, where four of her children currently attend. “Even in instances where I had to say, ‘Can we please address behavior before education for the next month?’ they’ve been like, ‘Yep, you bet. Let’s do that.'”

Gilbert’s experience highlights one of the key advantages charter schools often have: flexibility to adapt their approaches to individual students.

“One of the things I feel is extremely beneficial, and unique about a charter school, is that in general, there’s a smaller group to deal with,” Gilbert said. “And I feel like they have done an incredible job look[ing] outside the box.”

That ability to “look outside the box” is a theme echoed by Mark Elgin, a Boise-area father of twin sons on the autism spectrum. One of his sons, Isaiah, was significantly underweight at birth, and doctors told the family he would likely struggle cognitively throughout his life.

After disappointing experiences in the traditional district school system, where Isaiah was often left alone in a corner to color, the family explored several public charter school options. They found an ideal fit at Gem Prep Meridian, one in a network of K-12 schools in a charter network that continues expanding across the state.

“At Gem Prep, his teachers were supportive. They were engaging. It was an incredible experience—the best environment for him imaginable,” Elgin said.

The result? Isaiah graduated as salutatorian of his class at Gem Prep Meridian and earned 21 college credits while still in high school. He’s now attending a community college.

“He went from being potentially (left behind) to the point where he’s earning college credits and getting out to be independent,” Elgin said. “The charter school system, specifically Gem Prep, was a very great fit for him, very supportive. I can’t imagine anything better for him.”

The whole-child approach

Another consistent theme across these families’ experiences is the charter schools’ commitment to seeing each child as a whole person, not just a collection of disabilities or challenges to overcome.

At Treasure Valley Classical Academy, this approach has been transformative for twin daughters with IEPs for different learning challenges.

“I feel like the school wants them to succeed, and they just keep wanting that person to progress,” said their mother, who asked that her name be withheld. “The students are treated with respect and dignity, and they’re not treated like they’re second-class students.”

“One of the things that is extremely beneficial about TVCA is that they teach their literacy program very comprehensively. My one daughter, she was really struggling, and now she can spell. She does really well on her spelling.”

This sentiment was echoed by Gilbert, who noted that at Alturas, educators understand that her children’s behaviors are often rooted in trauma.

“He’s looked at or she’s looked at as a whole child in the classroom,” Gilbert said. “We are trying to educate this child and everything that they come with, whether it be learning disabilities or behavioral struggles.”

This holistic approach extends beyond the classroom. Gilbert recalled an instance where her son had an extreme reaction when the school lunch was changed from pizza to turkey sandwiches—a trigger for his food insecurity issues stemming from early childhood.

“The teacher knows that a food issue is going to set him off,” Gilbert said. “That’s way out of their wheelhouse, but they have been fantastic to deal with that.”

Communication and collaboration

A third key element that distinguishes these charter schools’ approach to special education is their emphasis on frequent, meaningful communication between educators and families.

“I can call her, or I can email her, or she’s present at all the meetings, whether they’re IEP or just behavioral checkup meetings,” Gilbert said about the special education director at Alturas.

This level of access stands in contrast to Gilbert’s limited interactions with special education staff in the traditional district preschool, where she “only saw them at the IEP meetings.”

The collaborative approach extends to the entire school community. Gilbert described how the special education department at Alturas communicates effectively with classroom teachers, office staff, and other personnel to ensure a cohesive approach to supporting her children.

“Everyone there, from special ed to teacher to office staff is educating my children, treating them with respect, and trying to help them as a whole person,” Gilbert said.

Flexibility to innovate

Charter schools’ organizational structure often allows them to be nimbler in adapting to students’ needs—something that traditional district schools and their larger district bureaucracies sometimes struggle with.

At Treasure Valley Classical Academy, one parent appreciated how the school accommodated her daughter with ADHD by allowing her to work at her own pace in math.

“She’s in fourth grade, but she’s doing third-grade math because that’s really where she is,” the parent said. “I feel like with the charter school, you have a lot more flexibility to be able to make those changes and modifications if you need to.”

For Elgin’s son Isaiah, the supportive environment at Gem Prep helped him develop study habits and routines that allowed him to thrive academically after a challenging transition period.

“The first year was rough, just trying to get him to learn homework habits and study habits,” Elgin said. “But his teachers were supportive. They were engaging.”

This flexibility extends to staffing arrangements as well. At Treasure Valley Classical Academy, one staff member, who also has children at the school, moved from being a special education paraprofessional to an academic aide, and eventually to teaching Spanish, demonstrating the school’s willingness to leverage individual talents where they’re most needed.

Breaking down the myths

Despite these success stories, the criticism that charter schools don’t adequately serve special education students persists. Charter school opponents make this a central argument against charters, but it is largely fallacious. The differences in percentages of students with IEPs in charters compared to district-run public schools has diminished significantly over time, in Idaho and nationally.

In any event, public charter schools in Idaho serve all students, including those with significant needs.

For Mark Elgin, the contrast between his son’s experience in the traditional public school and at Gem Prep couldn’t be more stark. When asked what would have happened if Isaiah had remained in the public school, Elgin didn’t hesitate: “He would be living his life with a victim mentality, believing that he couldn’t do anything.”

Instead, Isaiah defied all expectations. “I’ve seen it in other parents growing up, where they let their kids use autism as an excuse not to do much, to live off the system,” Elgin said. “As a parent, it’s important to teach them to be contributors to society.”

The power of personalization

Perhaps the most significant advantage public charter schools offer in special education is the ability to truly personalize learning for each student.

Gilbert highlighted how the centralized nature of Alturas allowed her children to have consistent support, versus what would have happened in her local district in Shelley, Idaho.

“Right now, my four children that are at Alturas would be in four different schools,” Gilbert said. “I would be dealing with four special ed directors, four principals. I can’t even imagine what my life would look like.”

This centralization enables deeper relationships between educators and students—relationships that form the foundation of effective special education.

“My experience with IEP meetings in the school district was, the principal walked in, shook hands, introduced himself. ‘It’s great to have you here. We’re glad to have your kiddo. And where do I sign?’ And he signed and walked out,” Gilbert recalled.

In contrast, her IEP meetings at Alturas involve the special education director, classroom teacher, aide, and principal, all working together to support her child. “I feel like they’re going to do everything they can to serve him,” she said.

Looking forward

As Idaho’s public charter school sector continues to grow, the innovative approaches to special education seen at schools like Alturas International Academy in Idaho Falls, Gem Prep Meridian in the Boise area, and Treasure Valley Classical Academy in Fruitland offer valuable lessons for the broader educational landscape.

Rather than counseling out students with special needs, these schools are embracing them, developing creative solutions, and proving that the autonomy of charter schools can be leveraged to better serve all students.

“I would absolutely recommend it to anyone,” Gilbert said of her charter school experience. “I feel like it’s been very personalized. I feel like it’s been very helpful. And I feel like they are looking at my child as a whole child.”

For families like Gilbert’s and Elgin’s, charter schools haven’t just provided an alternative – they’ve offered a lifeline, transforming their children’s educational trajectories and opening doors that might otherwise have remained closed.

In the end, the success of these students doesn’t just challenge perceptions about charter schools—it expands public understanding of what’s possible when education is truly designed around the needs of each unique child.

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Alan Gottlieb is a Colorado-based writer, editor, journalist, communications consultant, and nonprofit entrepreneur who owns Write.Edit.Think, LLC. He founded EdNews Colorado, which later merged with Gotham Schools to form Chalkbeat. He does consulting work for Bluum, an Idaho-based non-profit education group.

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