News
Idahoans Rally Against Budget Cuts

NEA members and a broad array of supporters urge lawmakers to make education a priority.

Last year, Idaho state legislators doled out $100 million in tax breaks despite warnings from economists that the economy was weakening. Then came September 11. Tax revenues did not meet optimistic projections, costs kept climbing for vital public services, a $300 million budget surplus dissolved, and a deep deficit emerged.

Sound strangely familiar? Chances are Idaho's fiscal crater is as huge as the one that's been deepened and widened in your state.

In a survey released recently by the National Conference of State Legislatures, 45 states plus the District of Columbia reported that "revenues have failed to meet budgeted levels."

In March, Idaho became a holdback state or, more precisely, a throwback to the sink-or-swim Pioneer Days.

For the first time in the Gem State's 112-year history, legislators--with the full approval of Governor Dirk Kempthorne--implemented a holdback in the K-12 education budget, slicing $23.3 million from the current $933 million spending plan.

And then the legislature and governor hacked again, paring the FY 2003 budget to $920 million--$13 million less than the amount for which school districts budgeted this year.

For Idaho schools, it could all mean teacher/ESP layoffs and larger class sizes; cuts in successful statewide reading, mentoring, and technology programs; and the loss of newer teachers to better-paying jobs in the private sector.

State policymakers ignored real options to a K-12 budget holdback. They could have drawn more from the state's rainy day fund and Idaho's tobacco settlement fund than the sum to which they finally agreed. And they could have delayed implementation of last year's tax breaks.

"Make Kids Priority Number One!" Lawmakers' ready refrain--we must all tighten our belts during these tough times--made the entire Idaho school community tighten its shoelaces for a March 5 day of protest coordinated by the Idaho Education Association/NEA.

"Our goal was to do something extraordinary to get legislators' attention," says IEA President Kathy Phelan.

And extraordinary it was. Planned in less than a week, four different rallies--two at the Statehouse in Boise, one in Lewiston, and one in the cold rain in Coeur d'Alene--drew a total of some 8,200 protesters.

A cross section of Idahoans showed up that day, holding handmade signs with messages such as "Make Kids Priority #1" and "Fund Schools Today, Not Prisons Tomorrow."

In the crowds were active and retired teachers, education support professionals, parents and PTA members, students of all ages, and school board members and administrators--right up to the state superintendent of public instruction, Marilyn Howard.

"It was great to see people I knew from all over the state, and how quickly they got together for a cause!" said Marsing Middle School computer skills teacher Rick Folwell.

"I saw more ESPs in the crowd than I thought I would--it was wonderful," added Sandra Nalley, registrar at Century High School in Pocatello.

"We need to be standing right there with the teachers," Nalley stressed, "because these cuts will affect districts as a whole. Classified staff better be afraid of layoffs--we don't have collective bargaining rights and contracts, and we're not guaranteed a job."

"Most legislators, I believe, aren't proud of what they've done--they say their crystal balls don't show a speedy end to the recession," Superintendent Howard told ralliers in Boise. "The problem is that if you want to create a climate in which private sector investment is discouraged, you do it most quickly by cutting back on your public schools and your higher education institutions."

Young teachers Rick Folwell and Mark Klar spoke to the Statehouse rally about the challenges faced by newcomers to the profession--fear for their own children's future, money spent out of pocket for school supplies, and financial sacrifices made to teach.

"Many of us could have chosen other careers that would have made it easier to support our families," said Folwell, a fifth-year teacher and IEA local affiliate president. "I have an identical twin brother who is able to command more money with an associate's degree than I am with a master's in education."

Folwell tells NEA Today that he thought "long and hard" over five years about whether to stay in teaching. "I'm comfortable in the profession now," he says, "but a lot of new Idaho teachers will not stay because of the budget cutbacks."

Other Statehouse speakers didn't pull any punches.

"How can we teach our children to value education when they see how much our government undervalues it?" thundered Idaho State PTA Board member Kristi Spicer.

Former state Superintendent Jerry L. Evans noted that "There is nothing like a recession or economic downturn to test priority and commitment [to education]."

Evans, a Republican who never implemented a K-12 budget holdback during his 16-year tenure, said he learned long ago that "kids don't come to school with Ds or Rs on their foreheads and that Republicans and Democrats want their children well educated.

"In the future, every major decision concerning education is going to be made in the political arena," Evans observed. "Educators cannot afford not to be involved in politics."

"Get involved in the politics of your legislative district this and every year," he advised, "identify and recruit candidates who understand the state's responsibility for education, and offer your help and your money before the election. Afterward is too late."

It's safe to say that Idaho educators now have the attention of legislators.

For more on Idaho developments, go to the IEA Web site at www.idahoea.org. To read more about the state budget outlook for Fiscal Years 2002 and 2003, go to http://204.131.235.67/programs/fiscal/sfo2002.htm.

School Supply Tax Deduction Now Law

For the 2002 and 2003 tax years, K-12 teachers, counselors, and paraeducators--employed for at least 900 hours in a school year--can claim an "above-the-line" tax deduction for the first $250 of out-of-pocket expenses on student supplies. An eligible school employee does not have to itemize to qualify.

The new deduction--yielding a $409 million benefit over two years--is included in the economic stimulus bill signed by President Bush on March 9.

This write-off, backed from its inception by NEA, results from three years of effort by Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine), with help from Senators Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) and John Warner (R-Virginia).

"This legislation is important," says NEA President Bob Chase, "because it recognizes that often school employees go beyond their regular responsibilities, purchasing materials so that they can be better at their jobs and more helpful to their students."

Idaho NEA Members Take Next Step

Idahoans may be down because of budget cuts, but don't count them out. The March 5 rallies "energized us and made us realize that we're not alone," says Idaho Education Association President Kathy Phelan. "Some legislators are talking to their constituents for the first time and trying to counteract our message in the newspapers."

The next step? IEA state and local leaders are talking about:

• Political action. In the run-up to November's legislative elections, IEA members are committing themselves to work a minimum of two hours on the campaign of their choice, starting with the primary elections.

  "We need good, moderate public education supporters running in both parties," stresses Phelan. "A number of qualified new people have already volunteered to run."

• The real cost of budget cuts. "It's not effective to argue numbers with legislators--they can manipulate them," Phelan says. "Association members and a cross section of the public need to talk to lawmakers about what budget cuts do to kids. The 18,000 first graders in Idaho's public schools won't get another shot at first grade when the economy improves. We need to express outrage over how cuts jeopardize the future of kids and possibly the future of the economy."

• Foresight in budgeting. "No one came to our schools and asked exactly what we need," points out Rick Folwell, president of the 60-member Marsing Education Association.

  "As a state," he recommends, "we should plan for what we need in education, find the money to cover it, and then put money away for the lean years. And it would be good for educators to have a voice in this process."

Balance Sheet
NEA State Affiliates Face Budget Challenges

• Facing an $845 million shortfall in the current two-year state budget, leaders of the Oregon Education Association recently met with 170 local affiliate leaders to develop a political/legislative action plan to secure adequate and stable funding for K-12 schools and community colleges. Their ideas will flesh out a program recommended by the OEA Funding Task Force that focuses on member education, coalition building, and community education.

• The Georgia Association of Educators has expressed disappointment over proposed reductions in the Fiscal Year 2003 budget, including a cut in a proposed teacher raise that adds up to some $12 million. Says GAE President Ralph Noble: "We call on the governor to work with GAE on developing a long-range plan to attract and retain teachers. The teacher shortage will stall any hope of success for education reform efforts unless Georgia's policy makers get serious about solving this crisis."

• Many Education Minnesota local affiliates-- particularly in districts where "excess levy" referenda were defeated last fall--face possible staff reductions. The root causes of this misery: inadequate state funding last year and Governor Jesse Ventura's proposal to cut $100 million more from K-12 spending this year.

• At press time, Washington Education Association members were facing proposals to cut K-12 spending and slash school employee health benefits. "When our public schools already have a teacher shortage, cuttting teacher pay and benefits makes no sense," stresses WEA President Charles Hasse. "Voters must understand the link between competitive compensation and high-quality schools."