State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's school reform plan, just unveiled today, would eliminate the jobs of about 770 teachers over the next five years, according to Department of Education estimates. "Because we are requiring online courses and because we are going to increase the…
The winner of the $190 million Mega Milions Lottery from Idaho - half the full $380 million jackpot - is Holly Lahti of North Idaho, and the ticket was sold at Ady's Convenience & Car Wash on Seltice Way in Post Falls, Idaho Lottery Director…
Idaho's House Ethics Committee met behind closed doors for an hour and a half today, but reached no decisions and took no action. Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, the committee chairman, said much of the time was spent going over materials the committee had requested from…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on state schools Supt. Tom Luna's far-reaching school reform proposal outlined today, which would eliminate tenure for new teachers, limit all collective bargaining agreements with teachers to one year and raise class sizes in grades 4-12…
State Supt. Tom Luna said it's his election mandate that's prompting him to push forward with his far-reaching education reform plan. "The urgency that we're moving this with is based on what the governor and I experienced this past year ... going from community to…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho tax revenue missed forecasts in December for the first time in months, potentially complicating the effort to craft a budget for the coming year. State budget director Wayne Hammon said Wednesday it's…
Lawmakers on the House and Senate education committees are now asking questions of Supt. Tom Luna about his plan. Among the questions: Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, asked, "Student-teacher ratio - how do we compare now, with the rest of the nation?" Luna responded, "There…
State schools chief Tom Luna said the way he'd fund his new program is by shifts in the current school system, including enlarging average class sizes by 1.25 students per teacher in grades 4-12 to save $62.8 million. He'd bump that up another three-quarters of…
The "third pillar" of his school reform plan that state schools Supt. Tom Luna is describing, "transparent accountability," would impose strict new limits on school district bargaining with local teachers' unions. Luna said he wants to limit all collective bargaining agreements so they can't extend…
State schools chief Tom Luna said, "Tenure may have been a rite of passage in the past but it now ... (has become) an obstacle to improving schools. He said he also is proposing to eliminate seniority as a criteria in teacher layoffs, meaning longtime…
State Supt. Tom Luna said his "second pillar" of reform also includes "focused, meaningful professional development and continuing education" for educators, along with more flexibility in hiring both for school districts and school principals, who would have veto power over hires at their school. He…
Supt. Tom Luna has now started expanding on his "second pillar" of school reform, "great teachers and leaders." He cited a study showing that having a highly effective teacher and principal has a big impact on student achievement. "Why would we ever leave this to…
Under Supt. Tom Luna's plan, every 9th grader in public schools in Idaho would be given a laptop computer, he told lawmakers. "We must recognize that hardcover textbooks are becoming a thing of the past," he said.
Luna said the "three pillars" of his school-reform proposal are: The 21st century classroom, which he said is "not limited by walls, bell schedules, school calendars or geography;" "great teachers and leaders;" and "transparent accountability," to hold students accountable for the work they do and…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna has begun his school-reform presentation to a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees, first thanking the committees for granting his and Gov. Butch Otter's request for the joint meeting. "Now is the time for us to…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
