OPINION: A letter to the governor from Idaho public school superintendents

On Jan. 6, you delivered a strong message to our citizens and to our legislators that “doing things right” in Idaho starts with “KEEPING PROMISES.” You delivered a clear and unequivocal statement that expanding publicly funded school choice must be done “the Idaho way,” promising that you would only consider a school choice measure “that is fair, responsible, transparent, and accountable” and that would “prioritize families that need it the most.”

This week, the Idaho Legislature sent House Bill 93 to your desk. This historic bill proposes to send public tax dollars to private institutions without meeting any of the expectations you set forth to ensure fairness, transparency or accountability. Many legislators from across our great state voted against House Bill 93 because it fails to provide the accountability for tax dollars that, in your words, “taxpayers demand and deserve.” By standing on those principles, these honorable legislators have undoubtedly made themselves future targets for out-of-state billionaires who fund dark money campaigns that will work to destroy their political futures in Idaho.

Governor Little, please keep your promises to those legislators who bravely stood with you. Send a strong and unequivocal message to the rest of the legislature by vetoing House Bill 93. Demand that the legislature return a bill that includes transparency and accountability for expenditures of Idaho tax dollars, for outcomes of student learning, and for the actions of professional educators. Those are not difficult items to include in an amendment to this bill.

Arizona’s Educational Savings Account program, which is widely touted by privateers as the model for other states, at least provides transparency to the public on how those dollars are spent. Such transparency for public funds must be included here in Idaho to ensure appropriate use of taxpayer dollars.

It only takes a single sentence to require any school or organization that accepts public tax dollars to comply with all requirements of the Idaho Code of Ethics for Professional Educators. Doing so will provide transparency and accountability for the actions of those individuals entrusted with educating Idaho’s children regardless of whether they attend school in a public or private setting.

It only takes another single sentence to require private schools and organizations to not discriminate against children based on their race, religion, disability or economic status. This will ensure that all Idaho families have choice, not just those students from the most privileged circumstances.

Finally, including accountability for student learning outcomes by requiring beneficiaries of state tax dollars to participate in the state testing program is the only way for Idaho taxpayers to know if this historic disruption to Idaho’s education system actually works.

Our public schools have served to ensure the stability of [our] republican form of government as well as the growth of our economic prosperity for more than a century. As superintendents of public schools across Idaho who are entrusted with the education of more than 300,000 of Idaho’s children, we are still gravely concerned that privatizing education will, over time, erode the stability of our republic. We strongly believe that such a monumental shift to our established system of free, common, public schools should be put to voters as a referendum to amend Idaho’s constitution. Barring that, we implore you to please keep your promise to Idaho taxpayers by vetoing House Bill 93 and demanding that the legislature ensure fair, responsible, transparent, and accountable use of public tax dollars. Every public school in Idaho provides this for our taxpayers; any private organization that receives public tax dollars must be expected to do the same.

Sincerely,

Scott Woolstenhulme, Bonneville School District

Karla LaOrange, Idaho Falls School District

Brian Kress, Blackfoot School District

Randy Lords, Madison School District

Chad Martin, Jefferson School District

Michael Jacobson, Swan Valley School District

Jared Jenks, Sugar Salem School District

Brandon Ferris, Fremont School District

Susan Buescher, Mackay School District

Shane Williams, West Jefferson School District

Lani Rembelski, Challis School District

Eileen Holden, Clark County School District

Jill Patton, Salmon School District

Joe Steele, Butte School District

Jeff Gee, Ririe School District

Doug McLaren,  Shelley School District

Basil Morris, Firth School District

Jim Foudy, Blaine County School District

Megan Christiansen, Teton School District

Kelli Schroeder, Filer School District

Janet Williamson, Camas County School District

Michele Capps, Murtaugh School District

Randy C Jensen,  American Falls School District

Dena Naccarato, Post Falls School District

Kyler Miller, North Gem School District

Luke Schroeder, Kimberly School District

Angie Oparnico, Buhl School District

Stefanie Shaw, Dietrich School District

Gary Moon, Head of Schools Xavier Charter School

Spencer Larsen, Minidoka School District

Stoney Winston, Fruitland School District

Tim Perrigot, Wendell School District

Angie Lakey-Campbell, Hansen School District

Lisa Roberts, Boise School District

Joni Stevenson, Cascade School District

Anthony Butler, Cambridge School District

Gregg Russell, Nampa School District

Jason Moss, Grace School District

Jason Reddy, Kuna School District

Lance Harrison, Preston School District

Joey Palmer, Vallivue School District

Douglas Howell, Pocatello/Chubbuck School Dist.

Dave Kerby, Weiser

Brady D. Dickinson, Twin Falls School District

Bill Hicks, Hagerman SD 233

Scott Muir, Soda Springs School District

Sandra Miller, Cassia Joint School District

Rob Sauer, Homedale School District

Dr. N. Shalene French, Caldwell School District

Pat Griffin, Council School District

Norm Stewart, Marsing School District

Ty Jones, Valley School District 262

Nick Smith, Boise School District

Glen Croft, Payette School District

Micah J. Doramus, Notus School District 135

Craig Woods, Emmett School District

Derek Bub, West Ada School District

Lisa Boyd, Vallivue School District 139

Hannah Spafford, Garden Valley School District 71

Mark Kress, Snake River School District #52

Melissa Langan, Caldwell School District

Marc Gee, Middleton School District

Kim Spacek, West Bonner County SD #83

Dale Layne ,Parma School District #137

James Gilbert, Mountain Home School District

Christi Thompson, Syringa Mountain Charter School

Dennis Chesnut, Horseshoe Bend School District

KyLee Morris, MIdvale School District #433

Brent Johnson, Jerome School District

Gary Tucker, Marsh Valley School District

Greg Larson, Rockland School District

Lisa Pennington, Middleton School District

David Carson, Gooding School District