[Vision2020] From the Legislature

[RingoShirl@aol.com]

Visionaries:

Because of time constraints, I won't give a full report until next week.

The public education budgets for administrators and teachers passed the House today.  The Senate has acted on them already.  I voted no on both because of inadequacy.  There is no increase in the state salary compensation for about 66% of the teachers.  This includes about 10% who have seen no increase from the state for three years, while cost of living and insurance premiums increase.  (This must sound familiar to many University of Idaho employees.)

The state did put in money to guarantee that no teacher makes less than $27,500.  This is intended to attract new teachers.  However, a mentoring program to help assure success of new teachers was not funded.  Typically, we lose 1/3 to 1/2 of our teachers during the first three years.

I am sponsoring a bill (with support from the Senate Democrats) that would call for a bi-partisan State Board of Education.  I was pleasantly surprised today when the Senate Education Committee acted favorably to send it to the floor of the Senate.  (It's a good committee, but I was asking a lot of them.)  Unfortunately, since we will probably finish next week, it's unlikely this bill will make it through the process.

Next week, We will acting on the remaining public school appropriations, and deal with charter school legislation - a lot to do, but leaders are determined to finish by next Friday.
There are also issues such as the ban on smoking in restaurants, so it will be a busy week.

Let me know if you have comments or questions.

Shirley