Idaho School Boards Association president tells House committee public schools deserve robust defense

Brian Piper, president of the Idaho School Boards Association and chairman of the Madison School District Board of Trustees, told the Idaho House Committee on Education on Feb. 18 that locally elected school boards provide a "sacred trust" of governance and oversight for Idaho public schools.

Piper, speaking at the committee's "day on the hill" event with about 200 school board members and administrators in attendance, outlined four reasons he said justify a vigorous defense of public education: preserving the civic fabric of democracy, relying on current research about how children learn, inclusive classrooms that serve students across ability levels, and schools' everyday role in supporting children's academic and social development.

He emphasized the role of locally elected boards in engaging communities, setting vision and expectations for superintendents, and holding systems accountable for student outcomes. Piper said public schools must pay attention to research on cognitive, social and emotional development and cautioned against treating education as a commodity measured only by test scores.

Piper described classroom visits, school art and extracurricular activities as evidence of schools' day-to-day value to communities and rejected assertions he said he had not observed in schools, including rampant bullying or grooming. He said school boards and educators are committed to serving all students and urged mutual understanding between local trustees and state legislators.

Piper asked legislators to view local board members as partners and to seek their expertise when considering policy changes that affect districts. He said experience attending the committee's event over several years helped him understand how the legislative process works and how board members and lawmakers can benefit from direct conversation.