SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports. About 40 school officials in eastern Washington are asking Governor Jay Inslee for flexibility in how they space students in their schools. The state requires school districts to keep students at least six feet apart as much as possible. Six feet between their desks, for example. School officials say, in grade schools, they’ve been able to make that work and put up to 20 students in classrooms. Most want to keep class sizes small in the lower grades anyway. But in middle and high schools, when students are older and larger, they say it’s virtually impossible.
SPR s Doug Nadvornick reports. With a teacher shortage in Idaho, state legislators are looking for ways to find enough qualified bodies to fill classrooms. One central Idaho legislator has proposed allowing local school districts to create their own teacher selection guidelines. A House committee approved the idea Friday morning, even though the plan was heavily criticized by teachers during a hearing. Rep. Charlie Shepherd [R-Riggins] says small towns often have a hard time drawing teaching candidates. So they have to think a little differently. Here’s his plan. “A school district or charter may develop criteria for a teaching certificate available only to a teacher teaching in that school district or charter school, Shepherd said.
Credit Courtesy of Post Falls School District The Idaho Senate on Thursday approved two bills aimed at clarifying which entities have the authority to require schools and universities to close for public health emergencies. Both take that authority away from public health districts. In the case of K-12, What this bill seeks to do is it seeks to put that final authority for the ability to close or keep our schools open with the duly-elected board of trustees for any local school board, for any local school district, says Sen. Lori Den Hartog [R-Meridian]. She says her bill requires school districts to continue to consult with local health districts. And the health districts would retain the right to order quarantines in cases of infectious disease outbreaks.