Teacher Protests Scheduled for Tonight Throughout Idaho

The Idaho Education Association, representing some 13,000 unionized teachers across the Gem State, said late today that there will be at least 16 candlelight vigils tonight, protesting the Senate passage of two of three of Tom Luna's bills to reform eduction.

Simply put, Senate Bills 1108 and 1110 strip collective bargaining and tenure and institute new merit-pay systems in school districts across Idaho. A third bill, still being crafted by the Senate Eduction Committee, proposes an elimination of nearly 1,000 teaching positions and increasing class sizes.

In the Treasure Valley, vigils are scheduled for outside the State Capitol in Boise, at the Kuna High School parking lot, outside of Meridian City Hall and at the corner of Karcher and Nampa-Caldwell boulevards in Canyon County.

[link to www.boiseweekly.com]