Reader comments
Huntsman, lawmakers looking at changes in how state school board is elected

Some might consider certain sitting legislators to have fallen through the cracks of party, educator, and employer vetting. Let the people have a say in a direct and non-partisan vote, at least we can blame ourselves.

I'm glad Rep. Moss is willing to admit that her party doesn't always support what's best for the kids.

If she only looked out for the kids, who would look out for the adults and unions in our education system?

That certain Senator is the sane one. Everyone else is crazy. Just ask him!

Howard Stephenson doesn't want the people to vote? Shocking we are so lucky to have old Howard and his buddies who can think for us. Howard may be right though,in certain places the voters have shown they aren't smart enough to elect legislators who are not crazies (not my word).

My father was elected to the State School Board in the mid-1980's and was re-elected three times before he decided to not run for re-election after the change in the law. Why did he decide this...he was told that he was not going to get the nod from the Governor because he did not have the vote of the legislature. He did not have the vote of the legislature because he would not vote the way they wanted him to. My father was, and still is, an educator and used his insights in the education world and what his constituents wanted, to determine the way he would vote on an item.

The LAST thing we need is for the State School Board and then the local School Boards to become partisan. The Legislature will not stop at the State School Board, they will make the local School Boards become partisan too. We do not need them trying to kiss up to their party in order to be re-elected. If the School Boards want to kiss up to someone for re-election it should be the voters, not the parties.

Another crazy thing is that Howard Stephenson wants to have 29 members of the State School Board, using the boundaries of the 29 State Senate Districts. His thought is that we all know who our State Senator is and no one can name our State School Board Member. While I may be an anomaly I can name any and all of my elected politicians, local, state and federal, including Howard Stephenson(I have never voted for him!).

Why is it so hard for people in this state to trust Democracy. Let the people vote in a direct non-partisan election. This system is the bed rock of American values. It has worked for over two hundred years. The Republicans do not want a direct non-partisan election because they will not be able to push their narrow partisan vision. Democracy works!!!

Stephenson and the Republican party of Utah do not want democracy. They only want control. The attempt of the Republican party to rid the state of the initiative process was fortunately deemed unconstitutional by the courts. Stephenson wants to control the school board so his power isn't questioned like it was during the voucher debate.