State Department of Education offers resources amid pandemic

Although public school buildings are closed, Idaho educators continue instructing students through distance learning. Parents are helping children learn at home.

To support these efforts, the State Department of Education is providing a wide range of resources to maximize the continuity of education.

Available resources are updated frequently and collected at two online sites maintained by the SDE: the school resources page of the governor’s Idaho coronavirus website, https://coronavirus.idaho.gov/resources-for-schools/; and the Educational Resources for Parents and Educators page of the SDE website, https://www.sde.idaho.gov/parents-educators.html.

The School Resources page organizes resources by topic, from content areas to student safety, special education to child nutrition, and assessment to school finance. It features robust sections with online resources and information on technology services, including an Excel document of free and discounted internet services for schools and students during the pandemic, searchable by zip code so people can find coverage in their areas. All resources are updated as new information becomes available.

Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and SDE program directors are also keeping in communication with school district and charter school leaders, sharing information and answering questions in webinars held each Wednesday during this crisis and compiling that information in a FAQ document for administrators.