[Vision2020] Forum Held on Idaho School Reforms

[Moscow Cares]

Courtesy of today's (October 11, 2012) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Yes or no on Idaho school reforms
Teachers and students across the state are waiting on voters in the Nov. 6 election to decide the fate of laptops, bonuses and bargaining rights.
The League of Women Voters held a forum on three referendums to education reform laws passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor in 2011. The forum, structured like a debate, had speakers urging yes or no votes on the propositions.
State Rep. Shirley Ringo, a Moscow Democrat and member of the Idaho Education Association, spoke against the propositions and argued the Students Come First laws did not consider the opinions of educators.
Darrel Deide, former Caldwell, Idaho, school superintendent and chairman of the Idahoans for Choice in Education political action committee, represented the state Legislature's position on the new laws. He called this year's election the most important education election in the history of Idaho.
Proposition 1 refers to legislation that limits negotiated agreements between school boards and teachers and ends the practice of renewable contracts. Deide said a yes vote would help "weed out under-performing or unsatisfactory teachers."
Ringo argued there was not a need for this reconstruction, calling the idea that teachers are impossible to fire "the big lie." She said public school teachers do not have tenure in the sense that university professors do, but instead have continuing contracts that involve yearly evaluations.
"I suggest we recognize Proposition 1 for what it is, a punitive measure designed to dismantle the Idaho Education Association," Ringo said, calling out the Legislature for not providing the support teachers require. "I don't buy the notion we have as many bad teachers around as some people might imply."
Proposition 2 refers to legislation establishing merit bonuses, rewarding teachers who hold hard-to-fill positions and for student achievements on standardized tests.
"Let's be clear, this measure is not for the schools. Merit pay has no effect on the quality of teaching," Ringo said. "It's not for the teachers. They didn't ask for it."
Ringo was concerned many deserving teachers would be left out in the merit pay plan, with only 25 percent eligible for the leadership bonus.
Ultimately, Ringo said the new bonus plan was not adequate because it did not ask for teacher input.
"We want local control. We want transparency. We want our teachers involved in the decision," she said. "The people who are affected by such a plan should be involved."
Calling the current salary plan "simply not fair," Deide recalled his experience as a superintendent and interacting with teachers who were equally qualified, but not equally efficient.
"Not every teacher is performing equally in a school, and we need something to address that," he said.
Proposition 3 concerns technology, asking voters to approve or reject requiring online courses for high school graduation and providing laptops to every high school student.
Ringo said she recognized the need for technology advancements in education, but did not condone the plan laid out in the Students Come First law because of how it was decided upon.
"Superintendent Luna's actions on this issue speak volumes about his style of leadership," she said. "This is a huge decision for Idaho. The enormity of it demands plenty of input, but we got a decision hatched behind closed doors."
Ringo asked voters to reject the proposition and bring technology to schools with a different plan, saying any plan teachers do not buy into will not succeed.
Deide said the plan had support from education organizations and politicians and encouraged community members to pass the proposition to avoid moving backward.
"The state is making a commitment to move forward in technology," Deide said. "Are we going forward? Are we going to adapt and adopt? Or are we going to move backward? When we vote Nov. 6 that's the choice we're going to make."

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Seeya at the polls, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares"
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho

"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students.  The college students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."

- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)
 
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