A Welcome and a Compliment

Congratulations to Jim Rice on his recent appointment by Governor Otter to the Idaho State Senate.   Senator Rice is a Caldwell attorney and was the first choice of the District 10 precinct chairman to replace John McGee who had recently resigned his senate position.  Senator Rice in his bid to seek the appointment, stated, “I believe in being very conservative in spending.  I am a firm believer in property rights, choice in education and low taxes.”  We wish him well in his service to the citizens of District 10 and of the State of Idaho.

Our compliments to the Idaho Farm Bureau on their statements regarding education in Idaho.  Following are some of their education policy statements for 2012.

• We believe education starts with the parent or guardian and is extended to the schools as a cooperative partnership in which parents and guardians have the right to review any and all methods and materials used in the education processes of school systems.
• We believe that parents have the right to choose how best to educate their children.
• We believe local school boards must be elected by the people to maintain control of public school systems and must have authority to establish policy for dress standards, personal conduct standards, testing standards, fiscal controls and curriculum.
• We recommend that the tenure system for school-teachers be eliminated and replaced with contracts based on evaluation and performance.
• We support the concept of incentive pay that will improve teacher excellence.
• We support the continuing freedom of Idaho parents to choose private school, parochial school, home school, public charter school or public school.
• We support optional kindergarten and Oppose public funding of pre-kindergarten.
• We support the voucher system for education.
• School teachers should have the option of being able to negotiate their own contact with the school district as a private contractor.

Congratulation to Senator Fulcher on his recent election as the majority caucus chairman!

THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE SCHOOL ROOM IN ONE GNERATION WILL BE THE PHILOSOPHY OF GOVERNMENT IN THE NEXT.  ( ABRAHAM LINCOLN)