Idaho Republican Party

The Idaho Republican Party recognizes that the future of this great state lies with our faith and reliance on God our Creator, in our strong efforts to uphold family values, and in the quality of education provided for its citizens. We believe that successful education is a joint responsibility of the individual, the family, and the community. As with government in general, we believe the most effective, responsible and responsive educational system is that system closest to the people. We support efforts to strengthen our public school system. We believe in improving the quality of education for every child by maximizing parental choice through expanded support for public charter schools, public virtual charter schools, school choice programs, and accountable public school systems. We believe all public school students are entitled to our support, and to fair and equitable funding. We believe that educational priorities must focus on early childhood reading development, teaching basic academic skills, providing additional opportunities for students to excel, and graduating students with employable skills. We believe Idaho's public school system should provide quality education in a disciplined and safe environment. This system should provide the basic skills that permit our children to function as literate citizens. We strongly support vocational programs and continuing education programs that recognize the need to provide good alternatives to college educational programs. We recognize the importance of Idaho's higher education system in continuing the education of our citizens. The education and research that occurs at our institutions of higher learning contributes substantially to a vigorous economy, heightened competition and a vibrant participatory government. We are proud of our many dedicated, professional teachers and educators who have committed their lives to educating Idaho's children. We value the contribution our teachers make to our society. We believe that in order for public education to be successful, schools and families should work together with mutual respect and cooperation. We call for responsible management, focused goals and direction, and increased accountability from our public school system. We recognize the increasing role of technology in society. We encourage policymakers and educators to be leaders in promoting such new opportunities. We believe competition produces excellence in education, and that parents have the right to choose which schools their children attend. We support the right of parents to pursue private parochial and home school options. Tax credits for non-use of public schools and other forms of parental choice should be encouraged as competitive options for educating children. We value the important role played by our private, independent, and parochial schools, colleges and universities.