Reader comments
Dumping traditional school boards could save education

This writer should be commended for his thoughtful approach and willingness to think outside the box.

One slight correction though. No school board member makes 6 figure incomes. I don't know exact figures but in general they make around $500 a month. Some of the larger districts pay board members closer to $1,000 a month with per diems, etc. If we recall there was quite a to-do when a school board was going to vote themselvs a salary of around $23,000 a year.

I do like the approach of addressing the large administrative staffs that drive education. Often it is the blindless paperwork requirements that stifle innovative practices and thinking outside the box. No one person is wrong, just that the system is loaded with people reading codes and policies, instead of being allowed to let it all hang out there and get results. Codes and policies don't allow for too much innovation.

Site based education. Let the principals and teachers make the important decisions.

That is why I support charter schools. If only the rest of our public schools had the freedom to innovate. And sadly, not all charter schools are innovative but enough show the way.

What school board member gets a salary? Am I missing something? Maybe he is referring to the STATE board of education? Maybe the district office staff?

I don't get it.

I can't believe this article was printed! It has so many flagrant errors! School Board members do NOT make six figure salaries. The big district administrators do, but not the board members who make about $10K per year. The solution is NOT to add to the bureaucracy by making a three tier board system. Instead make each high school and its feeder schools a separate school district. That will give the parents adequate input balanced with a system big enough that a handful of parents don't control it, as happens frequently in charter and private schools. One high school school districts are the best answer.

I have a really tough time even getting beyond the author's first statement that talks about board members making six figure salaries. With that first statement the author lost me with any sense of credibility of his base of knowledge and his proposal for change. Most districts, especially the larger ones, have to have administrative staffs at their level because of all of the different legislative requirements that are required by both the national and state bodies overseeing education.

Most in state schools do have site based decision making through their school districts. Yes, most school districts have district wide policies that deal with a host of issues that are common throughout their district. And, what might work best in Provo District may or may not work well in the Salt Lake City School District. That is why you have locally elected school boards for those district whose job it is to set policy, while at the same time giving schools inside their district site based decision making powers. To follow this author's logic....I guess I am missing the boat.

I think the writer has got to be naive and grossly misinformed about what local school boards do. Let's clarify. They receive litte compensation for their time. They ARE parents and are accountable to other parents who voted for them to take care of the details parents often don't have time for. They have little say about curriculum which is mostly dictated by the state and federal mandates which include obsessive testing and acountability. I have never attended a local school board meeting where they acknowledge and highlight the many wonderful things that are accomplished by teachers. They are the teachers best cheerleaders. They whole heartedly agree that parents should be more involved and sorrow at the low turnouts for Parent Teacher Conferences and parental involvement in general I actually believe that we ought to have smaller districts with local school boards that can better address the individuals needs of their students and parents. I have the highest respect for my local school board members who are my friends and role models for community service. If anything let's stop mandating things at the state legislative level!

This writer needs to do a little more research on this subject, especially pay for school board members in Utah. Some very large districts may be at that level, but they are few compared to the state.

Also, I believe that the people would still like just a shred of control of their schools. If we can turn it all over to the state, perhaps we could just as well turn it all over to the federal government. That should leave the writer something to ponder.

I am pro Union and Pro Teacher. However I have heard indirectly that teacher unions are fighting math improvement in Utah. I hope you will re-consider. Your teacher's pay in Utah is going up considerably. It is suggested that in grades 4 to 6 that those who teach math teach only math, therefore imcreasing the standards in these grades need not hurt your members. (teachers would volunteer for this).

Please get on the side of improvement, if you don't I and others like me will be forced to do all I can to fight you and that includes vouchers.

The educational needs of the kids has to come first, thats what its all about, at the same time we need to be fair to the teachers and give them a comfortable financial life = significant pay raises.

Please do not oppose math educational improvement in Utah. Please Curtis Blanco

Six figure incomes for school board members? Perhaps some may earn that much in their 'day jobs' but no district board member earns that much as a board of education member. That statemenet alone makes the writers position one of dubious validity. Board of education members are representatives of their constituents who are their neighbors and fellow parents and tax payers. These follks have the best interests of students in mind as they make decisions affecting curriculum, finance and a variety of administrative issues. I suggest to the writer of this misinformed letter to become informed aobut ther real situation before he steps in with potential solutions to problems about which he know very little. (By the way, SL Tribune ought to verify the accuracy of letters it publishes prior to them being published. The salaries of board of education members is public record. Shame on you.)

1) We don't have county school boards.
2) Until last year, salary for school board members (both local and state) was capped at $3,000/yr. The law was changed in 2007, allowing local boards to set their own salary. To my knowledge, the current highest is Jordan School District, which set their salary to $12,000/yr. That's a far cry from six figures. The salary cap for the state board remained unchanged, and is still $3,000/yr.
3) "Millions of dollars spent on board member salaries." 41 disctricts x not more than 7 members x $3,000/yr is still less than $1 million/yr, state-wide.