[Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities

[lfalen]

Sue
Thanks for your thoughtful letter. While I am in general agreement with Luna you make some good points. I do have some reservations about the lab top proposal's. While I would not sign the petition, My neighbour( Alma Zollman) is looking for a copy to take around to people for signatures.
Roger
-----Original message-----
From: "Sue Hovey" suehovey at moscow.com
Date: Tue, 17 May 2011 15:04:46 -0700
To: "lfalen" lfalen at turbonet.com, "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com, "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities

> Roger, et al,  This sounds so simple:  be political only after hours.  But a 
> good teacher, regardless of subject brings herself into her teaching; her 
> thoughts, her motives, her political ideology.  And kids are not simple; 
> they recognize, and do not necessarily commit to, her ideology.  How could I 
> not teach slavery was an evil institution or not teach that women are 
> entitled to full and equal rights as citizens of this nation? Or that, from 
> my perspective the Constitution is a living document, capable of meeting the 
> needs of a changing culture.   In any classroom discussion of current events 
> anything that happens is by nature, germane.  I was lucky as a high school 
> social studies teacher in Moscow.  I was the recognized Democrat, Bob Weisel 
> the recognized Republican.  When we had kids working for credit during the 
> election seasons he worked with the students who wanted to help the 
> Republicans and I with those who sided with the Dems.  What both he and I 
> wanted was for all our students to recognize the importance of being 
> politically involved.  We tried to make it easy for them to do so, but the 
> choice was theirs.  There was a time when I thought ethical teachers had to 
> be neutral in class.  I tried so diligently that one of my students came in 
> to thank me personally for supporting Steve Symms.  I then decided I had 
> carried neutrality much too far.
> 
> Tom Luna is simply trying to intimidate teachers.  That was the intent of 
> the 3 laws.  Not only do they penalize good teachers, they place a terrible 
> burden on administrators and school district trustees--and small districts 
> are significantly at risk of losing good veteran teachers.  With the loss of 
> state funding for salaries, districts are going to have to search for ways 
> to keep teachers in every classroom.  As seniority can no longer be a 
> criterion and with the other criteria much less specific, districts may 
> decide to release one, more highly paid teacher to get two for less money. 
> That's what Luna's bills are all about--getting teachers on the cheap, and 
> rewarding his hardware and software contractors as well as legislators who 
> pushed through his bills.
> 
>   Those of us who are working to carry petitions are doing so out of class 
> (well I'm retired, so it's easy,) and through our personal email addresses. 
> IEA officers have been adamant--do not use your school email.  What does 
> happen is if a parent is interested in signing a petition, the only email 
> they probably have access to is the teacher's school email.  In a reply 
> teachers always refer them to their personal emails, but the original 
> message from the parents comes through the only address they have.
> 
> I have sent  response to the Trib and the DN hoping it will get printed 
> soon.  It's another take on all this, but believe me, every time I reread 
> the laws, I find a new issue.
> 
> There isn't much more time left to get these petitions signed.  Please if 
> you haven't done so, consider it and call me.  I will come to your house to 
> get your signature, if you need for me to do that.   882-3380 
> 208-301-2208 or just reply to this by email.
> 
> Think about it:  You cannot put our students first, if you put their 
> teachers last......
> 
> Sue Hovey
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: lfalen
> Sent: Tuesday, May 17, 2011 10:50 AM
> To: Tom Hansen ; Moscow Vision 2020
> Cc: Penni Cyr
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities
> 
> Teachers have the right to engage in any political activity that the choose 
> off duty. The classroom is a different matter. There they should not espouse 
> any view( political, religious or otherwise) that is not germane to the 
> subject matter at hand.
> Roger
> -----Original message-----
> From: "Tom Hansen" thansen at moscow.com
> Date: Mon, 16 May 2011 14:29:25 -0700
> To: "Moscow Vision 2020" vision2020 at moscow.com
> Subject: [Vision2020] Luna Cautions Teachers About Political Activities
> 
> > Courtesy of the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Luna cautions teachers about political activities
> >
> > BOISE - Teachers are being warned they could lose their certification if
> > they participate in efforts to recall Idaho Superintendent of Public
> > Instruction Tom Luna, repeal his new education reforms or engage in other
> > political activities on school grounds.
> >
> > In a memo Friday, Luna said his office had received numerous inquiries and
> > reports of teachers using their school email to coordinate political
> > activities: proselytizing to students in the classroom and using pupils as
> > couriers for political materials.
> >
> > In a note to school superintendents and charter school administrators,
> > Luna cautioned that these types of political activities were ethical
> > violations punishable by a letter of reprimand, or suspension or
> > revocation of a teacher's certification. He also warned that educators who
> > are aware of such political activities and fail to report them face
> > similar consequences.
> >
> > "Those whose certificates are suspended or revoked can no longer be
> > employed by an Idaho public school," said Luna, who has been targeted in
> > recent months by education activists who are seeking his ouster over a
> > package of new education reforms.
> >
> > The sweeping changes phase out tenure for teachers, limit collective
> > bargaining and shifts money from salaries for technology upgrades in the
> > classrooms such as laptops for high school teachers and students. The
> > three-part plan was signed into law earlier this year and has landed in
> > the crosshairs of a referendum campaign.
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Seeya round town, Moscow.
> >
> > Tom Hansen
> > Moscow, Idaho
> >
> > "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to
> > changeand the Realist adjusts his sails."
> >
> >  - Unknown
> >
> >
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