Superintendent Luna Responds to News that Referendum will be on the Ballot

The following is a statement from Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna in response to news that enough signatures have been gathered to put a referendum on the Students Come First laws on the ballot in November 2012.

“We knew the referendum was a possibility, but I remain confident that a majority of Idahoans support education reform in Idaho. Repealing these laws would mean a return to the status quo, where the hands of local school boards are tied, educators receive tenure, the state distributes retirement bonuses, every teacher is paid the exact same, staffing decisions are made solely based on seniority, and classrooms remain stuck in the 20th century. This isn’t the answer to the challenges we face in education today. The burden of proof should be on those who want to defend the status quo, not on those who want to change it.”