Day 2 of the Senate Education Committee hearings on Superintendent Luna’s proposed education overhaul lasted just over four hours. Tensions ran high toward the end, as dozens of people who’d waited hours to testify – many who’d traveled great distances or taken time off work or school – remained on a very long list. After initially gaveling the hearing to a close shortly before 7, Senate Education Chairman John Goedde (R-Coeur d’Alene) took a suggestion from Sen. Mitch Toryanski (R-Boise) to allow many of the remaining people 30 seconds each to testify.
Tomorrow – Thursday, February 10 – is the final planned day of public testimony, and the committee may also vote on the bills. Inevitably, nerves will be frazzled over the next few days no matter what happens. As educators, we must continue to be role models of how to be civil and respectful, both in person and via phone calls and emails.
Thank you for all your heroic efforts in contacting your senators about the Luna bills. Some legislators have reported that they are receiving more than 200 email messages each day. While we encourage you to continue contacting your legislators, please remember:
- Make contact on your personal time.
- Do not use your school computer or your school email address.
- Make calls from your cell phone, not the school phone system.
- Do not call legislators in the presence of students.
It is important that lawmakers continue to hear from public school advocates. It is equally important that we always act in the most professional manner possible.
