Edit: Ed Rhetoric, Actions Don’t Match
For years, Idaho's education vehicle has been in neutral. The Great Recession and Questionable Priorities put that vehicle on an icy hill. It has not slid forward.
A new era of ambitious talk that could be a prelude to actual action resounded through the Capitol Rotunda when Gov. Butch Otter and others declared that the sun would shine on public education this session. The governor and the head of public education both called for more than a 6 percent funding increase. Trumping those good hands, Sen. Jeff Siddoway, a Republican who chairs the committee that oversees tax proposals, promised he would not entertain any tax cuts unless there was legislation that would raise teacher pay to $40,000 a year immediately. Beginning teachers now start as low as $31,750 annually.
Right out of the chute, the first public discussion of a move to improve teacher pay showed a distinct difference between what was trumpeted a couple months ago and what is being laid out today/Coeur d'Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.
Question: When did Idaho's political leaders last follow through on promises to fund education properly?