So he has an on-line PhD? What about his BA or BS? Is that on-line?<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Jan 30, 2011 at 2:21 AM, Sue Hovey <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:suehovey@moscow.com">suehovey@moscow.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); padding-left: 1ex;">Tom Luna has never taught in any classroom and he got his credentials on<br>
line in order to make the race for Supt of Schools. He said it was so easy<br>
he wished he'd done it before then. The law doesn't require him to have<br>
taught, it does require he takes school law & finance and have a doctorate<br>
in something. That's it.<br>
<br>
Sue H<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Tom Hansen<br>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2011 3:25 AM<br>
To: Moscow Vision 2020<br>
Subject: [Vision2020] Area Residents Quiz Luna on Schools Reform<br>
<br>
A couple questions, V-peeps:<br>
<br>
What are Toma Luna's credentials that qualify him to be Idaho's<br>
Superintendent of Public Instruction?<br>
<br>
What school districts has he taught in?<br>
<br>
Courtesy of today's (January 27, 2011) Lewiston Tribune.<br>
<br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Area residents quiz Luna on schools reform<br>
<br>
CULDESAC - Retired teacher Pat Peek of Viola is concerned about a plan to<br>
increase class sizes in Idaho's public schools and require kids to take<br>
more online courses.<br>
<br>
"Online is not the answer all of the time," Peek told Tom Luna, the chief<br>
of Idaho's schools. "There has to be a balance. Students need to interact<br>
with real teachers in real classrooms. I also think the (proposed)<br>
increase in classroom sizes could have a detrimental effect on education."<br>
<br>
Peek and other residents in the region were able to speak with the state's<br>
top government officials at the Culdesac Capital for a Day Wednesday.<br>
Luna, the state superintendent of public instruction, was asked during a<br>
morning break about his recent plan to overhaul K-12 education.<br>
<br>
"A good teacher can handle one or two more students," Luna said in<br>
response to a question about class sizes. "A poor teacher can't<br>
effectively teach any number of students."<br>
<br>
His proposal for an increased use of technology, performance bonuses for<br>
effective teachers and administrators, and greater accountability seems to<br>
be getting mixed reviews.<br>
<br>
Luna said parts of the plan, such as phasing out tenure and conducting<br>
salary negotiations in open meetings, are never going to be popular with<br>
some groups.<br>
<br>
He also believes there is a misconception that every ninth-grader in the<br>
state will be handed a laptop and neither the student nor computer will<br>
ever be seen again. "That's not the case at all," he said.<br>
<br>
Luna said he wants every student to have a laptop because it can be used<br>
as a research device, a textbook or a word processor.<br>
<br>
"It took 20 years to get the overhead projector out of the bowling alley<br>
and into the classroom. Education has always been a step behind when it<br>
comes to technology and I want to change that."<br>
<br>
Greg Bailey, superintendent of the Mountain View School District based at<br>
Grangeville, told the Tribune he doesn't think Luna got enough feedback<br>
from educators before he went forward with his plan.<br>
<br>
"My No. 1 concern is he didn't get input from the people working in the<br>
trenches," Bailey said. "They weren't allowed at the kitchen table where<br>
the decisions were made. I am also concerned about the capabilities of<br>
online courses and taking away opportunities for students to be face to<br>
face with teachers."<br>
<br>
Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter said he and Luna have three options given the<br>
present economy. They can continue to cannibalize a system that's already<br>
anemic, raise taxes to put more money into a system that isn't working, or<br>
reform the system to one built for the 21st century. They chose the<br>
latter, he said, but they still have to persuade 105 legislators they're<br>
right.<br>
<br>
Otter bridled at one man's accusation he and his cabinet are continuing to<br>
get exorbitant salaries and "bonuses" while funding for education and<br>
health and welfare are being cut.<br>
<br>
He's never gotten a bonus while in government, Otter said. He is paid less<br>
than more than 300 other state employees, most of them in education.<br>
<br>
Neither does he get 60 percent of his federal salary for the rest of his<br>
life for his brief service in Congress, Otter said. Both are rumors.<br>
<br>
Elected officials can't turn down raises, but since 2008 he and Luna have<br>
given those raises to an educational institution of their choice, he said.<br>
<br>
Last year, he and the other constitutional officers agreed to take a pay<br>
cut similar to what other state employees were taking. His pay is down<br>
about $18,000 this year, Otter said.<br>
<br>
Later in the day, Otter presented a Governor's Brightest Stars award to<br>
West Park Elementary School at Moscow in recognition of the volunteer work<br>
done by students, staff and families. The school has a culture of<br>
volunteerism, according to the award.<br>
<br>
West Park provides reading buddies, school maintenance and clean-up during<br>
Saturdays of Service, organizes blood drives, and has done fundraising for<br>
the Red Cross and Inland Empire Blood Bank. It also has a volunteer corps<br>
with representatives of all parts of the community.<br>
<br>
----------------<br>
<br>
Tom Luna<br>
(one of his better pictures)<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.lmtribune.com/images/7948654.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.lmtribune.com/images/7948654.jpg</a><br>
<br>
---------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
Seeya round town, Moscow.<br>
<br>
Tom Hansen<br>
Moscow, Idaho<br>
<br>
"The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it to change<br>
and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>
<br>
- Unknown<br>
<br>
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</blockquote></div><br>