I don't write letters to the Editor as often as I should, and I rarely write letters to out of state newspapers, (with a rare letter to the NYT being the exception). Tonight I had to write a letter to the Editor of Idaho's biggest newspaper the Statesman after reading the article below.
Teachers, others circle Idaho Capitol in protest
BOISE, Idaho — Hundreds of teachers, students, parents and union activists circled the Capitol on Wednesday, forming a human chain to protest education reforms now progressing to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's desk for signing into law.
They carried placards and wore bright red cloth strips over their mouths - to symbolize their feelings that teachers' concerns about Luna's package aren't being heard.
Earlier in the day, the Republican-dominated House passed a $38 million pay-for-performance plan for teachers that was fought by the Idaho Education Association union. This comes after Tuesday's passage of a bill to eliminate teacher tenure and restrict teachers' collective bargaining rights.
Here's the letter I wrote:
To the Editor
I'm just writing to thank the Idaho Legislature, Governor "Butch" Otter, and the Idaho Republican Party in particular for this odious set of teacher "Reforms" awaiting your Governor's signature.
Soon some of Idaho's best teachers will start looking around for greener pastures. Many will look to my state, neighboring Washington were teachers are still respected, and the average teacher makes $9 K a year more than the average teacher in Idaho does, even before these "Reforms" take effect.
So thank you Idaho Republicans and Governor Otter, you've done the school systems across my state of Washington a great service.
Here's where I got my income information on average teacher salaries in the different States: average teacher salary
More on these awful Idaho "Reforms":
Idaho teachers protest newly passed union curbs
The bill crafted by the state's schools chief, Tom Luna, and endorsed by Otter cleared the Republican-controlled Legislature on Tuesday.
It would limit collective bargaining to salaries and benefits and disallow negotiations on such issues as class size and teacher workload. It also would abolish teacher tenure and limit contracts to one year.
I realize that right now with the events in Wisconsin unfolding, Idaho is is a relatively minor front in the Republicans' war on unions and on America's teachers, but the way this Idaho law would treat teachers is absolutely atrocious.