Ed reforms ill-suited to real needs of schools

I am writing to encourage anyone who cares about their schools to vote “no” on the three ballot measures that are known collectively — and deceptively — as “Students Come First.”

The Idaho Legislature passed the laws in 2011, despite considerable opposition from citizens across the state. The laws are also known as the “Luna Laws,” because they were drafted by State Superintendent Tom Luna without input from educators or interested citizens. They were a surprise to legislators and to local school officials across the state. One legislator last year described Luna’s reform package as “a bombshell.”

While there are provisions within the law that could lead to useful changes, taken as a whole the reforms do more harm than good. Here’s why:

n Prop. 1 greatly restricts the right of teachers — those closest to students — to negotiate with school administrators about anything other than wages and benefits. No longer can teacher representatives engage with district officials and board members about class sizes, teaching supplies, lesson planning or teacher collaboration needs. As a school board member I have facilitated teacher-administration negotiations for seven years. We have reached consensus on a wide range of issues every year in an atmosphere of mutual respect. This law is a solution in search of a problem.

n Prop. 2 imposes a complicated system of teacher evaluation and reward. I believe there is a need to develop new ways of assessing teacher performance that is partially tied to student achievement, but this top-down mandate is not the answer. Procedures that work can only be developed with the input of teachers, administrators and school board members from a diverse selection of districts across the state.

n Prop. 3 is all about technology, but not the creative use of technology that is now widespread and expanding in our schools. Instead it imposes a rigid on-line learning requirement for high school graduation, even though there is no evidence that on-line courses are effective for most teenage students. It is a mandate that would outsource a portion of high school education to private on-line course providers.

You may have heard Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter voicing a radio ad about “union bosses” opposed to education reforms in Idaho. That’s ridiculous. Idaho is a right-to-work state and there are no union bosses here.

That ad and others, including the frequent full-page ads in this newspaper, are trying to scare voters that “union bosses” want to take over Idaho schools. Don’t fall for it. Supporters of the Luna Laws want you to believe there is something terribly wrong with Idaho public schools and it’s the union’s fault. That claim may have some credence in troubled urban districts like New York, Washington, D.C., and Seattle, but it couldn’t be further from the truth in Idaho, where the major challenge facing schools is lack of adequate funding, not “union bosses.”

Let’s defeat these laws and start over. Convene a statewide task force of legislators, educators, and citizens to assess the needs of Idaho students and families and propose 21st century education reforms that really do put Idaho students first.