<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:10pt"><div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Rep. Ringo and other Democrats vote to reduce<VAR id=yui-ie-cursor></VAR> teacher pay? Huh? What am I missing? Why would Democrats vote for a bill that would keep teachers pay low? I would never vote against a bill that gives any teacher a higher salary. This is shameful. </SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">I understand that experienced teachers should make more than newer ones in most cases, but it sounds like the Democrats want to <SPAN style="RIGHT: auto" id=misspell-0><SPAN>punish</SPAN></SPAN> the newly hired teachers because the more experienced ones were also being mistreated.</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Why not get the biggest salaries you can get for any teacher you can instead of fighting to cut them down to the lowest <SPAN style="RIGHT: auto" id=misspell-1><SPAN>denominator</SPAN></SPAN>? It is easier next session to get <SPAN style="RIGHT: auto" id=misspell-2><SPAN>legislation</SPAN></SPAN> for higher wages for experienced teachers later on if less experienced teachers make more then they do. </SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">In the medical/health field, demand exceeds merit pay. Which means most newly hired staff make more than staff that has been there for a while. A new nurse often makes more than a nurse next to her that has been at the hospital for six to ten years. There is also a pay <SPAN style="RIGHT: auto" id=misspell-0><SPAN>ceilings</SPAN></SPAN>, that is you can only make so much for what you do. Pay <SPAN style="RIGHT: auto" id=misspell-1><SPAN>injustices</SPAN></SPAN> exist everywhere. But it is most unjust not to be giving teachers in Idaho the best you can give them.</SPAN></div>
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<div style="RIGHT: auto"><SPAN style="RIGHT: auto">Donovan Arnold</SPAN></div>
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<DIV style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; LINE-HEIGHT: 0; MARGIN: 5px 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-TOP: #ccc 1px solid; BORDER-RIGHT: #ccc 1px solid; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=hr contentEditable=false readonly="true"></DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">From:</SPAN></B> Tom Hansen <thansen@moscow.com><BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> Moscow Vision 2020 <Vision2020@moscow.com> <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Thursday, March 29, 2012 7:15 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> [Vision2020] Idaho House advances key teacher pay bill<BR></FONT></DIV><BR>
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<DIV>Courtesy of <SPAN id=misspell-0 class=mark>KHQ</SPAN> at:</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>http://www.khq.com/story/17288041/idaho-house-advances-key-teacher-pay-bill
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<H3 style="PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; PADDING-LEFT: 0px; PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; FONT-FAMILY: arial, verdana, sans-serif; CLEAR: both; FONT-SIZE: 16px; FONT-WEIGHT: bold; PADDING-TOP: 0px" class=yiv196326774>Idaho House advances key teacher pay bill</H3>
<DIV>BOISE, Idaho (AP) - Representatives voted to reverse scheduled cuts to teacher salaries that had been part of last year's "Students Come First" education overhaul.</DIV>
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<DIV>Thursday's vote was 59-9, with only Democrats opposing the package that's a critical part of lawmakers' plan to adjourn by Thursday evening or Friday.</DIV>
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<DIV>Last year, legislators cut $35 million over five years from teacher salaries, redirecting cash to education reforms including merit pay and new technology.</DIV>
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<DIV>Rep. Bob <SPAN id=misspell-1 class=mark>Nonini</SPAN> of <SPAN id=misspell-2 class=mark>Coeur</SPAN> <SPAN id=misspell-3 class=mark>d'Alene</SPAN> told lawmakers that reversing those planned cuts keeps a promise to bolster salaries once tax revenue recovered and money was available.</DIV>
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<DIV>The measure now goes to the Senate.</DIV>
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<DIV>Democratic Rep. Shirley Ringo argued against the bill, saying its provision that boosts beginning teacher salaries more than for experienced teachers sends the wrong message to older educators.</DIV>
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<DIV><SPAN id=misspell-4 class=mark>Seeya</SPAN> round town, Moscow.</DIV>
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<DIV>Tom Hansen</DIV>
<DIV>Moscow, Idaho</DIV>
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<DIV>"If not us, who?</DIV>
<DIV>If not now, when?"</DIV>
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<DIV>- Unknown</DIV>
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