IEA Reporter Podcast

Our topic is the Committee to Protect and Preserve the Idaho Constitution v. State of Idaho, the lawsuit IEA members joined questioning the constitutionality of the tax credit voucher created by 2025’s House Bill 93. Oral arguments in the suit were presented to the Idaho Supreme Court on Jan. 23 and a decision is expected in the coming weeks. Joining us for the discussion are three representatives of the pro-public education coalition that came together for the suit. They include Cindy ...

In this episode, our guest is Sarah Inama, the former West Ada School District educator who made national and international headlines earlier this year refusing to bow to her school district administration’s directive to take down her classroom poster affirming the importance of inclusion and diversity. Sarah’s story and her now-famous ‘Everyone is Welcome Here’ poster became a rallying point for those eager to support students, educators and public education. The IEA Reporter Pod...

In this episode, the student mental health crisis gripping Idaho public schools and the challenges it poses for educators and policy makers. Our guest is Darcie DeLeon, an IEA board member and school counselor in Twin Falls, Idaho.

This week we take a brief look at Week 4 of the 2025 Idaho Legislature and take a deep dive on the current state of the voucher debate. Guests are Quinn Perry, associate executive director at the Idaho School Boards Association and Chris Parri, political director at the Idaho Education Association, as well as Matt Compton, IEA's associate executive director. Host: Mike Journee

This week, we take a brief look at the second week of the 2025 legislative session in Idaho, including a new bill trying to ban flags and banners like the Pride flag in classrooms. We also take a look at the impact of 2024's "BandAid Bill," which prohibits educators from providing any medical attention to students in their classroom. Boise Education Association President Lara Luthy and IEA Political Director Chris Parri join us for that conversation. Host: Mike Journee

In this episode, we discuss what IEA members can expect from the 2025 session of the Idaho Legislature. Joining us are Lisa Callaway, and IEA member from Boise who serves on the union's government relations and political action committees, IEA President Layne McInelly and Chris Parri, IEA's political director. HOST: Mike Journee

This episode’s topic is Week 10 of the 2023 legislative session. With adjournment likely next week, lawmakers are done with committee hearings and working through a long roster of legislation so they can go home. The Idaho Legislature is winding down its business for 2023 and, absent any last-minute surprises, this session’s outcomes for students, educators and public education promise to be historic. Those bills include pay raises for significant pay raises for educators — IEA members’ top p...

In this episode of Idaho Education Association's HOTLINE Podcast, we discuss Week 6 of the Idaho Legislature’s 2023 session. Our panel's discussion centers on: The real fiscal impact of the session’s first voucher billA bill requiring school districts to provide separate bathrooms and locker rooms based on students’ gender at birthA legislative committee’s rejection of expanded protections from abuse for school employeesA popular parent’s rights bill, March 14’s bond and levy elections and th...

In this episode of IEA's HOTLINE Podcast, we discuss Week 4 of the Idaho Legislature’s 2023 session. Our discussion centers around bond and levy elections on March 14 and proposed legislation to limit school district opportunities to put such measures before voters (House Bill 58). We also discuss legislation (House Bill 114) expanding protections for educators from physical violence — a problem educators face all to often — and IEA's coming testimony on Tuesday against the session's fi...

This episode of IEA's HOTLINE Podcast discusses Jan. 16's 2023 IEA Lobby Day, IEA members’ annual opportunity talk directly with Idaho lawmakers about their legislative priorities for making Idaho public education the best it can possibly be for Idaho’s students and families. This year, more than 150 IEA members came to Boise for this year’s event, which was one of the most successful ever. Our panel also discussed a new advocacy opportunity for individual local education associa...

In this episode of IEA's HOTLINE Podcast, we discuss vouchers — taxpayer funded government subsidies for private schools or vendors that syphon scarce and desperately needed tax dollars away from public school classroom. The panel discusses how voucher proponents cloak voucher schemes in benign language like "school choice" or "scholarships" and how other states that adopt the concept have not seen promised educational outcomes. Joining this discussion are central members of IEA's Lobb...

In this episode of Idaho Education Association's HOTLINE Podcast, we discuss the growing, critical crisis of student mental health and wellbeing and how its impacting Idaho students, classrooms and educators. The panel discusses what's behind this crisis, the need for increased school staffing to help ease its impacts, how student learning and the teaching environment are affected, and how growing expectations for managing outbursts are taking a physical and emotional toll on professio...