Student Should Come First

Students protest the education bills going through Idaho
Legislature. Image from decmocraticunderground.com

*Update: On March 24, the Idaho senate approved this bill with major changes. Some of the changes include pushing back the date of when online classes would be mandatory and giving school districts more control over spending (thus eliminating the need to fire teachers). For more information, consult this article from the Magic Valley.

 “There can be infinite uses of the computer and of new age technology, but if the teachers themselves are not able to bring it into the classroom, it fails.”

-Nancy Kassebaum

Kassebaum hit the nail on the head with this quote and also unintentionally hit on another big issue in the education world: Technology is a wonderful thing but if schools lose focus on trying to educate their students, all the technology in the world will not keep them afloat.

The legislature in Idaho would do well to remember this as they enter the last round of debate over a three part education reform outlined in the Shoshone News Press on March 8. The third part would fire 770 teachers statewide and fund money for mandatory online classes and technology in schools across the state.  State Superintendent Tom Luna, the author of this bill, is letting the students down by trying to fund the project themselves and believing online classes will benefit all students.

In the youtube video below Luna claimed the education system in Idaho is failing and there is no money to work with. (Warning: this video is long, but very informative. For those only interested in the quote, skip to 3:20-4:23) 

He has a point when technology like the iPad costs about $500 each to fund. But there are a number of different options to help counteract the costs, including applying for grants. Grant programs like E-Rate although time consuming can fund up to ¾ of total cost for the technology. Luna failed the students by not trying for grants at the federal level. In a January article from Technology News Report, he made it clear:

This plan, we’re going to do without federal dollars, without increasing the national debt, without relying on the federal government. 

 I have trouble seeing how not asking for government aid is going to keep 700 teachers in a job especially when considering the second part of Luna’s proposal. Online classes, although beneficial, will not be good for all students and not everyone will take an online course in the future. Online classes are good for students who possess traits like self-motivation and self-learning. Although online enrollment is up in most colleges, it is still not the preferred choice among college students. NDSU had just over 3,700 students taking online courses in the Fall of 2010 according to their website compared to the roughly 14,400 students taking classes at the University. Online courses may be the new wave to the future, but they are not a wave everyone should jump on.

Tom Luna said in the video above (14:40) student achievement is putting an effective teacher in every classroom. I hope the legislature thinks about his words and remembers that it is not the technology or the money that makes the school great, but the staff who run the school and the students who learn from them.