The
Idaho Values Alliance is sending the following voter guide today to all the Idaho candidates.
I'll let you know when their results are posted.
GEM STATE VOTER GUIDE
A joint
project of the Idaho Values Alliance, Idaho Chooses Life, Idahoans for Tax
Reform, and This House is MY Home
2006 QUESTIONNAIRE FOR CANDIDATES FOR STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION
FUNDING
1. Support ___ Oppose ___ Fund Idaho public
education without raising the Idaho sales tax by 1%.
2. Support ___ Oppose ___ More efficient use of
existing school funds rather than increased funding.
3. Support ___ Oppose ___ A merit pay system to
reward superior teachers.
4. Support ___ Oppose ___ Higher pay for math
and science teachers.
5. Support ___ Oppose ___ Maintain the
super-majority on school bond issues.
CHOICE IN EDUCATION
6. Support ___ Oppose ___ Remove the cap on
charter school expansion.
7. Support ___ Oppose ___ Reduce regulations
for charter schools.
8. Support ___ Oppose ___ De-consolidation of
larger school districts to bring schools closer to parents.
9. Support ___ Oppose ___ Give school
principals more authority to manage their schools according to local conditions.
10. Support ___ Oppose ___ Open enrollment among
public schools with funds following the student.
11. Support ___ Oppose ___ Education tax credits
to expand parental choice in education.
12. Support ___ Oppose ___ No required
registration of home-schooled students with local school districts.
13. Support ___ Oppose ___ No required state
testing for home-schooled students.
14. Support ___ Oppose ___ Alternate teacher
certification.
EDUCATION REFORM
15. Support ___ Oppose ___ Repeal requirement
that school districts engage in collective bargaining with the teachers' union.
16. Support ___ Oppose ___ Extend the
probationary period for tenure to seven years, as in Idaho's colleges and
universities.
17. Support ___ Oppose ___ Require each school
district to web post all school employees' salary and benefits.
18. Support ___ Oppose ___ Require each school
district to web post its contract with the teacher’s union.
19. Support ___ Oppose ___ Require each school
district to web post ISAT scores, and percent met of Expected Yearly Growth, for
each teacher.
KINDERGARTEN AND PRE-SCHOOL
20. Support ___ Oppose ___ No mandatory,
universal kindergarten.
21. Support ___ Oppose ___ No state-funded
pre-school programs.
INSTRUCTION
22. Support ___ Oppose ___ Total immersion for
limited English students.
23. Support ___ Oppose ___ Teach the Bible as
literature and history in the public schools.
24. Support ___ Oppose ___ Teach Intelligent
Design as an alternative to evolution in public schools.
VALUES
25. Support ___ Oppose ___ The posting of the
Ten Commandments in classrooms.
26. Support ___ Oppose ___ Require parental
permission for student involvement in school-sanctioned clubs such as the
Gay-Straight Alliance.
27. Support ___ Oppose ___ Abstinence-only sex
education in public schools.
28. Support ___ Oppose ___ Teach that sexual
intimacy should be reserved exclusively for marriage between one man and one
woman.
29. Support ___ Oppose ___ Prohibiting Planned
Parenthood’s access to our public schools to teach “sex education” or to provide
counseling services.
30. Support ___ Oppose ___ Prohibiting school
counselors from referring students for abortions.