The Idaho legislature approved a measure last week to phase out tenure for new teachers and restrict collective bargaining.
Supporters of the bill touted the curbs on teachers’ unions as a way to give more power to local school boards. Opponents condemned the legislation as a mean-spirited move to dismantle the unions.
The legislation is part of a plan by Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna and Gov. C.L. Butch Otter to overhaul K-12 education. The biggest piece of the plan remained stalled in the Senate last week. It would boost the amount and use of technology in classrooms, require students to take online courses, and raise minimum teacher pay, while also increasing classroom sizes and cutting 770 teaching jobs.
