Lawmakers review bill targeting teacher attraction, retention

A bill that would give extra pay to educators who teach in areas where there are shortages advanced out of committee Monday.

Lawmakers are asking for $28.5 million for the Professional Excellence Program, ProExcel, to establish a teacher-induction program, recruit and retain teachers in shortage areas and look into merit pay.

The idea is to address teacher shortages in the areas of math, science and special education by attracting qualified teachers to the state and enticing college students to go into programs where there are needs.

State studies have shown a third of new teachers leave the profession within the first three years, and half leave within five.

Meanwhile, Utah enrollment is expected to increase by nearly 50 percent in the next two decades, and its teaching force is not expected to keep up. A 2003 Utah educator supply and demand study shows Utah could see a shortage of 1,200 teachers a year.

And lawmakers want to slow the flow of teachers moving to other states to get higher-paying jobs.

"The number one factor related to student performance is teacher quality," said Rep. Ronda Rudd Menlove, R-Garland. "In areas of math, science and special education we have not been able to recruit and retain people, and what we get is only partially qualified people in those areas."

Teachers in those shortage areas would receive $5,000 stipend each year. The bill also requires a study that would establish a merit-pay program down the road.

Utah Education Association leaders applaud the measure but said it could lead to lower morale because some teachers would be getting paid more than others based merely on the subject they teach.

"We're very pleased with some components of bill and strongly support the mentoring and induction component of bill," said Vik Arnold, government relations specialist for the Utah Education Association. "We have concerns, however, with the current proposal for rewarding certain teachers stipends based on the subject they teach."

He said that some school districts have shortages in other areas aside from those in the bill. The UEA would prefer that districts be able to determine those shortages and provide additional compensation accordingly.

"We think they are capable of developing programs that meet their unique needs and in a less divisive manner," Arnold said.

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