School Reform Gets Personal

Idaho Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna is shown at a Robotics competition in Boise a few years back in this file photo provided by Duane Rasmussen. On Tuesday, Republican Luna and Democrat Brian Cronin engaged in a passionate debate about the three referendums on the November ballot that would nullify Luna’s education reforms of 2011.

Here’s how fiery the debate over school reform has gotten in Idaho: After a forum at the City Club of Boise on Tuesday, state Rep. Brian Cronin (pictured), D-Boise, accused state schools Superintendent Tom Luna of grabbing his arm after his opening remarks and berating him. “He grabbed my arm rather forcefully and got in my face and said, ‘That’s the biggest bullshit I’ve ever heard,’ ” Cronin said. “I looked at the people at the lead table and I think they saw that I was visibly alarmed, shaken, but that’s what he said. He grabbed my arm hard enough such that I spilled my water. … When he tried to touch me again, I told him not to touch me.” Luna’s spokeswoman, Melissa McGrath, said, “He never used that language. That’s completely inaccurate”/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here.

Question: Is the attempted overthrow of the Luna Laws a personal issue for you?