EDUCATION: Question of qualifications

Sunday’s July 2 Press had a surprising article on the front page. Mr. Don Soltman reflected on his tenure on the Idaho Education Board. Quite interestingly, Mr. Soltman endorsed (bequeathed) Mr. John Goedde, a local non-reelected politician, previous school board member, and the previous board president of the Senate Education Committee. He said Mr. Goedde is “supremely qualified.”

That would have made sense except that Mr. Soltman further explained that Mr. Goedde “knows where the skeletons are.” Idaho seems to have chronic “skeletons” that make quality public education an unattainable goal.

Not surprisingly, endless meetings by politicians don’t move the needle. Locally and nationally, what goes on in classrooms is what taxpayers need changed. This superintendent and our 271 school board keep their jobs by pretending that they know how to improve Coeur d’Alene public schools. Since District 271 results are chronically very poor, it makes sense to install TV monitors in all District 271 classrooms.

Certainly, it is in the best interest of Idaho to replace Mr. Soltman with a citizen who believes that an absence of progress for 10 years is “feeding at the government trough” without results. Our Coeur d’Alene kids’ futures are at stake. Believe it or not, our 271 superintendent and board uses the excuse that “Our kids just don’t test well.” No joke!

The solution: This superintendent and board should go down the street and see how it’s done at the Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy and then solve the serious issues identified by their $50K failed evaluation.

RON DEADY

Coeur d’Alene

Editor’s note: Mr. Deady is one of the applicants for the State Board of Education trustee position now held by Mr. Soltman.