When an Idaho legislator thinks of teachers as ‘criminal’ | Opinion

Forget for the moment the ridiculousness of yet another proposed state mandate for schools in the form of a bill requiring teachers to pause for a daily minute of silence to “reflect, meditate, pray or engage in another silent activity.”

For a state that claims it likes less government, legislators sure propose a lot of government.

We’re not here to debate Rep. Bruce Skaug’s bill, though you’d think the Nampa Republican would have better things to do with his time than sit around and dream up bills on ways teachers could waste valuable class time.

No, what caught our attention was something Rep. Tony Wisniewski, R-Post Falls, said during debate on the bill, according to a story by Idaho Education News.

Rep. Chris Mathias, D-Boise, suggested that rather than mandate teachers have the moment of silence “at or near the beginning of each school day,” the bill should allow them to hold the moment of silence at any time. You know, give them a little flexibility.

But Wisniewski wouldn’t dare allow that.

“If we leave it up to the teacher, and if a teacher is not in agreement with this principle, what could happen?” he said. “I have often said that if you can’t think like a criminal, you don’t belong in the Legislature.”

The criminal in this scenario being the teacher.

No wonder teachers in Idaho feel unappreciated, under attack and want to leave the state.

It’s awfully telling that Wisniewski’s frame of mind is one in which he’s paranoid that teachers are acting like criminals.

It tells us what he really thinks about teachers.

Those sneaky teachers. Using their own judgment for the best use of their time to educate children.

What’s next? Putting up signs saying that every student, regardless of skin color, is welcome here?

Statesman editorials are the opinion of the Idaho Statesman’s editorial board. Board members are opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, editor Chadd Cripe, assistant editor Jim Keyser and community members John Hess, Debbie McCormick and Julie Yamamoto.