REFORM: More than jobs lost

Everyday I read or hear something about Superintendent Luna's ideas for our schools. It scares me that the financial future and current school district budget can't afford his visions.

For me, it's deja vu all over again. I graduated from Coeur d'Alene High School in 1989. Our class motto was "We survived the split-shifts." Due to overcrowding, in 1986, 6th grade moved from elementary school to the junior high and 9th grade from junior high to the (only) high school. This is where the split-shifts at CHS came into play. Freshmen and Sophomores went to school from about 12:30-6:30 p.m. Juniors and Seniors went from 6:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. After three years with that experiment and a controversial levy, Lake City High School was built to solve this problem.

Now, 22 years later, there's a new situation - mandatory online classes. Where's the rationality (and funds) in handing out laptops as if they were textbooks? We can't afford these new "teachers" or to lose the 770 real ones planning to be eliminated. Even a computer would find this illogical. Computers can't discuss the meaning of a book, help with a confusing math problem or just give a student encouragement. All of my teachers were great - and human.

Senior year I had government class at 6:45 a.m. My teacher, Mr. Sayler (a.k.a. Representative George Sayler), had many tired heads on desks being so early but he was an awesome teacher. I remember he had the class be mock Senators. It was the class interaction and getting an idea of what our elected officials do that made it interesting. Proposing to replace teachers like him with a machine is more of a joke than getting a degree online from the University of Phoenix.

There's also the concern of school property being used for everything BUT school. Imagine legalities against the district because of student abuse of school property. What about online gaming, Facebook, cyberbullying, pornography or accessing almost anything? Replacing laptops that get broken, stolen or "stolen" will be costly and who's held responsible? I'm not against computers but maybe it should be an elective vs. mandatory. Mr. Luna stated in the Feb. 12 Spokesman Review that Idaho has cut and shifted $200 million from grades K-12. He stated it will take the next 10 years, optimistically, to "backfill this hole." Also, it faces a shortfall of $80 million this year and there's no rainy day fund or government bailout. He cited that Maine and Texas have similar computer classes. That's probably due to better funding from a larger population, better economy, and higher tax revenues. Why can't the money be put towards saving the 770 teacher jobs? That's 770 jobs that help fund city, state and county tax revenue and also goes back into the schools. Amazing logic to take away jobs, force them into bankruptcy and burden the state with more welfare cases. These are people, not just numbers on a budget sheet.

I'm a mom, my friends and others I know are moms. What's their future going to be like at school? The Superintendent also stated that it's time to face reality, our state is broke. Reality check for him, Idaho can't afford your spending ideas. If the Superintendent has his way, it will pure Luna(cy).

TRACI HAYES

Coeur d'Alene