As a former member of the Salt Lake City Board of Education, I find it odd that state school board members must somehow be treated differently as if the public needs to have a group of wisemen to help decide who the public will vote into office. While I know that the general public is sometimes pretty out of it when it comes to electing its education representatives, there comes a time when it becomes more the fault of the candidates than the public when it comes to educating the public about education policy. It's time to give the public credit and not coddle them like some infant child who needs to be told whom to vote for. State school board members used to be elected by direct elections, like the rest of nonpartisan office holders, why treat them any differently?

How did elected positions become appointed positions in the first place? No wonder the Education system in Utah is such a mess and riddled with corruption and fraud and waste. These appointed positions are not accountable to anyone and is a buddy system network. If it is true that the board members must be elected then it should be so and without any commission choosing who will run for these elected offices. The members should also be elected from the district they represent as residents of that district. The commission should also be desolved as an unconstitutional agency. Along with the positions being elected all laws governing educatioin should be enforced, including proof of citizenship and legal status to be in our schools. If citizenship can't be proven and provided then no access to the school and education system reserved for the tax paying americans.

Some state officials are just sore that the State Board of Education didn't enact the voucher legislation right away. Of course, even the state should have put implementing legislation on hold during the petition campaign and the Supreme Court decision to CLARIFY which piece of legislation was the law and which was the amendment. Instead, state leaders, including our Attorney General (who needs to go back to law school) went on a personal crusade to get their voucher plan enacted no matter what CLARIFICATION needed to happen. It turned out that the State Board of Education was correct and the AG and state leaders were wrong when the State Supreme Court ruled unanimously that the second bill was an amendment and not a law. What we need is an AG that knows the difference between laws and amendments, and state leaders who aren't so willing to waste millions of dollars to enact a law that has been called into question by a citizens petition. It is almost like we are being ruled by a legislative totalitarian regime. Legislators should know better. Don't enact laws while that are hotly contested. It is a waste of precious tax dollars.

I don't know why, but I am constantly amazed at the vindictive nature of our Republican leadership. They have no concern but staying in power and forcing the state to do things their way. The level of arrogance is appalling! Whatever corrections need to be made in the current method of electing the State School Board, and there clearly is such a need, these people are not the ones to do it. They cannot be trusted to think of the citizens first.

EJDC--

What are you talking about? How is this article an example of legislative vindictiveness. They've asked the CRC to look at governance. Even Burningham thinks that makes sense.

Even you agree that there is a need to look at the method of election.

Think first, type second.

Use Choice Voting to elect the State School Board so that Utahns can be represented proportionally.

We are more diverse than two political parties.

Check out the Center for Voting and Democracy's web site for how this is done in other communities.

If we change it at all, then I'd rather get rid of it. If you politicize it more, then it will just stick the state's nose into the local schools even more. What we need is to get the state and national governments out of education and return it to the local boards (AFTER we divide up the big regional districts!). Education ought to be the local community's business.

Hear Hear Chuck The reason we are in the mess we are in is because the GOP leadership thinks they are the state and local school board.

The real travesty here is Kim Burningham's attitude. He has been quoted to say, "The State Board of Education is a law making body, just like the legislature."

He was also involved in getting the second voucher bill passed saying it would be good for education. Why do you think it passed by better than 2/3?
He is lying to the public on what vouchers really do. There is accountability, teachers must be qualified and it doesn't take one red cent from education resources. It actually lowers class size and leaves more resources. Isn't that what education has asked for? OR, is it really only about power over our kids? It's all in the bill, HB148 and HB174 if you will all read it. No one should simply go by what they hear. READ THE BILL!


Burningham is so arrogant and pompous that the public should call for his resignation. The article says he was a moderate Republican. NO, he is a Socialist in Republican clothes. He is even further left than most Democrats. His record in the legislature supports the label.

I wonder that they have not suggested changing the balance by having 2 board members elected directly one one appointed by the governor (just as another possibility among the ones they have already suggested).

What the public really needs to decide is whether education officials should develop policy and procedures for schools -- or should the legislature. Because at this juncture, the legislature determines policy, procedure, math curriculum, and almost everything else that affects education -- with the power of the purse. They beleive they can and should - so they do.