SCHOOLS: A sterling example

What if Idaho would fund all public schools so they would be like the Boise Catholic schools (Statesman 2/1/13)? Mr. Luna and the legislature have reduced education funding thus overcrowding classrooms, overloading, demoralizing and emasculating teachers, forcing them to compete against each other for monetary reward and to teach to tests, making them work in run-down buildings with minimal equipment. Does this negligence matter?

Yes! Look at the Catholic schools. 98+ percent go on to college, 80+ percent receive merit-based scholarships. Test scores rank in the top 10 percent in the country. 70+ percent are involved in activities and win championships.

How? According to the article, they do it through small class sizes, personal attention, exceptional teachers, etc. Do those things matter? Apparently not to the leaders in our state because they would rather siphon money from the education budget to finance other pet projects.

What do we want from our schools — the first scenario or the second one? How can we have the second one? Certainly not by continuing to take money from education. Not with a superintendent who has no passion to see our public schools emulate the Catholic schools. Nor with leaders who will not wholeheartedly support students and teachers.

LOIS MORGAN

Boise