Recent Posts
Twitter: rejectlunalaws
- http://t.co/icbhMGX Good story from the AP on how school districts plan to use the money that should've been in the budget all along. 09:44:14 AM August 01, 2011 from web ReplyRetweetFavorite
- Coverage of this week's technology task force meeting: http://t.co/Sr7DcHf 09:57:41 AM July 14, 2011 from web ReplyRetweetFavorite
- These laws turn public schools into private profit centers for education entrepreneurs, harming taxpayers and our children’s education. 08:44:52 AM June 14, 2011 from web ReplyRetweetFavorite
State ‘finds’ $60 million
Posted on: Aug 01 2011
Months after Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Legislature ignored budget estimates and ordered a third straight year of cuts to the state’s investment in public schools, state officials “found” an additional $60 million in funding. But as an Associated Press story explains, the money – although welcome – won’t go all that far in shoring up strained budgets. Some districts will likely sock some of the funds away to pay for the new, added technology costs that Tom Luna’s Students Come First Plan will impose over the next few years. Although Luna spokeswoman Melissa McGrath noted, “We always said
Districts struggle with new laws
Posted on: Jul 14 2011
As Idaho school districts grapple with the new mandates imposed by Senate Bill 1184, it’s clear they face a struggle to keep online course quality high. From a story in the Idaho Statesman: Robbing Peter to pay Paul has a price. Strapped school districts are aiming to skirt Idaho’s new school laws, which shift $137 million from salaries and other expenses to technology. The money is diverted over six years, amounting to about 2 percent of state support to Idaho’s 115 school districts. The tension bubbled Monday and Tuesday during the second meeting of the 39-member Students Come First Technology
Delivery day videos, photos, words
Posted on: Jun 14 2011
The petitions have been certified and Idaho voters will have the chance to vote on the Luna laws next year. Together, Idaho parents, educators, and other concerned community volunteers collected more than 74,000 verified signatures on each of three petitions. That was more than half again what we needed, making this perhaps the most successful petition drive in Idaho history. Nothing could stop us: not a tight time line, not intimidation from Superintendent Tom Luna … not even cold, rainy spring weather right up until delivery day. Brady Moore of Boise Weekly made a good video showing the chain of
Secretary of State certifies referenda petitions
Posted on: Jun 14 2011
The Idaho Secretary of State’s office has certified the referenda petitions that will put Idaho’s new education laws to a vote of the people next November. According to documents received late Monday by Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform, the total number of verified signatures exceeded even the numbers known last week by organizers. The final totals were 74,024 signatures on Senate Bill 1108, which took away teachers’ ability to have a voice in their jobs; 74,129 on Senate Bill 1110, an unfunded merit-pay plan; and 74,992 on Senate Bill 1184, which trades teachers for mobile computing devices and mandates online
Petitions delivered; organizers shatter goal
Posted on: Jun 06 2011
More than a hundred volunteers and many cheering onlookers arrived at the Idaho Statehouse today to deliver petitions bearing nearly 220,000 verified signatures to Secretary of State Ben Ysursa. The event marks the end of the first phase of a drive to overturn the three education laws pushed by State Superintendent Tom Luna. Organizers needed to collect at least 47,432 verified signatures on each of three petitions to put the three laws to a citizens’ vote, which can only be held during a biennial general election year. The final tally of verified signatures was 72,664 for Senate Bill 1108; 73,035
Remarks from petition delivery news conference
Posted on: Jun 06 2011
The following are prepared remarks for the June 6, 2011, news conference following the delivery of petitions to place Idaho Senate Bills 1108, 1110, and 1184 to a vote of the people in November 2012. Comments from Mike Lanza, Chair, Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform I am happy to announce that we have just submitted to the secretary of state’s office far more than enough petition signatures to place Superintendent Luna’s education plan on the November 2012 ballot. The people of Idaho will finally have their say on these widely unpopular laws. I want to express our deep gratitude to
Luna, Lanza on KBOI today (May 31)
Posted on: May 31 2011
Tune in to 670 KBOI or listen live online between 5 and 6 p.m. Mountain today, when State Superintendent Tom Luna will be on the Nate Shelman show to talk about his education reform plan.You can call in with questions via 336-3700 or (800) 529-KBOI, or text “Nate” followed by your question to 62582. Once Luna’s done, stay tuned to hear Mike Lanza of Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform discuss Luna’s plan as well as the campaign to put all three harmful laws to a vote of Idaho citizens next year. Mike will have updated totals on the petition drive
Referenda organizers meet goal
Posted on: May 25 2011
Idaho citizens are eager to have a chance to vote on the three education laws passed by the Idaho Legislature. That’s the message sent by more than 48,000 citizens who have signed each of the three petitions to put the laws to referendum votes next year. “We are announcing today that we have passed 47,432 verified signatures for each of the three petitions,” said Mike Lanza, chair of Idahoans for Responsible Education Reform. The parent-led committee initiated the petition drives on April 8 and the Idaho Education Association joined the coalition a week later. “We’re still collecting signatures because we
One parent’s story: It’s our turn
Posted on: May 23 2011
Here is one parent’s email to Tom Luna on why she became involved in the effort to overturn the bad education laws, reprinted with her permission. Thank you, Christine, for speaking out and taking action on behalf of your children! Mr Luna, My name is Christine Jorgens, and I am a parent of three small children in the Lewiston Idaho Public School system. I have never been a political person and to be honest, have often found the idea of my personal political involvement about as pleasant as chewing my own arm off. However, when I heard of your “Students
Time to bring in the signatures!
Posted on: May 23 2011
After weeks of hard work, we are nearing our goal! We want to be sure that everyone who has signed the petitions has their name counted, so it’s important that everyone who is carrying petitions gets them turned in as soon as possible. (It’s better to turn them in now; you do not have to wait until June 1.) If you downloaded petitions from this site, have them notarized and take them to your county clerk. It’s OK if there are still remaining signature spaces; it’s more important to get the petitions to the county clerk so the signatures get