Clayton Cramer for Idaho State Senate (District 22)


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Education

One of my great concerns about education in rural Idaho is that there is too little opportunity for high school graduates to go on to college. One study claims that in 2004, 47.4% of Idaho's high school graduates went directly to college. Another study indicates that we are 45th in the nation by this measure, and 46th in the nation in per capita college graduation rates.

The future is going to be a global market. Our children are going to be competing with college graduates from around the world for jobs. Those who do not go to college are going to find themselves in poorly paid service jobs. We can do better.

Idaho has enough colleges, but they aren't spread out in the outlying counties -- and unfortunately, many young people don't have the option of moving to Boise, or Moscow, or Lewiston. They have responsibilities that tie them to family farms and businesses.

One of my goals is to see the existing colleges make more of an effort to provide satellite campuses. There is already something of an effort underway to provide distance learning, which is commendable, but I think we can do more without spending a pile of money. There are plenty of underused facilities scattered throughout rural counties of Idaho that are available in the evenings (when students with full-time jobs would be able to take classes). There are, in many counties, qualified adjunct instructors for at least the general education courses required for the first two years of college. As a member of the state senate, I will be leaning on our existing public institutions to work harder at diffusing education into the counties where economic difficulties and distance make it impossible for adults to go to college.

This is a very personal concern of mine. I came from a home where money was tight, and a combination of circumstances prevented me from finishing college at a traditional age. Ability and desire should be the only barriers to an Idahoan going to college. The future is going to be very competitive; Idaho and America can't afford to leave any high school graduate behind.