Today's House Education Committee hearing has opened, and in addition to all those who signed up yesterday to testify and haven't yet gotten a chance, there are 53 more people signed up to testify today - all against the bills, SB 1108 and 1110. Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, the committee chairman, said, "This is going to be the last day of public testimony." He's shortened the allowable speaking time from 3 minutes to 2 minutes. "We want to give everyone an opportunity today to speak," Nonini said.

Nonini also asked committee members to limit questions, noting they'll "have plenty of time tomorrow" to ask questions when representatives of stakeholder groups speak. Nevertheless, Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, asked a long question, including a story about his brother and an incident when they were young, of the first person to testify, student Brock McConnehey, asking McConnehey how discipline can be improved in today's schools. McConnehey responded that he didn't see anything in the bills about increasing student discipline - just about dealing with ineffective teachers, which he said he didn't think was done well in state schools Supt. Tom Luna's plan. "His plan makes it so that boards have to exert little effort in terminating teachers," McConnehey said. The young man also objected to the performance pay plan for teachers in SB 1110, saying, "That potential money should go toward things that districts already need."