Education reform hearings begin

BOISE – Public schools chief Tom Luna lashed out Monday at critics of a Republican-backed plan to rewrite the state’s education system and blamed the state teachers union for spreading “misinformation” about the overhaul, a charge the Idaho Education Association rejected.

Luna testified Monday as lawmakers kicked off four days of hearings on the proposal and wielded heavy criticism at the Idaho Education Association, which has condemned parts of the plan that would reduce teaching jobs, increase class sizes and require educators to forgo coveted job security.

“There has been an organized attempt to get people riled up,” Luna said.

The plan calls for Idaho’s high school students to carry laptops and take six online course credits before they graduate. Idaho would also tie some teacher pay to merit and award bonuses for taking on hard-to-fill positions and leadership roles, while eliminating tenure for new educators. The state would increase class sizes by one or two students to pay for most of the plan, which calls for Idaho to shed about 770 teaching jobs.

Union leaders are not in tune with the educators they represent, voters and parents, Luna said.

Idaho Education Association President Sherri Wood fired back, saying the legislation would gut teaching rights. She chided Luna for proposing sweeping reforms of a public education system that he “praised repeatedly while seeking re-election last year,” she said.