Cronin: ‘We’ve Devalued Teachers’

Update: The House has passed SB 1184 on a 44-26 vote. Now, it’s adjourning until Monday. (George Eskridge, R-Dover, was only North Idaho legislator to oppose. How they voted .)

Rep. Brian Cronin, D-Boise, debating against SB 1184 in the House, said stakeholders’ concerns weren’t addressed, and that’s why they don’t support the bill. Rather than back away from providing a laptop computer to every high school student, Cronin said, “We’re now spending $2.3 million more” on buying laptops than in the previous version of the controversial bill. He said, “Here’s what I know: That young people today, they are in no way challenged in the workplace due to a lack of familiarity and experience with technology.” Technology is practically “in their DNA,” he said. But young people need  analytical, interpersonal and problem-solving skills, he said, which they can’t learn from computers/ Betsy Russell , Eye On Boise. More here .

• Bedke: Schools can use other money to offset salary-fund shifts
• DeMourand: ‘From sage to stage to guide by the side
• Bateman: ‘Computers are already coming out of our ears’
• Nonini: ‘Now is the time to step up’
• Nonini: ‘Spend what we have differently’
• Nonini: ‘We weren’t elected to make easy decisions’
• Debate: “Glady skip back to JFAC’, ‘Equalize the availability’