Parents, Educators At Odds Over Rules Lawmakers Hear Concerns At Hearings On Proposed Changes

Many parents think proposed changes to public school operating rules are intrusive, unnecessary and give teachers too much influence over the personal development of students.

Educators welcome the changes, saying they will give local districts much more flexibility to deal with modern educational requirements.

Members of the Senate and House education committees will have to sort through the differing viewpoints beginning early next week.

On Thursday, the educators held another in a weeklong series of hearings on the 378 rules that replaced 1,500 previous regulations. A final session for public input was scheduled Thursday night at the Statehouse.

Sen. Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, and Rep. Fred Tilman, R-Meridian, chairmen of the committees, both said they won’t know how members feel until the committees get down to discussing specifics.

Despite the sharp differences of opinion expressed by witnesses, Schroder said he didn’t think they were irreconcilable.

“I don’t think so. As we discuss it, we will discover that we have more common ground than we thought. It will be interesting to see what the committees think about this.”

Tilman said he would seek agreement on the non-controversial parts of the package. “I don’t know that we are necessarily going to reconcile those differences.

“What we probably will focus on is whether the rule is acceptable or not. If not, it probably should go back to the board (state Board of Education) and let them rework it,” Tilman said.

Educators rallied to the support of the proposed changes Thursday.

“I’m very much pleased with the autonomy and flexibility set forth in the regulations,” said Bob Larsen, superintendent of the rural Notus School District, 35 miles west of Boise. “I’m hopeful you will keep all those things in.”

The proposals keep core credit requirements at 42 semester hours for high school students, but increase the math and science credits by two. Health, physical education and humanities are made optional.

Larsen said that doesn’t concern his district, which already requires 54 core credit hours. He said although there will be disagreement over the rules, largely they are well written.

“Are they written perfectly? Probably not. But they are darn good,” he said.

McCall private music teacher Lois Fry said it would be a “drastic mistake” to make humanities optional rather than mandatory.

Nancy Bowling, a Lewiston mother, argued against work training and planning proposals. The new regulations would require school districts to prepare a “learning plan” for every student by the eighth grade.

Many felt that would be pushing students into career choices before they are ready.

Bowling said local school districts should have full control over whether such programs were “necessary, desirable and affordable.”

She called the proposals “total systemic changes and restructuring.”

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to require a solid curriculum for all students?” she asked.

Norm Keesler of the Canyon-Owyhee School Service Agency said too often all students have been “pressed through the same mold” as though they were going to college when many will not. He liked the new rules’ freedom and flexibility for local districts.

“Please leave these options available,” he said.

Julie Robinson, American Heart Association representative, urged retention of the physical education requirement. Activity, or lack of it, is a major risk factor for heart disease, she said.

Parent Ronalee Linsenmann said the rules should be made clearer, so people who are not in the education business can understand them.

“Say what you mean and mean what you say,” she said. “Make sure everything you read is clear.”