IdahoReporter.com

Democrat Stan Olson is running for the state superintendent of public instruction position because he thinks Idaho can do better for its schoolchildren.

Olson, running against incumbent Republican Tom Luna, has said throughout his campaign that the public education system in the state of Idaho lacks a comprehensive plan to improve education and effectively spend taxpayer funds.  In an interview with Olson Thursday, the Democrat discussed his idea of a strategic plan for public schools, tax increases to bolster funding, an early graduation plan passed in the 2010 legislative session, and merit pay for teachers.  The former chief of the Boise School District also discussed the salary paid to him while employed there, a figure attacked by Luna at a recent debate.

Early graduation

During the 2010 legislative session, a plan was passed that would allow students in Idaho to graduate early from high school and receive state-funded scholarships for doing so.  The program, known as the Mastery Advancement Pilot Project, will run for six years in select Idaho school districts yet to be chosen.  Students will be allowed to test out of school subjects and utilize summer school in order to get ahead.  Backers of the program believe it will allow more students to graduate with high school degrees and community college degrees at the same time through concurrent enrollment programs.

The program is fine with Olson, who said that during his time in the Boise School District, he saw many students get ahead and graduate early. Olson believes that school should be done at a student’s pace, whether fast or slow.  He said that if some slower students need to complete high school in five years, that must also become acceptable to government officials.  He warned, however, that students should be intelligently guided through the program to help ensure that community college credits will transfer to universities to which students want attend.

Merit pay for teachers

Several Republican public school reformers are looking to remove education levels and experiences from pay grids and move toward an evaluations-based pay scale.  Olson says that strictly performance-based pay systems have produced little or no increases in student achievement.  He does believe that the way schools pay their teachers will change in the future and wants to investigate a system utilized by schools in other areas that look promising.

His salary

At the end of Tuesday’s debate, Luna took a shot at Olson’s salary during his time with the Boise School District, about $175,000.  Luna said that Olson made too much money and didn’t decrease his salary during recent financial hardships to show sacrifice for students.  Olson says that he has no control over his own salary and that his wages are competitive with the rates of pay of superintendents of similar-sized districts.  ”It’s a pretty standard business practice,” explained Olson.

Education funding

At Tuesday’s debate, Luna advocated that the state begin collecting sales taxes for purchases made online as a way to bolster education funding in the next legislative session.  At the time, Olson stayed clear of coming down decisively for or against the idea.

It was more of the same Thursday.  Olson said that he might support a tax increase to shore up education funding, but that he would need to see comprehensive data to show the most effective and cost-efficient way the state could collect enough money to make a difference in public school spending.  ”Unlike my opponent, I don’t claim to be a tax expert,” said Olson.

Strategic plan

Olson believes that Luna has shortchanged Idaho schoolchildren by not developing a plan to examine the education system in the state.  The Idaho Constitution says that the government of the state must provide a “thorough” education to children in the state and Olson says public school officials aren’t sure what that means.  He believes the Idaho Department of Education must perform an audit of the state’s school system to fund where strong points are within districts, but also to find where more emphasis and resources should be directed.  ”You have to work with the staff and the community and share the knowledge,” said Olson.  Well thought-out plans can aid the state in planning for its minority populations, prepare for economic downturns, and provide superior education to students, says the Boise Democrat.

Olson and Luna square off at the polls Nov. 2.

Note: This is the first story in a two-part series about the superintendent race. See IdahoReporter.com’s feature on Republican Tom Luna here.