Violence Accompanies Efforts to Curb Teacher Monopoly Bargaining Power in Idaho

Idaho State School Superintendent Tom Luna’s efforts to curb teacher union bargaining and bring common sense to education reform provoked retaliation.

From the Wall Street Journal Online,   June 25, 2012    

Called “Students Come First,” it was a package of legislation that limits collective bargaining, introduces merit pay, and takes advantage of new technology to help give more Idaho students the education they need for college.

As in Wisconsin, when Idaho’s reforms came up before the legislature last year, protesters converged on the state capitol. During that debate, Mr. Luna’s pickup truck was vandalized and the teachers unions launched an effort to recall him. That recall fell short when opponents mustered only a third of the 158,000 signatures they needed to proceed.