Citizens testify on education

COEUR d'ALENE - They wanted citizen testimony about the state's public education budget, and on Friday members of the Idaho Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee got an earful.

The first public education hearing held by the joint committee responsible for crafting Idaho's budget attracted hundreds of residents to Boise.

An overflow crowd of parents, teachers, school superintendents and board members, including some from North Idaho, filled several Statehouse hearing rooms.

Lawmakers stayed nearly an hour longer than the three hours planned, and heard from more than 70 of the roughly 135 people who signed up to speak.

Many voiced their thoughts about a sweeping education system overhaul unveiled last week by Idaho schools chief Tom Luna and Gov. Butch Otter.

Coeur d'Alene business owner Dennis Burt told committee members that he has had concerns with the way Idaho funds schools for some time, and that the proposed reform plan is "flawed to the point of guaranteed failure."

The reform package - touted as an alternative to increased taxes or further cuts to state education funding - calls for increased class sizes and fewer teachers, balanced by more classroom technology with personal laptops and required online courses for high school students.

Under the plan, educator pay would be based on merit, with bonuses for student achievement. Tenure for new teachers would be eliminated, as would job security based on seniority.

The state would pay for the plan mostly by increasing the ratio of students-per-class from 18.2 to 19.8 during the next two years, saving about $100 million annually. Idaho would shed about 770 teaching jobs as class sizes increase and more courses are taught online.

"I have seen good, outstanding teachers and support staff continually demoralized by policies set at our state's top leadership level with no collaboration or input from its rank and file teachers," Burt said.

He called for school funding at the state level that adequately pays for basic education, so communities don't have to approve

supplemental levies and teachers don't have to write grants to bring innovation into their classrooms.

Some who testified endorsed Superintendent Luna's set of reforms.

Dan Nicklay, principal of Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy called the plan "bold and innovative."

He said he knows many of his peers disagree.

"As professionals, we must rise to the challenge," Nicklay said, and applauded merit pay for teachers and elimination of tenure. "We must remember, schools do not exist to provide employment," he said.

Some teachers shared how dwindling state revenue for schools has already affected them, as public schools are operating with $128 million less than they were a year earlier.

Theresa Watson, a fourth-grade teacher from Priest River, told lawmakers that educators in her district have received no money for classroom supplies, and are paying for them out of their own pockets.

"Honestly, I don't even have a pencil sharpener in this classroom," Watson said, her voice breaking as she spoke.

Post Falls High School band director Matt Barkley talked about music programs that have fallen to the budget ax, completely removed from schools in some districts.

The hearing was streamed live over the Internet on Idaho Public Television's website.

Coeur d'Alene Superintendent Hazel Bauman did not attend the hearing, but shared some of her written comments that she is forwarding to Boise to be added to the record.

Regarding increased technology, Bauman told The Press her district is anxious to continue to explore its expanded use.

"I would love to get away from hardcover textbooks. They are not robust enough. We can get more out of e-readers, laptops or iPads," Bauman shared. "My hope is the state gives districts the local decision-making ability to decide what technology will work best for our students and our infrastructure."

The reality of this plan is that districts will have less money, Bauman said, while "already walking the tightrope of balancing what the local taxpayer has to contribute and the continued cuts we see from the state."

"Losing funding for 20 teachers is frankly another cut for us."

She believes the ideal pay for performance plan would reward teams of educators vs. individuals.

"I would like to see measurements of success focus on the yearly growth of students rather than just proficiency," Bauman said. "Investing in professional development for both technology and enhancing teachers' instructional skills is extremely important for the proposed reform plan to succeed."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.