Penni Cyr, president of the Idaho Education Association, is applauding Otter’s “recommitment to public education” in his State of the State message today, and said her organization “readily supports the majority of the goals and initiatives that he has outlined.” But she decried the lack of any increased salaries for teachers as part of his proposal for the coming year. “We have put ourselves at a competitive disadvantage compared to neighboring states, and only through improving education can we ensure a qualified workforce that will drive Idaho’s economic recovery,” Cyr said in a statement. “Facilities and technology are important tools for education, but they are of minimal value without qualified people to use them.”

Said Cyr, “The IEA applauds the growing realization that public education is the key to Idaho’s future prosperity, but education doesn’t happen without quality teachers, and that critical piece of the equation has been overlooked in Gov. Otter’s proposed budget.”