Senators question teacher-contract rule changes in school reform plan

As the Senate Education Committee continues going over state schools Supt. Tom Luna’s reform bills this afternoon, several members asked why the bills would ban teacher contract negotiations from covering anything other than salaries and benefits, prevent any negotiated contract from lasting beyond a single fiscal year and allow school boards to simply impose terms if they don’t reach agreements in negotiations with teachers unions. “What do these changes accomplish?” asked Sen. John Andreason, R-Boise. Luna aide Jason Hancock said they would “unbind school boards” from decisions made by previous boards, so they’re more free “to run the affairs of their school district.”

Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, said, “It seems like an odd thing to be part of this package. I want to make sure that this is in the best interest of students, and that this is done for no other reason than that.” Hancock responded, “I think it really gets to the issue of accountability. The only part of accountability the public really has with a school district is through those trustees, that’s who they vote for.”

The Senate committee has scheduled “closing comments” from a series of stakeholders tomorrow, in its meeting that will start at 3 p.m.; they include representatives of the Idaho School Boards Association, the Idaho Association of School Administrators, the Idaho Education Association, the Idaho PTA, the Idaho Business Coalition for Education Excellence, and the governor’s office.