Maria Nate, a parent, school volunteer and former school board member from Rexburg, said, "I would call myself an ardent public education supporter. I believe in public education. And that is why I support Tom Luna's forward-thinking plan, Students Come First. The way we do business in current public education is not working."

She was in a decided minority of those testifying today; so far, of the 27 people who have testified, only four spoke in favor of Luna's reform plan; many more spoke out strongly against it. Nate said she served on the negotiating committee in her district, and it was "an awful, horrible experience." She told lawmakers, "I found out first-hand that the union negotiates for the best interest of the union, not for the best interest of the teacher or the children." She said, "The district was forced to sell our soul to the union so they wouldn't sue us. ... I was accused of being heartless and hateful and not caring about teachers."

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