[Vision2020] Putting Teachers Last in Idaho & in Moscow, as well.

[Sue Hovey]

Thanks,  Three times I turned down job offers in Pullman to stay in Moscow where I loved to teach.  Were I teaching today, I’d be looking out of state—somewhere.  They are still hiring in Hawaii.  That would be very tempting.  The problems there are huge, but the teachers I worked with are dedicated, though not very well paid for the economy; but they don’t have an intransigent school board as does Moscow.  And of course they don’t have Tom Luna—fortunately he’s unique. 

A note for everyone:  The school district has hired a Boise Lawyer to fly to Moscow for every negotiating session.  They pay for her flight, her motel bill and other per diem, then refuse to release what it costs them to do that.  Additionally, teachers have now discovered she was involved in the drafting of the 3 Luna bills.  I guess it pays to get the ones who help create the mess to make sure the teachers get stuck with all of it.  The board could have simply taken the contract on which everyone worked, and transferred the items such as planning for elementary teachers, into policy so those things would continue.  The Troy Board did that, as did Lewiston, bless them.....but our board, on the advice of their imported lawyer, refuses to.  And then Margaret Dibble had the nerve to suggest the teachers agree to a school work day that ended, not at 3:45, but when the “job ended.”  One of the teachers laughed as she told me, “I wonder if they’d pay for moving my bed to my classroom?”   Negotiations sessions are open to the public.  The next negotiations session is in the Multipurpose Room in the Jr. High at 5:30 on Wednesday.  Others are scheduled for June 1, 6, 7.  The law now gives all power to the school board.  Should the board and teachers not agree by the 10th of June the board just sets the contract as they wish.  So there’s really no reason for them to come to any agreement with teachers, well other than respect for their employees.  And there is certainly no reason to pay expenses for a lawyer to come to Moscow and tell them they hold all the cards.  Obviously they already know that. 

Sue H. 


From: Joe Campbell 
Sent: Friday, May 20, 2011 6:14 AM
To: Tom Hansen 
Cc: Moscow Vision 2020 ; Penni Cyr 
Subject: Re: [Vision2020] Putting Teachers Last in Idaho

Great letter! Shows the value of a real education: it keeps on giving!


On Fri, May 20, 2011 at 6:11 AM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:

  Courtesy of today's (May 20, 2011) Moscow-Pullman Daily News with thanks t
  Sue Hovey.

  -------------------------

  Putting teachers last in Idaho

  Let's say you are in eighth grade and I am your teacher. You ask, "Is it
  true 700 teachers will lose their jobs so I get a computer next year?" And
  I reply, "Yes, according to the law." Then you, an inquisitive kid,
  continue, "Will you be one of those 700?" And I reply, truthfully, "I
  don't know, possibly." "Well," responds the student, "sounds like a dumb
  idea to me!" I reply, "To me, too."

  Tom Luna's latest press release says I have just politicized the class,
  proselytized students and violated the Teachers' Code of Ethics. I could
  be fired for this, he threatens.

  Ethics was irrelevant when Luna, with the help of the governor, software
  contractors and legislative leaders, drafted those dreadful bills.

  A case in point: Ethical leaders should hesitate to write into education
  law a new section providing insurance salespeople access to teachers when
  school starts, mandating teachers' signatures regarding the insurance,
  requiring the district to maintain a file of those signatures and
  potentially profitingthe two Idaho legislative leaders whose support was
  critical. Rep. Bob Nonini and Sen. John Goedde, chairs of the House and
  Senate Education Committees, both insurance salesmen.

  Superintendent Luna never taught a class, got an online bachelor's degree
  to run for the office and sought no public input as he crafted those
  bills.

  When we as Idaho voters repeal his laws and recall him, will he have
  learned the lesson: You can't put Idaho students first when you put their
  teachers last?

  Sue Hovey, Moscow

  --------------------------

  Later, Moscow.

  Tom Hansen
  Astoria, Oregon


  "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to
  changeand the Realist adjusts his sails."

  - Unknown

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