Morley Sees Himself As A Bridge-Builder Says Links With Legislature, Business Are Good For Schools

When school starts in the fall, high school juniors and seniors in Cassia County will have the option of spending up to a quarter of their day at a professional-technical center, equipped with the latest technology for fixing cars, doing computerized design or working in electronics manufacturing.

They’ll get both college and high-school credit for taking the center’s elective classes, and when they graduate, “they will have competencies that will make them immediately employable,” beams Tom Morley, superintendent of schools in the Cassia district.

Morley says the idea was in the works before he joined the 5,500-student district a few years ago.

But he successfully pushed through legislation this year giving the center $80,000 in state funding and offering similar funds to other districts that bring together private business and other partners to set up similar centers.

It was Morley’s third success working with the Legislature. Now he’s running for state superintendent of public instruction, touting his ability to work with the Legislature, businesses, colleges and others.

“I guess the legislators trust me - I give ‘em straight dope. I kind of understand where they’re coming from and I try to work with them to forge solutions.”

Morley has gathered the endorsements of nearly half the state Senate, including the influential Darrel Deide, a retired school superintendent and Caldwell Republican. North Idaho Republicans Jack Riggs and Gordon Crow are among those aboard, and Morley also has signed up members of the House, including Rep. Bruce Newcomb of Burley, who may become the next House speaker.

Morley notes that it’s unusual for lawmakers to endorse like this in the primary - particularly when an incumbent from their own party is running.

But he said there’s a problem at the top of the state’s school system.

“We’re kind of like a ship adrift. There’s no focus, no real direction.”

Worst of all, he said, “We’re not communicating with each other. … The school districts have kind of become islands unto themselves.”

Although there are “pockets of excellence” in school districts around the state, Morley said no one’s moving the system forward and providing direction.

“I felt like I had the credibility and vision to pull everybody together again.”

At his district’s new professional-technical center, private business provided all the high-tech equipment.

General Motors contributed cars, training manuals and electronic equipment worth $300,000 to help teenagers learn modern-day automotive technology. Others donated technological equipment used in the building trades, health fields and manufacturing.

The nearby College of Southern Idaho is part of the project, and its students will use the center during evenings, weekends and summers.

“About 45 percent of our young people will never take a class beyond high school, which means about half these students are going into the work place and they have no marketable skills unless we teach them in high school,” Morley said.

Kids who take the special courses still can go on to college or other training if they choose, he said.

In addition to assuring work-skills training for high school graduates, Morley says if he’s elected he’ll start a program to make sure children in grades 1-3 learn basic reading and math skills.

He would institute individual testing on those basics at least twice a year, to see where children stand. And if they aren’t up to grade level by year’s end, he’d fund special, remedial summer schools statewide, with small classes and intensive instruction designed to help kids catch up.

He estimates the program would cost $1.5 million the first year, targeting the quarter of kids who are the furthest behind.

“It just makes sense,” he said. “This Legislature is going to have to direct some funds.”

If the state decides it won’t accept failure in children in those key lower grades, he said, “We’re going to get 95 percent of our young people that are going to be reading at grade level.”

That would save money down the road that now goes for remedial programs in upper grades, he said.

His plan also includes more training for teachers in the lower grades, to make sure they have the skills to detect and correct reading problems. Now, only 12 percent of elementary teachers have such special certifications, he said.

There’s another reason why Morley decided to run this year: “I’m excited about the opportunity to work with Dirk Kempthorne,” he said. The Republican U.S. senator is running for governor.

“I felt he was interested in doing good things for school children.”

In this series Appearing today is the fourth in a series of profiles of the six candidates for Idaho state schools superintendent. This is a change from previously published schedules. We apologize for any inconvenience. Complete resumes and letters of application from each candidate appeared May 3. Sunday: Republican incumbent Anne Fox. Monday: Republican Ron Black. Tuesday: Republican Ryan Kerby. Today: Republican Tom Morley. Thursday: Democrat Wally Hedrick. Friday: Democrat Marilyn Howard.