Amidst ads, voters encouraged to do their homework

Education is a major issue on the Idaho ballot this year.

As the November election nears, the airwaves are full of ads both for and against State Superintendent Tom Luna’s education reforms.

The proposed education reform like merit pay for teachers and online classes were all passed by the state legislature in 2011. The question in November is whether to keep them. Both sides said voters should make the decision.

“There is a lot of information out there, and I would encourage people to do what we tell our students to do and that’s do your homework,” said Wendy Horman, school district 93 board member.

Horman is open about her support for Luna’s education reforms, but said the message should always be the same: let your vote be your vote.

“In politics, people can make all kinds of claims, and that’s why it’s so important that voters do the fact checking for themselves,” said Horman.

On the other side of the aisle, the “Vote No” campaign issued a similar statement: “In politics, people can make all kinds of claims, and that’s why it’s so important that voters do the fact checking for themselves.”

But you can’t do your homework without an assignment. The Idaho Secretary of State’s website will soon have an easy, non-partisan description of propositions 1, 2 and 3.

Again, a “no” vote on propositions 1, 2 and 3 will overturn the education reforms. A “yes” vote on the propositions will keep the reforms in place.