Britton Blauer, a teacher and parent from Pocatello, broke down as she told lawmakers she had to take a second job and now works 70 hours a week. "I have less time and energy for my students, and my family deserves more," she said. Her class has 29 students, she said. "They are little people who deserve lots of attention every day." The youngsters include those struggling with disabilities and those who speak other languages. "Larger classes will make this ... impossible," she said. "My students deserve more. ...  Technology can never replace the teacher."

Christina Hartman, a teacher from Bear Lake, said the Luna education reform plan would "put all our eggs in one basket," by staking Idaho's education future on "a technology largely untested." She called instead for issuing flash drives to students, rather than laptop computers, and establishing technology checkout programs and other moves to make better use of technology in schools.

LaVon Dressen, a parent and teacher from Emmett, said, "One astute student commented, 'More students in here? Where are we going to put 'em? It's already crowded in here.'" Dressen said small school districts struggle when the state makes cuts; her school is scheduled to be closed next year. "As I look at this plan I see a lot of things that are going to harm my children and not a lot that's going to help them."

Brenda Dunstan, a 1st grade teacher, Kuna, told lawmakers that the benefit of smaller classes is a matter of common sense and "a simple math equation: Minutes per day divided by number of students equals amount of one-on-one time."

Tamara Fisher, a mom from Bear Lake, told lawmakers, "Our kids get the laptop when they're a senior and they have to work for it in our family." She said, "I do think we should use the technology we already have."
 

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