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Pignanelli & Webb: What did we learn from the elections?
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Actually, we do need reform. Our schools are churning out mediocre students who can't communicate effectively, write reports, fill out resumes properly, analyze business information or make change without the cash register spitting out the correct change automatically. (BTW: those change machines are not for reducing theft but to more correctly return change and reduce cash over/short reports.) Our students are also not prepared for the demands of college.
As for the statement "Utah is last in per pupil spending", that argument simply does not work and never has. Why? Because each state has different citizen demographics, student enrollment levels and trends, different education funding structures, and employment base towards funding education. If all demographics were identical, THEN that could be an argument.
Utah also gives a tax deduction for each child, therefore, those using the system most, don't pay into it. Hmmm, I guess everything is just fine.
Teacher's do need a raise. They are way underpaid. The problem is, every time the legislature (or the county) hands them more money, the greedy district people gobble up more than their fair share and kick the crumbs over to the teachers. That's why there is so much hesitancy from our legislature to throw more money down that rat hole.
If there were meaningful efforts at efficiency and reform, you would see more money coming from legislators, and less resistance from the taxpayers.
To anticipate another argument, we do have a teacher shortage, but part of the reason for that shortage is because good teachers don't get rewarded for being good, so many of them leave the system and go somewhere they can be rewarded for their efforts. Reform the system and watch well-rewarded good teachers fill the schools.
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The only reform we want to see is better pay for our teachers so we can keep them around.
Seriously, that is all I want changed. The legislators have to know that by now and not raising teacher pay this year would be an absolute travesty.