Hold Teachers Accountable, Not Buildings

Buildings are not responsible for educating students, teachers are. So why does the State Board of Education report ISAT scores by building name? Imagine if police gave speeding tickets to cars instead of drivers, or arrested houses instead of the drug dealers who occupy them?

By reporting ISAT score by building name instead of teacher name, the State Board is evading its constitutional responsibility to supervise the public school system. If the Board is really serious about improving education productivity, it must report scores by teacher. This would provide parents with the relevant information they need to make informed decisions about getting the best education for their children.

The Board’s credibility and reputation require full disclosure and transparency. Time to hold teachers accountable, not buildings.

Time for the State Board to Offer School Vouchers

The State Board of Education recently reported that taxpayers were charged $8,279 per student for public schools last year, but not a single school in the Nampa or Caldwell Districts made adequate yearly progress. When was the last time you spent this much money on a defective product and didn’t demand a full refund?

There is something deeply immoral about the government charging taxpayers this kind of money and forcing parents to send their children to failing schools. Clearly the current system of granting monopolies to districts has failed Idaho’s students and taxpayers. When district schools fail to provide adequate education, they don’t go out of business; they use their failure as evidence that they need bigger budgets and more staff. Expect calls for higher taxes and more spending.

So where are Tom Luna and the State Board of Education on this issue? It’s time for them to end the excuses and rhetoric and start making real reforms. Mr. Luna and the State Board must tell districts that the days of unaccountable monopoly are over. All other state agencies require competitive bidding on government contracts. So, why should the Department of Education be any different? The Board could directly offer parents the option of accepting a $5,000 voucher that could be used to attend a private school that’s accountable for its performance. This will create incentives for entrepreneurs to create high-performing and productive schools.

What would be wrong with letting students escape these failing district schools and reducing the bill to taxpayers? True accountability and improvement can only be achieved when parents have the right to choose the best school for their children. If Wal-Mart can offer money-back guarantees, why can’t our schools?

A Simple Solution to the 78 Percent Failure Rate

When was the last time you spent $8,690 on a product that failed to work 78 percent of the time? The State Department of Education reported that Meridian School District charged taxpayers $8,690 per student to attend their schools last year. Now we learn that 34 of the district’s 46 schools (78 percent) failed to make adequate progress.

So what are your choices if your child is attending one of these 34 failing public schools? Schools that fall short two years in a row are supposed to offer to pay for additional tutoring for students. Superintendent Linda Clark said, “The district will put as many resources as it can into helping improve performance of students who didn’t meet expectations on statewide achievement exams.” You may want to contact Linda Clark at 855-4500 to find out how much money the district is going to provide you with to help tutor your student.

Here is better suggestion: Why doesn’t the Meridian School District simply give the parents of students attending the 34 failing schools the option of accepting a $5,000 voucher that can be used to attend a private school that better fits their children’s needs? The district wins, the student wins, the parents win, and the taxpayers win.

Tom Luna’s new Idaho Department of Education website states, “We at the State Department of Education are determined to create a customer-driven education system that meets the needs of every student in Idaho and prepares them to live, work and succeed in the 21st century.” Obviously if 78 percent of the schools are failing then every student in Idaho will not be prepared to live, work and succeed in the 21st century. Clearly the current system of granting monopolies to districts has failed Idaho’s students and taxpayers.

It’s time for Mr. Luna to get serious about his determination to create a “customer-driven” education system. He can begin by supporting education tax credits and vouchers where parents can choose the best school for their children. This will create incentives for entrepreneurs and parents to create high-performing and productive schools.

The free market typically offers money-back guarantees for its products and services. Isn’t there something deeply immoral about the government forcing you to send your children to a failing school? Imagine a school that guaranteed results or gave your money back. It’s time for Tom and Linda to get real about solving our public education problem instead of more empty rhetoric. Stop holding students hostage in failing schools.