SCHOOLS: Call for improvement

I’ve attended some of the Coeur d’Alene public schools board meetings, and, like the rest of this community, I have learned that little goes on there worth listening to. There are no discussions about the desperate need for improvements, and every effort is made to minimize community input. Board members get re-elected by embracing the needs of teachers over the needs of kids.

Charter schools like our Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy have gained national attention and are known as “the” place to send one’s children. Within just a few years since their creation, Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy far outperforms our Coeur d’Alene public schools. The reality stands as a disgrace to District 271.

During the last two years this citizen has attended the Coeur d’Alene Chamber Education Committee. I surmised that the chamber surely sees the need for vastly improved public schools, and would enjoy citizen input. Indeed, I am a critic and I quickly realized that the school district stacks the group with teachers, district promoters, ex-teachers and Coeur d’Alene union hacks. I learned that local college leadership attendees changed from proponents of better public schools to battle against improvements. Even the previous School Board President, Mr. Hearn, positions himself there (at the Coeur d’Alene Chamber Education Committee) every month. He appears to be desperately attempting to stop discussion of needed district reforms. Sadly, even the chamber executive director also opts not to support discussion about better public schools. This is noteworthy since one of the mandates of the Education Committee is to help promote quality graduates into our community’s workforce.

Incredibly, Mr. Hearn, the previous school board president, actually commented at the last meeting of the Chamber Education Committee that taking a survey of businesses to find out how prepared our graduates of Coeur d’Alene’s public schools are for the community workforce was not a concept that he wants. Note: Every citizen of this community would be eager to learn such information. Idaho creates a mere 10 percent college graduates due to such poor promotion of excellence.

In addition, the man at the helm of this district, Mr. Handelman, wishes to perform as superintendent of the Cheney schools. I think the people of this community need to learn what kind of reference is given to Mr. Handelman from District 271.

RON DEADY

Coeur d’Alene