CHS Extra Credit Assignment Raises GOP Hackles

An extra credit offering in two Coeur d’Alene High School government classes has raised the ire of some parents and GOP officials concerned that one political candidate is being promoted over another. Coeur d’Alene School District Superintendent Harry Amend said he received a call from a parent earlier this week concerned that students were being encouraged to help with the re-election campaign of state Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene. The students were told they’d get extra class points, while there was no mention made of Sayler’s opponent, Republican Sharon Culbreth, or any other candidate. Amend said he immediately called Principal Randy Russell, who spoke with the school’s government teachers and was assured students would be reminded that the extra credit applied for work done with any political campaign or public process. Government teacher Brian Holgate said he thought he had made it abundantly clear that Sayler’s campaign was one of the many opportunities students have to earn extra points. Sayler, a former government teacher at Coeur d’Alene High whose wife still teaches at the school, was the only candidate mentioned by name because Sayler was the only candidate who told Holgate it’s OK for students to contact him, the teacher said — Meghann Cuniff , Spokesman-Review.

Question: Legitimate beef? Or much ado about nothing?