1st Disclaimer: I am not a member of any political party. I personally agree and disagree with aspects of both Republican and Democrat platforms.
2nd Disclaimer: I took notes during and after this interview. Since the conversation was not recorded, I gave a site business card to the interviewee and offered them to contact me if they felt I misquoted or mischaracterized them.
I admitted to Tom Luna I was not familiar with him and asked if he currently held public office. He replied no, but that he had recently served in the Bush Administration as a Senior Education Advisor, and before that had served with the group that helped create the Idaho Achievement Standards and ISAT testing.
I asked the following question:
Why will you do a better job than your Democratic challenger?
He replied that he would do better because of his background in education and experience at the state and federal levels, and that the superintendent of schools needs to understand the world of business and finance. Tom said we have never had a superintendent that served on a local school board, in a federal role, and in business.
I said he sounded like he was results-oriented, and he affirmed that. He clarified that we should measure to improve but not to punish. The point of testing should not be for punitive actions, but to identify shortcomings and then fix those shortcomings.
I told him I did recall something in the news accusing him of not having a degree, and asked if he had earned a college degree. He replied that yes he did have a college degree. Tom explained he was the first in his family to graduate from high school and college. He started at Ricks College, then transferred to BSU. He left before earning his degree to start a business, but finished his bachelor’s in liberal arts (emphasis in measurement science) through Thomas Edison State College. He said Thomas Edison is recognized by Forbes magazine as one of the top twenty schools in America (Googling the subject confirmed this).
Tom explained his studies at Thomas Edison were remote, with classes taken online in a virtual web environment. He seemed very defensive about it and started explaining how it was just like a physical classroom. I told him I understood because I had taken half my MBA classes from the University of Phoenix online. I imagine he has been needled about it quite a bit in his campaign, since online education may not be as readily accepted in Idaho as in some other places.
I asked him about the community college problems in Idaho, and Tom said we need to do more for that program. He said the two successful existing community colleges need to be protected to ensure any changes to not harm the good things they are already doing. However, he said their success should be studied and copied at the other schools to make them all successful.
He said 40% of community college students already have a bachelor’s degree, but they went back to a community college to get a marketable technical degree that they can actually leverage towards well-paying jobs.
I asked Tom about the problem with Idaho students having one of the best high school graduation rates and a much worse college graduation rate. Tom agreed there is a credit mismatch between Idaho high schools and colleges that needs to be leveled. He said there needs to be a seamless transition between the twelfth grade and “thirteenth” grade, whether that is a freshman year in college or military or going into business.
He noted that BSU had to offer 100 remedial courses to teach freshman what they did not learn in Idaho high schools. I realized teaching these courses in college becomes more expensive than if they were taught in high schools. Multiply BSU’s remedial course load by all Idaho colleges, and you can see how widespread the problem is. Reducing the amount of remedial courses that freshman are required to take in Idaho colleges would also reduce the cost of college.
My impression of Tom Luna is that he is passionate about Idaho education, about focusing on results from educational activities, and about seeing Idaho kids acquire skills that will make them successful in life. I think his experience with online/distance education is especially important both because it gave him a new paradigm to view education through and because online education can be a real solution for rural Idahoan students.
I do not want to endorse any candidates, but I must admit I was impressed with Tom Luna. I will be interested to interview his Democratic challenger at the Democrat’s convention next week.
Popularity: 7%
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Gato got runned over by Marcus many moons ago. Be ye daft, 2486? 
Let's have a new poll, alright, Joe?
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{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Tom Luna isn’t even remotely qualified to be superintendent. His work for the Bush Administration sounds great, but what exactly did he do? Hasn’t the Bush Administration proven itself inept at running education? How is business beneficial in running a state department? The public and private sectors are different…VERY different. I also find it alarming that Tom Luna thought it was okay to lie during the debate between the Republican candidates on Idaho Public Television. We need a superintendent who has worked in various levels and areas of education, we need a superintendent with experience directly related to education, we need a superintendent who doesn’t lie to Idaho voters, we don’t need Tom Luna.
I agree with JAC. Here is my research on Tom Luna. He has been less than truthful about
his experience at the federal department of education. What I’d like to know is why the Idaho
newspapers haven’t written on this.
On the National Centers for Career and Technical Education (NCCTE) website, I found a video
of Tom Luna giving a speech. The webpage that had the link to the video also had his
biographical information listed.
Here is the link to the video & then look at his bio – same page.
http://www.nccte.org/webcasts/description.aspx?wc=159
“In March of 2003, Tom Luna was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as Special Assistant to Secretary of Education Rod Paige. Mr. Luna served as a senior advisor to Secretary of Education Rod Paige, serving as the Director of the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities. Currently Mr. Luna serves as the Executive Director of The Secretary’s Rural Education Task Force. As Executive Director of the Task Force Mr. Luna is responsible for coordinating all of the departments efforts in rural America.”
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/06/06012004.html
President Bush Appoints Diane Cullo as Executive Director of Advisory Board on Tribal Colleges and Universities (to show that an appointment to a position like this comes with a press release)
On his campaign website, here is Tom Luna’s bio
http://www.tomluna4idaho.com/biography.asp
In March of 2003, President Bush appointed Tom Luna to serve as a senior advisor to Secretary of Education Rod Paige. Tom traveled the country on behalf of President Bush and Secretary Paige focusing on rural education and school choice, two issues that greatly affect Idaho.
This is an Idaho Statesman editorial on Tom Luna’s appointment. This news report calls him a ’special assistant’ to promote No Child Left Behind. Notice how it says that he would be speaking around the country – but not in Idaho. I thought that was strange.
http://idahoptv.org/idreports/2003/showEditorial.cfm?StoryID=8035
No candidate left behind? Tom Luna, the losing Republican candidate for state superintendent of public instruction, has a new and politically charged job as special assistant to promote President Bush´s “No Child Left Behind†act.
Idaho Statesman 2/13/2003
The discrepancies here piqued my curiosity so I spend the next several hours searching for any notices of appointments on the Federal Dept. of Education website. They always post appointment notices because it’s a big deal. I also searched the White House website to find an appointment or some evidence that he served as the Director of the White House Initiative on Tribal Colleges and Universities. I found the Initiative and the people who served – past and present but no mention of Tom Luna for anything.
The only reference I found for Tom Luna on the Dept. of Education website was this one press release.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2004/03/03112004a.html
“Attending Friday’s meetings will be representatives from Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming. Chief state school officers, working with their governors, selected teams to attend the summit.
Opening Friday’s event will be Tom Luna, director of the Education Department’s Rural Education Task Force, along with Montana Superintendent of Education Linda McCulloch, Billings Mayor Charles Tooley and Montana State-Billings Chancellor Ron Sexton.
Susan Sclafani, assistant secretary for the Office of Vocational and Adult Education, will address a general session on the topic, “No Child Left Behind: Rural Implications for Accountability and Flexibility.”
The article implies that Tom Luna was there as a representative of Idaho.
How likely is it that Marilyn Howard would send Tom Luna – who supposedly is working for the federal department of education (no appointment found on the fed ed website) to represent Idaho at this conference?
At this point, I decided to check the Plum Book which is a listing of all appointments to federal positions.
The 2004 Plum Book lists him as a Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Education Edward R. McPherson. Page 55 adobe Location Seattle Type of appointment SC – Schedule excepted
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/05jan20051520/www.gpoaccess.gov/plumbook/2004/2004_plum_book.pdf The type of appointment for Luna is significant.
This is Ted McPherson’s appointment by Rod Paige.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/10/10282003a.html (Plum Book said that Luna worked for McPherson.
April 2, 2003 – Rod Paige unveils Rural Education Task Force
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/04/04022003a.html
Paige underscored his commitment to helping students who attend rural schools by announcing the formation of a high-level task force within the Department to help identify challenges faced by the states and school districts and to work with the caucus on finding solutions. He asked Deputy Secretary Bill Hansen, a native of Idaho, to chair the task force.
I went to http://www.first.gov and did another search and found this article –
APPALACHIA, January–December 2003
Found this – where he is claiming to be the Executive Director of Rural Education
http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=2162
That’s all I found on the Dept of Ed and the Fed Gov. website.
_______________________________________________________
This might have something to do with it – found at 3:20 am and I think I’m done now
________________________________________
Bill Hansen was the Deputy Secretary of Education. He was appointed to Chair the new ‘Rural Task Force’. That was in April of 2003.
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/04/04022003a.html
He appointed Luna to the task force.
http://www.idahoptv.org/idreports/showEditorial.cfm?StoryID=8035
He set up the task force – then resigned in June of 2003.
He came home and started a consulting company. The consulting company does guess what? [ drum roll please ] Helps rural school districts implement NCLB.
Paige Helps Unveil a New Rural Caucus; Names High-Level Task Force on Rural Education at Education Department
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/04/04022003a.html
He asked Deputy Secretary Bill Hansen, a native of Idaho, to chair the task force.
http://www.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/20030411.html
Bill Hansen resigns in June
http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/06/06052003.html
He has a consulting company that helps implement NCLB
http://www.isu.edu/alumni/HCProfiles/DistAlumProfiles/HansenWilliamD.htm
Tom Luna is one of the most honest men that I have ever met. His background in business is very beneficial because he knows how make and stay on a budget, he knows how to use money to the best possible advantage. The private and public sectors are not as different as you think with a majority of Idaho’s money being poured into the school system we need someone who finally knows how to manage it!!!
Tom is a breath of fresh air for education in Idaho. As a parent, I am excited about Tom’s ideas of bringing more choices into public education and empowering parents. Tom’s business background and common sense is just what we need in Boise.
Funny that this article came up in the ‘6 months ago’ feature and Luna’s alleged to have overstated his position.
I see he even lied to me about his position title: “He replied … that he had recently served in the Bush Administration as a Senior Education Advisor”
I also reread Vicky Davis’ comment (#2) with much more clarity now. She alleged clear back on June 23rd that Tom was overstating his title and experience with the USDE, and it has taken five and a half months for the rest of us to catch up via last week’s AP article on the same topic!
I reread her comment now and shake my head that I did not apparently understand the issue when I first read it last summer. Nobody did!
I will publish an article on Tuesday that examines this issue closer. I will try to contact Tom for comment, and will likely use some of the links Vicky provided.
Wow, thumbs-up to you, Vicky Davis.
Just a few weeks in office and the Idaho department of education is already considered a disaster by many school district administrators thanks to Tom Luna. His current staff of cronies is ill prepared and certainly not up to the task of supporting real school districts. He will eventually be exposed for the fraud that he is.
Really? Where have you heard this?
I have not heard any hint of this, or of any dissatisfaction with Luna’s work or proposals. What I’ve heard is mostly that people are surprisingly pleased with his budget proposals.
And this is from our supposedly “liberal” press?
Where have you heard that the IDE is considered a disaster thanks to Tom Luna?
If you read about the firings/resignations, you can come to your own conclusion about what the SDoE looks like…
P.S. It ain’t pretty.
If you have something negative you would like to get out of your system, all you need to know is that Idaho chose! GET OVER IT!
huh? What are you talking about? Nobody has posted a comment on this topic in 8 months, and this is the comment you leave? Niiiice….
Ehhh, that’s the beauty of asynchronous conversations 8^)
Since the subject came up, what’s the latest with Luna and Board?
I have to admit that Luna seems like he’s trying to do some good things in Idaho education. I like the initiatives and stuff he is proposing.
It’s a sad statement that our legislature will only give more education dollars if a Republican is in charge, but if that’s what it takes to fund Idaho education then I guess that’s what we do.
A couple months back the board of education got themselves into trouble by overspending their budget, and Otter put them in their place by not giving them more, forcing them to cut back on some of this relentless testing. I don’t think Luna had any tie to that, it seemed to put a black eye on the state board of education.
What do you think of Tom Luna, and how he has conducted his position?
Joe, what initiatives do you like that Luna has put forward lately?
I’m not so sure about his incentive pay idea. It’s a nice capitalistic idea to offer teachers more money for meeting benchmarks, but it ignores the “village” concept of educating kids and the extra money is pennies more, not very much incentive at all. It seems the state wants to demand accountability but wants to stay cheap in doing it.
The ideas I like are the $20 million classroom enhancement package and the $350 per teacher supply allowance. Teachers could actually get supplies before, but it was a fiefdom run by principals so this sounds like teachers are guaranteed it through the state.
I’m not so sure about the dual enrollment idea, giving some college credits for some high school courses. If it encourages more students to go to college that’s great. If it waters down course materials for high schoolers to consume and makes Idaho accreditation weaker that’s not so great. I also thought this program already existed in Idaho, so I’m not sure what’s new about it?
Speaking of which, the PR had a bit about Luna’s teacher pay proposal.
I like that he is trying new ideas, and one idea is how to work towards higher pay.
I and most other teachers are not going to like that the only way they get a bit higher pay (apparently a few thousand bucks) is to give their principals a greater ability to fire them on a whim and they have to take on a greater workload.
The problem with this proposal is the last bit. Requiring a greater workload for more pay is not what we think of as “teacher incentive pay”, it’s just opportunity for more work and thus more pay. This is nothing new.
The way they get the higher pay is to get certified in new subjects. Sounds noble, until you think of the college course costs to get certified. Teachers need about 20 credits in a subject to get certified, and Idaho school districts generally pay 3-6 credits once every five years. It does not take a genius to see the financial burden is on teachers here, and the carrot at the end is not big enough to justify going through the process.
If Luna is concerned with Idaho teachers getting certified in multiple subjects, why doesn’t he offer conditional grants to pay the coursework? Something like you have to earn A’s and agree to work in Idaho another semester beyond each semester that the state pays.
This idea is not new or innovative. It sounds more old and cheap.