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TUES, 29 OCT 2002

Luna’s views closer to moon than Idaho

This is a critical year for education in Idaho. The next State Superintendent of Public Instruction could make or break Idaho’s K-12 system. Many students at UI came from Idaho schools, and now they can use their voting age to help change their elementary and secondary schools for the better. Republican candidate Tom Luna and Democratic candidate Marilyn Howard, incumbent, have made school funding and student achievement testing the big issues.

Luna claims more money is not what is needed to save Idaho schools; Idaho just needs to manage schools better. He claims the state has funded schools well, by increasing the K-12 budget $225 million from 1996-2001 while Idaho enrollment increased by only 125 students within that period.

He declines to note the 46 new schools added in that period, and the fact that the percentage of accredited schools in Idaho rose from 66.3 percent to 82.7 percent. The average teacher’s salary increased by around $5,000.

Superintendent Howard was in charge during this period of growth, and has shown she knows how to run the schools. The increased accreditation is one indicator of how well the schools are managed.

One of her other major accomplishments is the Idaho Reading Initiative. This initiative is one of the first in the nation to require students to enter an intensive 40-hour program if they are not at the right reading level.

Luna complains that Idaho schools are funded based on their attendance, and not their performance. He believes that standardized tests should be used to measure the effectiveness of the schools. A school with under-performing students would soon find itself under-funded.

Standardized tests should be used so teachers can evaluate teaching methods, and not to decide whether or not a school should be funded. If a school is already having trouble keeping kids up to par, it doesn’t make sense for the state to cut funding and make their job harder. It’s the kids that lose.

Luna has criticized Howard for trying to rally funding for schools. He claims that this is not the job of the school superintendent. Part of the Howard’s job is to help out the teachers and students of Idaho. If this means she must find more funding, then that’s what she should do.

Luna may know what standards we should hold students to, but he has neither the experience nor an appropriate plan to help Idaho reach those standards. He’s just out of touch with students and teachers.

Howard has been steadily improving Idaho education and as former Idaho K-12 students, we should give her the chance to continue her good work. The budget cutbacks have forced the debate over Idaho education to a bottom line: money. Vote for Howard Nov. 5. She’s the only candidate who has a realistic view on educating Idaho.

M.M.

QUESTION
Do you plan on voting in the Nov. 5 election? Why or why not?