Propositions 1, 2, and 3 (the Luna Laws) will be harmful to the education of students in Idaho if they pass this November.
As someone who has attended school in Idaho for my entire scholastic career, I acknowledge Idaho’s educational system is already behind the times in comparison to other states in the region.
Several problems arise with the idea of the Luna Laws being passed. Children having laptops will not make them better students. In fact, many students who learn best kinesthetically will not learn as well in online classes, and many students will do the bare minimum to get a decent grade.
Having more classes online for K-12 students will take away from the social learning aspects that are gained from being in a classroom with other students.
Idaho should focus on the fact that many students in public schools cannot understand the material on a standardized test because they are not able to read at grade level and many of them do not speak English well. Giving students a quality education is as much about the experience as it is about learning the material.
A great teacher can change a child’s whole attitude toward school.
However, if these laws are passed, teachers will not be able to help students to explore their creativity and figure out what they are good at if they are consumed with getting high scores on standardized tests to save their jobs.
If students learn just what it takes to do well on the test, they won’t know how they can apply the concepts they learn outside of the classroom.
I know there is a need to meet the same standards as other countries when it comes to education, but we shouldn’t jeopardize a student’s ability to expand their creativity to do so.
–Samantha Flaherty
Senior, advertising