Roger Brown, education adviser to Gov. Butch Otter, noted that the proposed school reform plan wouldn't equip every Idaho 9th grader with laptops until the fall of 2012. "We intend to have 18 months full of meetings, bring all the stakeholders together, talk about what that device should be, how that contract should be let," he told the Senate Education Committee. "The goal here is not to be overly prescriptive. The goal here is to provide the cutting-edge technology to our students ... make them more college-ready, more workforce ready, and to enhance student achievement." He said the governor "looks forward to a vigorous debate."

Committee Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, then apologized for the length of today's hearing - well over three hours - but said, "We're going to have a couple more long ones this week." Click below for a full report on today's hearing from AP reporter Jessie Bonner. The school-reform hearings will continue tomorrow at 3 p.m.

Lawmakers start hearings on education reform bills
By JESSIE L. BONNER, Associated Press

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Public schools chief Tom Luna lashed out Monday at critics of a Republican-backed plan to rewrite the state's education system and blamed the state teachers union for spreading "misinformation" about the overhaul, a charge the Idaho Education Association rejected.

Luna testified Monday as lawmakers kicked off four days of hearings on the proposal and wielded heavy criticism at the Idaho Education Association, which has condemned parts of the plan that would reduce teaching jobs, increase class sizes and require educators to forgo coveted job security.

"There has been an organized attempt to get people riled up," Luna said.

The plan calls for Idaho's high school students to carry laptops and take six online course credits before they graduate. Idaho would also tie some teacher pay to merit and award bonuses for taking on hard-to-fill positions and leadership roles, while eliminating tenure for new educators.

The state would increase class sizes by one or two students to pay for most of the plan, which calls for Idaho to shed about 770 teaching jobs.

Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai countered that teachers should have been more involved in crafting the plan because they will be charged with a bulk of its implementation.

"Those individuals are on the front lines," Malepeai said. "At the same time you paint this picture, that this union person is a monster, and putting up barriers to student success."

Luna countered that his beef was not with teachers — the overhaul would increase teacher pay in some cases — but leaders of the Idaho Education Association who have attacked parts of the overhaul and provided school districts with what he believes is misleading information about the plan.

Union leaders are not in tune with the educators they represent, voters and parents, Luna said.

"I think they're completely out of touch," Luna said.

Idaho Education Association President Sherri Wood fired back, saying the legislation would gut teaching rights. She chided Luna for proposing sweeping reforms of a public education system that he "praised repeatedly while seeking re-election last year," she said.

"We need to come together and with all of the education stakeholders instead of shooting arrows at each other," Wood said.

Supporters and foes of the plan remain deeply divided.

Some 300 parents and their children rallied on the south steps of the Idaho Capitol building as lawmakers met inside on Luna's plan. They held signs aloft that read "Raise my taxes for education" and "What a Luna-tic," while listening to speakers suggest how to address education reforms.

One woman told her son: "If you're in a class of 45 kids, nobody will know your name."

Luna came to the hearing armed with more ammunition to boost his case that Idaho's current system, which has lost roughly $200 million in funding during the past two years amid the economic downturn, is no longer sustainable. He reminded lawmakers the state's revenue outlook for next year had only worsened since he first presented the plan in January.

Rep. Maxine Bell and Sen. Dean Cameron head the Idaho Legislature's budget committee and delivered the bad news last week, cautioning that new cuts to public schools and Department of Health and Welfare programs that could top $100 million.

Cameron and Bell have targeted a range of between $50 million to $81 million in cuts to the zero-growth public schools budget that Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter proposed Jan. 10.

Luna has told lawmakers they can keep cutting public education funding, hike taxes to keep the current system afloat and suffer the wrath of voters, or make immediate changes.

"The state is broke, our country is broke and the current education system we have today is not sustainable," Luna said.

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Associated Press Writer John Miller contributed to this report.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.