The "third pillar" of his school reform plan that state schools Supt. Tom Luna is describing, "transparent accountability," would impose strict new limits on school district bargaining with local teachers' unions. Luna said he wants to limit all collective bargaining agreements so they can't extend…
State schools chief Tom Luna said, "Tenure may have been a rite of passage in the past but it now ... (has become) an obstacle to improving schools. He said he also is proposing to eliminate seniority as a criteria in teacher layoffs, meaning longtime…
State Supt. Tom Luna said his "second pillar" of reform also includes "focused, meaningful professional development and continuing education" for educators, along with more flexibility in hiring both for school districts and school principals, who would have veto power over hires at their school. He…
Supt. Tom Luna has now started expanding on his "second pillar" of school reform, "great teachers and leaders." He cited a study showing that having a highly effective teacher and principal has a big impact on student achievement. "Why would we ever leave this to…
Under Supt. Tom Luna's plan, every 9th grader in public schools in Idaho would be given a laptop computer, he told lawmakers. "We must recognize that hardcover textbooks are becoming a thing of the past," he said.
Luna said the "three pillars" of his school-reform proposal are: The 21st century classroom, which he said is "not limited by walls, bell schedules, school calendars or geography;" "great teachers and leaders;" and "transparent accountability," to hold students accountable for the work they do and…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna has begun his school-reform presentation to a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees, first thanking the committees for granting his and Gov. Butch Otter's request for the joint meeting. "Now is the time for us to…
When state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna presents his education reform plan to a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees tomorrow, his talk will be entitled, "The Three Pillars of Student-Centered Education," according to the agenda. The meeting starts at 8:30 in…
It turns out that the House Ethics Committee will, in fact, be considering Rep. Eric Anderson's ethics complaint against Rep. Phil Hart when it meets in executive session tomorrow, along with two citizen complaints the panel has received. The committee, at its last meeting, requested…
The House and Senate minority caucuses held a press conference this morning to give their response to the governor's State of the State message and budget. "In the face of enormous challenges and widespread economic hardship, the governor and many legislators have no plans to…
After Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief, told JFAC that it's an honor to be the first presenter to the joint budget committee each year, JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, responded with a smile, "We sharpen our swords on you."
Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief, is fielding questions now about the governor's budget proposal from legislative budget writers. Among them: Whether water quality monitoring is funded in the Department of Environmental Quality in 2012. The answer: Yes, but it's funded on a one-time…
The governor's proposed budget for next year includes $1 million for Opportunity Scholarships, but that's just enough to continue funding renewals of the scholarships for students who already are receiving them; it's not enough to add any new ones. It would be the third year…
Gov. Butch Otter still is concerned about state workers' salaries lagging below market levels, Otter's budget chief, Wayne Hammon, told legislative budget writers; it's an issue Otter emphasized at the outset of his first term as governor, calling for a series of big pay boosts.…
Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief, has begun his presentation to JFAC this morning on the governor's proposed budget. "The December revenue numbers are still not final," Hammon told the budget writers. He said the Division of Financial Management "was hoping to get it…
The House Ethics Committee has scheduled an executive session meeting for tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. This is a change - heretofore, all proceedings and documents of the ethics committee have been open to the public, a point emphasized by the chairman, Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona.…
Opponents of megaloads on U.S. Highway 12 in north-central Idaho have filed an appeal of the state hearing officer's findings and recommendation after a contested case hearing. The appeal, which you can read online here, contends that the hearing officer focused in his findings only…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter worked some budget magic to trim the state's looming shortfall for the coming year down to manageable size and avoid calling for any tax increases, in the budget he unveiled to state lawmakers Monday. They were skeptical, however, because Otter's plan…
Gov. Butch Otter and state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna say Luna will unveil a big new education reform plan to a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees on Wednesday, but neither would give details in their joint news conference this afternoon…
Gov. Butch Otter is holding a post-State of the State press conference via the Idaho Education Network, though few are participating on the network and many are in the room with him at the Idaho Department of Education. Among the questions so far: What Otter…
The Idaho Legislature has a new power couple - Dick and Carole Harwood. Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, is a sixth-term District 2 representative. Now his wife Carole is in the House chamber too, filling in for newly elected Rep. Shannon McMillan, R-Kellogg, whose husband…
The governor has concluded his State of the State message, in which lawmakers interrupted him with applause more than a dozen times. House Speaker Lawerence Denney told Gov. Otter, "I'm sure that this is going to be a challenging session for us, and I hope…
The governor's budget - the dollars and details behind the proposals he outlined today in his State of the State message - uses a variety of steps to cope with what had been expected to be a budget shortfall for fiscal year 2012 as of…
Gov. Butch Otter told lawmakers, "It's time to make the extraordinary measures that were born of necessity these past years into the foundation for a new concept of governance for Idaho, governance that emboldens and frees individuals and communities from the soul-crushing tyranny of entitlement."
The governor just told lawmakers to "think of this legislative session as a family council - all Idahoans drawn up around the kitchen table to discuss how to make the best possible use of what we have." He said greater value must be placed on…
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