The desperate plea for ever more money to support CDL public education flies in the face of logic, since endless studies point out that more funding is not the issue which improves public schools. In addition, reduced class sizes has little impact on the quality of education outcomes. (Class sizes prompts ever more promotion of construction of new schools.) In essence, it’s all about quality teachers and their efforts, and that can be accomplished without additional funding.

Most every public school district in America points at a district down the road and claims they are better. Such is the case with Coeur d’Alene’s public schools claim that they are “the best” large school district in Idaho. It is without proof. Our local Coeur d’Alene schools leadership continues to beat the weeds to gain additional funding, when “the issue is” — the quality of the education offered. Continued insistence upon the claim that the district is highly rated is untrue, or, if true, they would be more than glad to supply the documentation.

The only way that Idaho or Coeur d’Alene will improve its public schools is through the publics’ denial of pleas for funding. Stagnant behaviors on the part of superintendent and its board continue from year to year. Union and teacher pressures promotes stagnation on the part of “leadership” in that every level (of leadership) realizes they keep their jobs and elected offices by guaranteeing that they will not hold teachers accountable for students performance. Therefore, real improvements like Common Core are seen as a threat to stagnant systems such as Coeur d’Alene public schools.

Coeur d’Alene and the kids of this community are owed reform and vast improvements. More funding for lackadaisical behaviors is “the” worst option at this juncture. There are no excuses for Idaho or Coeur d’Alene public schools to be known as below par. A “NO” on any levy.

RON DEADY

Coeur d’Alene

Former public high school teacher