School board elections
I wonder who thought it was a good idea to hold school board elections all by themselves at a low point in the calendar. Boise now has one the day after Labor Day.
Not to be defeated by the wide choice of candidates in this election, I’ve designed my personal Preferred Candidate Profile. I share it here, for what it may be worth.
They value public schools as the one place where children can interact with peers who have different life stories, to learn from them as well as with them.
They understand that public schools embrace children and teachers of all faiths and must be safe spaces for all.
They recognize how the population they serve has changed over recent years, with diverse cultures, expanding resources, and unexpected challenges.
They acknowledge the training and expertise of professional educators.
Vote with me, or vote against me, but don’t let this stealth election on September 6th happen without you.
Darcy James
Boise
‘Honor teachers’
Gov. Little Urging Businesses to Honor Teachers. Really? Honor Teachers? You First. Idaho’s government, from the top down, clearly does not honor education, nor anyone in that profession at any level. That’s verifiable. You throw out an occasional bone and expect the citizens to ooh and ahh. That $2 Billion you’re so eager to spend would eliminate every school bond and levy in this state; plus provide a living/competitive wage for teachers and aides, allow cities and towns to budget and undertake much needed improvements; and still have a State surplus. The 12% & 10% you’re bragging about is immediately canceled by those levies and bonds and nothing is improved. Because education and educators are not a true priority, Idaho’s educators, students, families, and businesses suffer. The reckoning is coming. It’s already started: Loss and lack of educators, low go-on rates, lack of an educated workforce, loss of business opportunities (you really think Micron will build more here?!) and the list goes on. Put the money where your mouth is.
Ellen Spencer
Eagle
Idaho values
This is a response to a recent letter from Dave Silva. Naturally it also applies to tens of thousands of other residents of this once beautiful state. The values now ascribed to Idaho are so much different, thanks to you and your ilk, from when I first came to love this state in 1959. Certainly we were conservative but we voted for LBJ in 1964. We had Frank Church as a U.S. Senator. There were no lunatic fringe in the state legislature or congressional delegation. I seriously doubt that Donald Trump would have gotten two dozen votes back then because people paid attention. So this is my message to all of you. The simple fact that you were fooled and conned doesn’t make you an idiot. What makes you an idiot is when you blatantly refuse to look at the truth and make the conscious decision to believe the lies.
Michael Boyle
Boise
‘Support public libraries’
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I attended the Meridian Library Board meeting in support of public libraries and left with greater understanding of why reasoned community support is needed.
Our libraries are under unfounded attack by those who don’t respect that there are already procedures in place for having books reconsidered. Some groups apparently want to circumvent those procedures and dictate which books are allowed on the shelves.
Books under question deal with the human body, puberty, reproduction, sexuality, and are not “obscene.” Librarians are not “purveyors of pornography.” The answer is simple: Monitor what your children read, but don’t dictate what others can and cannot read. Many of us want our children and grandchildren to grow up with access to factual information about their bodies after reaching appropriate age and maturity.
Public libraries are — and should continue to be — a resource for many topics and serve a diverse population.
In a free society we cannot allow policy decisions to be made based upon the loudest and most threatening bullying voices. Get involved, support public libraries.
Cynthia Scott
Meridian
‘Cowboy wisdom’
The guest commentary by Idaho Attorney General candidate, Tom Arkoosh, caused me to recall a piece of purported old cowboy wisdom that I encountered a couple of decades ago. When Labrador’s spokesman, Brent Littlefield, dismissed Ben Ysura, Jim Jones and Lydia Justice Edward’s as “a pile of old politicians,” I am reminded that “no tree is so tall that a short dog can’t lift his leg on it.”
Alan McNeely
Boise
Vallivue bond
Vallivue has a Bond election on August 30th for two new elementary schools. State funds and impact fees do not go to schools. Meanwhile city councils are approving subdivisions and apartment complexes even though the District personnel have told them the schools are very overcrowded. We need 66 and 2/3 vote to pass this bond. Please vote yes. You vote at regular polling place.
Ina Thompson
Nampa
Education funding
Regarding the new improved version of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Mountain States Policy Center and its planned position paper on the educational funding initiative on the November ballot: They will oppose it on the grounds that more funding for public education will not necessarily improve outcomes. That is the MSPCs foregone conclusion. The MSPC might be right if public education funding in Idaho had been more than adequate in the past. It has not. Exhibit 1 is the multitude of school bond elections that must be passed year after year. Exhibit 2 is the schools running on shortened schedules that nobody claims are good for students’ improvement. Exhibit 3 is the staffing shortages that cause cut-backs on course offerings. Better funding for public education is a cure for the problems listed above, and better funding might give property tax payers a break that the legislature cannot manage to address constructively.
Fred Frahm
Boise
