ID Dept of Ed Communications

Letter Encouraging Future Educators from Idaho's 2026 Teacher of the Year

Idaho's 2026 CapEd Credit Union Teacher of the Year Laron Johnson issued an inspirational letter to prospective educators. The letter encourages future teachers to pursue the profession, develop meaningful relationships with students, seek professional development opportunities, and maintain optimism despite challenges. The Idaho State Department of Education distributed the letter as a public announcement.

Alica Holthaus Appointed Deputy Superintendent for Northern Idaho

Idaho Department of Education announced the appointment of Alica Holthaus as Deputy Superintendent for Northern Idaho Regions. Holthaus, former Superintendent of Mountain View School District and St. Maries Joint School District, brings over 20 years of teaching experience and recent experience guiding Mountain View School District through a deconsolidation process. She will provide tailored support to local education agencies across North Idaho.

Idaho K-12 Budget Advances, Virtual School Cuts Questioned

Idaho's K-12 public schools budget advanced through the Legislature on March 20, 2026, maintaining current funding levels despite constrained state revenues. Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield expressed support for the overall budget outcome while raising concerns about disparate treatment of the Idaho Digital Learning Alliance (IDLA), which faces a 52% funding cut compared to just 1.8% cuts for other virtual programs.

Governor Little and Superintendent Critchfield Announce First-of-its-Kind Public-Private Partnership for Artificial Intelligence Education

The Idaho Department of Education announced a public-private AI education partnership with Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho STEM Action Center, Microsoft, Micron, and Stukent. The initiative advances AI literacy across K-12 schools aligned with Senate Bill 1227, including a $250,000 STEM Action Center grant for statewide educator training, professional development for approximately 70 teachers reaching 4,200 students, and a full AI curriculum donation to all Idaho public high schools. The partnership establishes Idaho as a national leader in responsible AI adoption in education.

2026 Idaho Teacher of Year Commentary on Collaborative Teacher Evaluations

The Idaho State Department of Education released a commentary piece by the 2026 Idaho Teacher of the Year, Laron Johnson, discussing the value of collaborative teacher evaluation processes. The piece encourages educators to view evaluations as partnership opportunities for professional growth rather than dreaded compliance exercises, and suggests approaches for leveraging evaluation cycles to benefit teaching practice and student outcomes.