
IEA President Penni Cyr spoke with all of Boise’s TV news stations about Superintendent Luna’s announcement.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna announced today that he will not seek a third term at the helm of the State Department of Education. He indicated that one reason for making his intentions known at this time was to lessen any political overtones regarding the recommendations of the Governor’s Task Force on Education Excellence, which were developed with the help of the IEA and other education stakeholders. Those recommendations are currently being considered by the Idaho legislature.
Two Republicans (Randy Jensen and John Enyon) and one Democrat (Jana Jones) have already announced their intention to run for State Superintendent, but candidates have until mid-March to file for the November election.
Luna was the architect of the 2011 Students Come First legislation (also known as the Luna laws), which were overturned by voters in November of 2012 thanks in large part to the efforts of the IEA and parent groups.