New School Super Hints at Agenda

By Jill Kuraitis, 1-17-07

Idaho’s new Superintendent of Public Instruction, Republican Tom Luna, made his official debut in front of the Senate Education Committee Tuesday.

Luna explained the new structure of his department, introduced new staff and answered questions from committee members.

Luna has reorganized the State Department of Education into five divisions – Student Achievement and Academics, headed by Christine Ivie; School District Support Services, led by Nick Smith; Finance and Information Technology, headed by Tim Hill; Communication and Government Affairs under Luci Willits, and Innovation and School Choice, a job for which Luna is conducting a nationwide search, according to his Director of Government Affairs Senate specialist Garry Lough.

“What we’re talking about here is taking a good education system and making it great,” Luna said three times during his short presentation. “I intend to deliver on those things we talked about in the campaign.” Aside from a consistent problem pronouncing “rural,” Luna spoke clearly and simply.

He said he would present a Rural Initiative which would address the problems of rural schools, some of which are trying 4-day school weeks to save money. He cited the technology gap, crumbling schools, budget problems, and lack of Advanced Placement classes as “identified problems.”

“We know what the problems are –– we’re going to identify solutions,” he said.

Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, asked about a math initiative which may have been in progress under former superintendent Marilyn Howard. Luna said he didn’t know of one, but that his budget would present a math initiative focusing on the elementary grades. “I believe math focus should start in the earlier grades so that by the time they get to high school they’ll want to take more math,” he said, presumably referring to a House bill on adding more math to the high school curriculum.

Senator Tom Gannon, R-Buhl, asked if Luna’s campaign issue about offering “school choice” would be included in Luna budget to be presented January 25. Luna said yes, and “choice is absolutely essential if kids are to succeed. I’m a fan of choice through the public school system,” he said.

“I will never be in favor of educating one child at the expense of another.”

Luna was cagey about his relationship with the teachers’ union, the Idaho Education Association. After saying he’s met with them and received a “warm welcome,” Senator Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow asked if he intended to change contracts or the current collective bargaining agreements. Luna said, “No, not at this time.”

After the meeting, Luna told me “we know by about 7th grade whether students are ready for pre-algebra and high school algebra and calculus – it’s before that they need more math preparation.”

Asked about Governor Otter’s budget item of $15 million instead of a special panel’s request of $50 million for technology development, Luna said, “The governor is a proponent of one-time spending, and I think he sees the $15 million as this year and I think you’ll see him spend more as time goes by.” Luna couldn’t hide his slightly crestfallen expression, however. During the campaign he tried to make the relationship of education quality to economic prosperity a key point, and he cited the use of technology in education as an example.

All told, Luna’s debut was fast and smooth. New West will be following to see if he will eventually challenge the IEA about contracts and bargaining (he did say “No, not at this time) his proposed budget and what areas are emphasized, how the early-grades math initiative is received by a legislature which has been focused on the high school level, and what “school choice” really is, along with who is hired to lead the Innnovation and School Choice division.
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