Walker says education 'needs intensive care'

PROVO — Former Gov. Olene Walker doesn't want to be at the forefront of the election fight over school vouchers, but her thoughts on one element of the issue were crystal clear Thursday when she spoke at Brigham Young University as an honored alumnus.

"I think it's ironic the Legislature demands ever-increasing accountability of public schools but is willing to give the largest entitlement in the state to individuals without any accountability," she said.

Walker was one of 11 alumni who spoke on the BYU campus Thursday as part of Homecoming Week. Other speakers included Hall of Fame football coach LaVell Edwards and Judge Thomas Griffith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.

She declined after her speech to elaborate on vouchers but said that although the Legislature provided an adequate increase in education funding last year, more is needed.

"While our economy is so great, we need to take the opportunity to enhance our public school system."

Walker's 40-minute speech at BYU's David O. McKay School of Education was a state-of-the-state address on Utah education. While she provided encouragement to future teachers, she also called for higher teacher salaries, local control of schools and more input from teachers in the legislative process.

"No, education is not on life support," she said, "but it is in intensive care, and it needs intensive care."

She said the Legislature is crafting standards for local school districts that are more restrictive than what the federal government mandates to states.

"While the state legislatures rant and rave that the federal government is too involved in local decisions, the states have probably been the greatest usurpers of control from the local (school) districts," she said. "That's certainly true in Utah."

Walker praised BYU's McKay School as a model for college departments of education around the United States because of its Public School Partnership with the Jordan, Alpine, Nebo, Provo and Wasatch school districts.

She told more than 100 students, faculty, alumni and administrators that they must be willing to take risks and get involved in bringing about change in education and said legislators could reach out more to Utah's colleges and universities and the state's public school teachers.

"I have always been amazed at the lack of communication between the Legislature and the departments of education at the state's colleges and universities," Walker said, "and how seldom teachers are asked to testify before legislative committees.

"That must change."