Prosperity 2020 Academic Excellence Symposium

Following are my notes from the Symposium.  It was a TED Talk set up with each speaker taking about 10 minutes.  You can see news coverage and read the Prosperity 2020 plan.



Attending:  Dr. Johnson, Peggy Jo Kennett, Susan Pulsipher, Todd Quarnberg, Brian Larsen, about 15 UEA members, NEA executive committee member

4th grader John Haugland from Mountain View Elementary asked the question, "Do you believe in me?"  We can reach our highest potential. Students need educators. Believe in your colleagues and yourself. Students need all of us. What you are doing is the most important job in the state.

 Alan Hall, chairman of Prosperity 2020, and Gail Miller, business owner, welcomed all. Need educated workforce. 5 year plan to move Utah to one of the top education programs in nation. Stakeholders must work together to achieve this plan.

 Utah teacher of the year 2014 Mohsen Ghaffari spoke about his background growing up in Iran with parents who did not have a chance for much education. Teaching is not easy. Need collaboration. Education is not I trouble, but it needs help."

 Rob Hutter, Learn Captial, education venture capitalist in technology, spoke about the good and not good.  Great education return on investment, but low pay for teachers. A decade ago, there were no iPhones, Facebook, or social media. There has been an explosion of education technology companies. Responsive education revolution said more money can flow to teachers. Gave examples of lots of programs for education. He said most of the money spent should go to training teachers, not licenses.

Steve Kroes from Utah Foundation spoke about some changes in Utah achievement. Data from 1990s was surprisingly good: 10th highest in reading, and 15th highest in math. Saw elected officials who cared about students' education. The following 10 years there was a slide: now 28th in reading, and 30th in math, just average. Scores have started to rebound. Olene Walker K-3 reading initiative played a part. Back up to 28th in math. Internationally, 22 nations significantly outperform USA in math. Have high quality of life in Salt Lake City.

Natalie Gochnour is dean of U of U business school talked about the economic impact. Deep poverty of most of human history is foreign to prosperous USA. Accelerated change started with Industrial Revolution. We do not know what the future holds. Education's virtuous cycle, where education leads to ideas, which leads to better health, which leads to prosperity. Need investment and productivity. Our commitment to education has fallen from 7th in 1995 to 29th in the nation today. Education equals employment, earnings, upward mobility, tax revenue, and civil society. Utah has 32nd highest tax burden in nation. Tax changes in the last 20 years have resulted in $400 million a year less. Income inequality is growing.

Governor Herbert spoke about high expectations. He said SAGE is designed to give more accurate look at where we are. Cannot compare CRT to SAGE. Not unusual to see a drop in scores when you raise the expectations. Expects scores to climb over the years. Scores do point out that we have work ahead of us. Trust local and state school boards to make good decisions. Utah has best value for education in USA. We are not just throwing money at education. We are last in spending. Need to expand and find better ways to do things. Need to transform, not reform education. "Preserving the good and promoting the better." -- Chase Peterson. He wants to put together a comprehensive, strategic 10-year plan for education. Ambitious goal for one of top 10 states in nation in education outcomes. We can't thank our teachers enough for the work they do. Teaching is a great, rewarding profession, but it is hard. Avoid one size fits all mentality. Find ways to work together and cooperate on 10-year plan.

Greg Bell, Lane Beattie, Dave Dottie, and Richard Kendall presented the Prosperity 2020 5-year plan. Developed and endorsed by the business community. We want to be an economic powerhouse. Utah is ranked 3rd for business, but 46th for education. Good cannot be the enemy of great. Utah has not had a plan for education: growth, minority students, etc. Best education systems pursue reading proficiency by the end of third grade, math proficiency by end of eighth grade. Read by end of third grade, proficiency in math, best graduation rates. Massachusetts implemented an education plan and have seen results (they also spend 3 times more per student than Utah). Takes commitment over time. Every young person needs a certificate or degree after high school to make it. Too many drop out of college. Wasatch Front has the highest number of adults who started college but never finished.

Nadine Wimmer from KSL spoke about the need to have students reading on grade level by the end of third grade. She leads KSL's Read Today tutoring program. Program is particularly effective in 3rd through 6th grade. Program is free, because it is run by volunteers.

Brenda Van Gorder from Granite district pre-school program spoke about the importance of early childhood education. Children who start school behind others their age never catch up. High-quality pre-school makes a difference. Teach alphabet knowledge, book and phonemic awareness, and vocabulary.

Sara Krebbs, literacy coordinator for Cache County spoke about reading. Self esteem suffers when we don't have enough skills to participate. Reading is a gatekeeper skill to 85% of the content in the school day. Same with employment. Every child receives small group reading instruction for 30 minutes every day. Para professionals receive training, literacy facilitators provide that training and make and adjust groups, and classroom teachers work together. Above level readers also receive instruction they need. Must build a foundation in reading first.

Logan Hall from Salt Lake District, with students from Highland High and Hillside Middle spoke about STEM. Students did some science demonstrations.

Robert Goodman from New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning (which was developed by NJEA) STEM program spoke about his experience starting a pre-engineering program. Www.njctl.org has free and editable course content. Need to teach physics in 9th grade, so need more physics teachers. Social justice and global competitiveness are two sides of the same coin.

Senator Howard Stephenson spoke about mastery through personalized learning. Computer assisted instructional software which delivers to each student personalized feedback to every response. He visited a middle school with 75 students in a computer lab working on math software, and it was completely silent. They were getting what they needed with immediate feedback. His goal to teach every Utah student to make dopamine in their own heads. Have a shortage of computers. Students are digital natives who should not have to power down to come to school.

Blake and Bo Nemelka, Riverton High graduates and authors of "Beat the Middle: the Middle School Student's Guide to Academic Success" spoke about starting to think about college in 6th grade. Have conversations about what is needed to go to college at early ages. Students need inspiring parents and mentors. Accountability to the right factors over right period of time.

Gina Buttars, principal at Roy High, spoke about improving graduation rates and helping students be college and career ready. Power of one: child, teacher, town, team, dream.  Everyone graduates! Collaborating within their high school feeder system to focus on one goal of everyone graduating.  Home visits to students who are not coming to school. Volunteers working with elementary students who are struggling. Each staff member is focusing on one student. Increase of 5% in their graduation rate over 5 years. Average daily attendance has increased from 94% to 96%. Immense power and possibility in one dream.

Melissa Kincart is commissioner of outreach and access in higher education system. She spoke about school counselors and how they can be better utilized. Look at systems of how counselors are spending time. Key member of high school leadership teams. Counselor training is lacking in the college and career readiness area. Need more counselors.

Commissioner of Higher Education David Buhler spoke about who students go to college. Only half of students who start college finish. Need 4 years of math in high school and in first year of college. Encourage students to go to school full time, which is 15 credits per semester. You can take 15 credits for the same cost as 12 credits.

David Pattinson from American Future, which is a nonprofit supporting youth. Building relationships is important. Teach entrepreneurship. Education needs to be tied to careers.  Thinks job shadowing should be happening at younger ages. Need to learn soft skills like communication and interpersonal relationships. Tie what you teach to a career, how will students use the info later in life.  Show how exciting different jobs are.

Laura Leon is a juris doctorate candidate at the U.  She is an immigrant from Columbia and talked about her experience integrating into school. Received good support from teachers and knew if she worked hard, she could be whatever she wanted to be.

Eric Hanushek from Stanford said we have underestimated the importance of achievement.

K-12 Goals:

• Goal 1: Utah ranks in top 10 in reading - K-3 reading curriculum, PLCs, voluntary pre-school, community schools, support for at-risk students, optional full-day kindergarten - $65 million over 5 years.
• Goal 2: Utah ranks in top 10 in math - technology devices, technology-based math assessment tools, endorsements and technology training for teachers, PLCs, STEM endorsements - $42.5 million over 5 years
• Goal 3: Utah ranks in top 10 in graduation rates - additional counselors and mentors, counselor training, student advocates, academic coaches, tutors - $20 million over 5 years
• Goal 4:  K-12 Teacher compensation and PD - $280 million over 5 years

Higher Ed Goals:

• Goal 1 Higher Ed Compensation - $145 million over 5 years
• Goal 2: Utah ranks in top 10 in degrees and certificates - rewards for colleges that increase completion rates, access and outreach, initiatives for underserved students, programs that meet high-wage and high-demand workforce needs, financial aid and scholarships or lower and middle income students - $85 million over 5 years
• Goal 3:  Affordability of college and financial aid - $35 million over 5 years

 

UEA released the Education Excellence Report in January 2014.  This was research done by UEA Members on what is needed for Education Excellence.  Here is a comparison of the two reports.

 

Similarities:

• collaboration
• focus on student learning
• professional development
• providing resources
• funding

Missing from Prosperity 2020 plan:

• rigorous pre-service teaching programs
• effective, valid, reliable teacher evaluation
• policies to strengthen the teaching profession
• career options for teachers to stay in classroom
• respecting teachers as experts

Salary Comparison

As I was doing a little research to answer a question, I found something surprising.  Jordan has a better salary schedule than most surrounding districts!  Salt Lake District has always paid more.  While steps have not been paid 3 of the last 5 years, including the 2013-14 year, and lanes have not been paid 2 of the last 5 years, including the 2013-14 year, teachers in Jordan are making a comparable salary to other Wasatch Front districts.  I'm not trying to make us all feel better that we are not receiving what JEA sees as contractual step and lane payments, I was just surprised at how well we compare. 

Examples from 2012-13 with links to salary schedules:

Bachelor's Step 1:

• Jordan: $32,889
• Canyons:  $32,689 (download from the link)
• Murray:  $34,754
• Salt Lake:  $37,280
• Alpine:  $32,018
• Davis:  $32,816 (page 17 of their agreement)
• Tooele:  $32,813

Master's Step 10:

• Jordan:  $51,552
• Canyons:  $51,238 (download from the link)
• Murray: $50,145
• Salt Lake:  $56,218
• Alpine:  $47,806
• Davis:  $46,580 (page 17 of their agreement)
• Tooele:  $46,817

2012 Dues Totals for Tax Purposes

Below is a chart showing the amount of JEA dues paid in 2012.  Dues are tax deductible on the 1040 Schedule A.  The amounts vary because of different pay methods.  If you were a member for only part of 2012, just add the amounts from the time you joined. 

If you have further questions, please email me at jennifer.boehme@utea.org. 

	JEA Fulltime			JEA 1/2 time
Pay Method	Payroll	EFT/CC	Cash PIF	Payroll	EFT/CC	Cash PIF
Jan 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Feb 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Mar 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Apr 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
May 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Jun 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Jul 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Aug 2012	49.83	49.83		25.75	25.75
Sep 2012	59.80		598.00	30.90		309.00
Oct 2012	59.80	59.80		30.90	30.90
Nov 2012	59.80	59.80		30.90	30.90
Dec 2012	59.80	59.80		30.90	30.90
Total 2012	637.84	578.04	598.00	329.60	298.70	309.00

Part Time Math Opportunity

Better Lesson is in the process of soliciting applications for their Master Teacher Project.  In this project selected teachers will design and share full Math Common Core aligned courses in collaboration with Common Core coaches and fellow Master Teachers. You can view the flyer or go directly to the application page here. 

The expectation is 10 hours a week creating CCSS aligned lessons for the next two years, sharing those lessons online, and earning $30,000. 

If any of you choose to apply, please let me know, and good luck! 

Substitutes

There has been an issue with having enough substitutes.  This was brought up in District Advisory Committee (DAC) as well as by administrators at their meeting.

In the past, the District has only accepted applications for substitutes twice a year, followed by interviews and a training class.  In October, there were 350 substitute applications received.  The training is now offered online.  Once new applicants are approved, they can take the online training whenever they would like, submit the paperwork required to prove they did the training, and be fingerprinted.  Then they are ready to sub.  This could happen as quickly as a week if the substitute is motivated to finish.  Now the District will accept substitute applications at any time, not just twice a year.

Part of the lack of substitutes has to do with them now being paid hourly instead of half-day or full-day.  The District website still shows half-day and full-day rates, not hourly rates, which may cause confusion for substitutes.

From June LeMaster, Human Resources Director:
-The substitute teacher pay has also changed in that subs are paid hourly and not by half days or full days.  They are used to arriving late and leaving early and expecting to be paid the full day.  As subs are paid with taxpayer money, we are holding them accountable and paying them only for time worked. 
-Principals have always maintained the authority to have a substitute work a full day even when students are not at school, as long there is work for the substitute to do.
-We realize some subs are disgruntled with the changes, specifically for being paid only for the hours they work; however, we believe we are being fiscally responsible with taxpayer money. The money saved will be diverted to other District needs.

Secretaries are being asked to "babysit" substitutes and have them working with students all day, including covering other classes during the one teacher's prep if a sub is unavailable at the secondary level.

There was a concern mentioned that secondary teachers feel that not subbing on their prep period when a substitute has not arrived may be held against them in the future.  This should not be happening.  Teachers should not feel guilty for not covering a class during their prep period.

If you are having problems with not enough substitutes or complaints about the pay of substitutes, please let me know.  This issue may need to return to DAC.

Steps and Lanes/EFT

If you are receiving a step and/or a lane increase, that will be reflected on your October paycheck!  Remember that the October paycheck will be larger than normal due to retro pay increases for this year (September increase for traditional, August and September increases for year round). 

 Please check Skyward to verify your step and/or lane change has been reflected.  Login to Employee Access, click Employee Information, click Personal Information, in the left pane click Lane/Step History.  This will show you what lane and step you were on in 2010 and 2012.  If something is not correct, contact HR at 801-567-8150.  You will want to look at your pay stub in Skyward as well.  You can do that from the same page, only in the left pane click Checks.

You can see the Salary Schedule at  http://hr.jordandistrict.org/documents/Open-HRForms/SalarySchedules/LicensedSalarySchedule.pdf

 

Looking forward to payday, thanks to the JEA Negotiations Team!

 

If you are still on payroll deduction for dues, I encourage you to make the flip to EFT.  You can do so at http://memberweb.com/groups/8478/newLogin.asp?groupid=8478 with your member number.  Your building AR has your member number, or you can contact me to look that up for you if you cannot find your membership card.  New membership cards should be arriving at your home by mail in the next two weeks.

 

Reminder to those of you who have already flipped to EFT or credit card, that the next withdraw or charge will be November 3.  Please verify you have enough money in your account.

Meeting with Superintendent Johnson

Dr. Johnson and I met in our monthly meeting yesterday.  We discussed putting together an alternative compensation (merit pay/performance pay) committee after the legislature has met.  She believes there will be a law passed with certain criteria for merit pay, so she wants to wait and see what those criteria are before establishing a plan for Jordan.

Dr. Johnson will be speaking at the next Legislative Council (AR) Meeting.  She is going to talk about the focus groups she held and the direction she would like to take the District, as presented to legislators in November.

I asked about how RIS (Reduction In Staff) teachers will be determined.  This has not yet been decided.  The law changed, stating that hire date or seniority cannot be used.  The law allows performance (evaluation) and school need as criteria for determining RIS.  As soon as I know how RIS teachers will be determined, I will let you know.

We also discussed the progress of problems at a school and the political changes happening in Jordan with Carl Wimmer resigning prior to the legislative session.

Senator Osmond is Learning

This blog post by Senator Osmond discusses his findings after the public meetings on his proposed Public Education Employment Reform Act.  He has decided to put this on hold!  I encourage you to express you thanks on the blog or by e-mailing him at aosmond@utahsenate.org.

Public Meeting with Senator Osmond

Below are notes from Jay Blain, UEA, and Cindy Carroll, Jordan UniServ from the meeting with Senator Osmond last night.  It was inspiring to see the support of UEA members from Davis to Provo and from Tooele to Park City. 

I spoke with Senator Osmond after the meeting.  I thanked him for being willing to listen, told him teachers felt heard, and that if wanted to win over the teachers, he would need to make changes to these proposals so that they will not hurt teachers.  He said he understands that his actions are going to be the proof teachers need to stand behind him. 

Please see the previous post and go to his blog post to make comments publicly.  He is also open to e-mails at aosmond@utahsenate.org.

Notes:

5:30 – 6:30 by invitation only

Senator Osmond stated that the purpose is to get input about the impact before we get into the session.  Clearly there is a feeling of antagonism, we need a partnership, and we need to collaborate.  Superintendent Shumway cited the State of the Union address, “We need to quit making excuses for ineffective teachers.”  He repeated the 3 principles behind the bill.  He also used a landlord tenant analogy mostly to explain the requirement for notice when not renewing a contract. 

Question: Why do we have 3 year for administrators and 5 year limits for teachers if we are asking administrators to make the tough decisions to terminate people?  This will make it difficult to attract and retain administrators.  Also, wouldn’t people just wait for the next principal?  Shouldn’t local boards set the lengths?

Who works harder than someone else?  Teachers are about doing what is best for kids.  Larry Shumway, maybe it is possible to go beyond student achievement.  When we evaluate achievement, whose achievement do we evaluate, student’s or teacher’s?  Many technical issues to overcome.  Senator Osmond, there is a complexness to the collaborative issue that needs to be understood.  We need to address the personal resources that are spent above and beyond time.

Star Orullian described the great relationship and partnership GEA has with Granite School District in remediating and even dismissing struggling teachers.  She is concerned about funding for performance pay especially with other items that are being discussed by Education Interim committee, like tuition tax credits. 

How is this legislation sending a message that we care about kids?  It is sending the wrong message to students that we are trying to recruit to the state as teachers.  I don’t want to work with an ineffective teacher. 

Mike Fraser, Assistant Superintendent from Granite District, backs up what Star Orullian said about partnership with Association.  Granite terminates between 33-60 teachers each year.  Why would we pass legislation to devalue teachers who work so hard to recruit?  Not so long ago we were scratching to recruit any teacher we could.  We try to save them but if we can’t, we cut them loose! 

Account was given of collaboration summit with Superintendent, School Board President, and Association President and it was very positive.  It will be very hard to follow through with it if their hands are tied and it would be a tragedy to backwards because of this legislation.  It is important to trust the experts.

Tom Nedreberg from Tintic reported that his small district let go of 1 or 2 educators over the past couple of years.  In a small district it is very disruptive to have an ineffective teacher so they deal with it.  He recounted an incident of an administrator that ‘went after’ a bus driver inappropriately and a $220,000 suit ensued.

Why would the state stipulate so much?  Let the locals work it out.  This teacher is concerned about situations when choosing between coaching situations.  Will performance pay push people way beyond contract limits when some may have family obligations and other such things that prohibit them from doing such things?  Is teaching going to be a career anymore?

Senator Osmond repeated that his goal is to seek local control and to decentralize.

Vice-President of Murray board, complimented Senator on being here, she is a nurse and she said that it is easier to get rid of a bad teacher than a bad nurse.

McKell Withers, Superintendent of SLCSD, said there no direct line in this legislation to what is good for kids or nothing helpful to get rid of bad teachers.  Could be limiting in obtaining federal grants.  Would there be a tendency to just let a marginal teacher ride to the end of a contract term with no intervention to help the teacher improve?

Concern about the state board creating models for salary schedules.  This is not local control.

Annette Brinkman, GSD, asked, “Are the tools and knowledge there to help teachers and train administrators?  YES, it can be done.”

7:00 open public meeting (about 500 in attendance)

Educators, parents and support professionals filled the Granite District Office board room over capacity with overflow into the hallway.  Attendees were here to listen to Senator Aaron Osmond and Superintendent Larry Shumway answer questions about their proposed Public Education Reform legislation. 

Senator Osmond opened the meeting to say that he and Superintendent Shumway were actually here to listen to the public. Osmond assured teachers that he knows they have not felt heard and that, overtime, they have been frustrated and have felt attacked by the Legislature as a profession and collective body.  He also understands that today’s teachers no longer recommend this profession to future teachers.

Osmond expressed genuine interest in understanding "your [educators’] world".  He said that the “time has passed for antagonism, rhetoric and contention.  It is now time to work together: educators, union leaders, state board and legislature to help our kids.”  

Osmond took ownership that the legislation he is sponsoring is “other than what he is saying about support”, however, he will listen to concerns and act prior to taking this legislation to his colleagues for consideration.  He is not here tonight to tell us what he is "going to do" but, rather to hear and take our concerns to the legislature.  That is his goal. 

 Format:  comments to 1.5 minutes.  Ask a question or express feelings.

 If people are not comfortable in a public setting, please email:   aosmond@utahsenate.org

 Comments:

• Getting rid of professionalism causes teachers to be a “1099 employee.”  No ability to contest wrongful termination or have due process.  If teachers are put "under tow" the rest of the state employees will follow.
• Alpine teacher: How will performance pay be equitable for elective classes? How is this plan different from other plans that have been tried and failed?   
• Class size is an issue.  100% of this teacher’s students passed CRTs in a low-income school. “I am successful but this legislation makes me question why I am working in Utah.”  Worry about low-level kids. 
• Dan Rozanas, Alta High:  Appreciates the openness of the Senator in welcoming teachers. Why does the Legislature, who say they believe in the importance of science in education, not look at research?  In his research, he has found no evidence that proves that collective bargaining is bad for education. If you are saying you are here to help, I don't understand why this legislation is being considered?
• Baffled by the fact that we can't have collective bargaining.  We have the right to assemble and unionize common ideas.  I’m asking; Senator, why can't "we" have representation? Do not take away my basic rights. I am angry.  Lower class sizes will help get test scores up. I remember who passes legislation that helps and hurts education.
• Brenda- 37 year teacher - breaks her heart to see what's happening.  My daughter is a teacher and I have told her not to come to Utah to teach. 
• 30 year educator: This proposed legislation is egregious on many levels and volunteers his voice. Has a son in his junior year at U of U to become a teacher. He is looking at this legislation and is changing his mind about becoming an educator.  Bright teachers will be lost.  Trying to impose a business model on education won’t work.  If it did, children would then become nothing more than commodities at a manufacturing plant.
• Jordan High - 15 year teacher – as a career educator, this legislation will force him to choosing 5% of salary or to have collective bargaining rights. Loss of orderly termination will cause subjective firing and this will hurt qualification of educators in the URS.  The bill also mandates to local school boards - taking away local control.
• Shawn Evanson – Canyons School District – told his story as a first year teacher who told a student to "quit acting silly.” The parent heard later from the student "that teacher called me stupid" he fought potential termination as a provisional teachers.  Now, 96% of his science class is testing proficient. I could have lost my job as a first year teacher.  This bill puts teachers in the face of politics.
• When did teachers become the enemy of society?  (mass applause) Why are we being blamed? Education starts in the home with solid family support.    
• I am not going to be blamed anymore for failure in the home, Senator!  (Shawn)
• Every year we have more hits.  
• This room is full of resources to advise the senator on his bill. This proposal is a distraction to positive education reform. We know better than any legislature what education needs.
• Sue Dickey, retired teacher: this is the first time a legislator has come in to listen to us, thank you. 
• The Orderly Termination Act and the due process that allows teachers to be removed from the profession with due process.  Our association advocates support teachers in this process and allow them to to leave the profession with dignity. If administrators are given time and tools to be strong leaders they would be able to evaluate and observe regularly.
• Salary should be under local control.
• Parent: first time speaking before a crowd. She “thanks teachers and administration who serve our schools.”  She is a teacher advocate and is so tired of watching school teachers, principals and staff be bullied by the legislature.
• Teachers can't choose who they teach.
• A teacher shared the diversity in her classroom, including special needs students, students with difficult home lives, suffering from death, parent imprisonment, students with behavior disorders, etc.  Her question; “Who wants my job?”

Osmond shared the pervasive nature that we are not meeting the needs of a global economy. How can we reinforce local control? Should we create an environment of no expectation of continued employment?  He stated, “After listening, I get why our bill will not get us where we want to go.  We need to work in partnership to resolve our problems.”  Superintendent Shumway spoke about performance pay.  He said the creation of a merit pay plan should be allowed on a local level and not on a legislative level.

·         Vice principal said he was “let go” from a former district because he had not reached tenure. Is now very successful in another district.

·         Disabled teacher thanks the Granite Education Association for the support she has received in her work and classroom.  She teaches World History.  She said, comparing the United States to other nations is not equitable.  It is false that the US is falling behind other nations educationally.  In other countries, schools choose who they teach.  The only choose the cream of the crop – here in the U.S. we teach all children.

·         Without collective bargaining then voice of teachers is not heard. I am proud to be a teacher among so many who “talk and walk” what they believe.

• Heidi Matthews, Park City educator:  looking at your legislation from an education model and what is missing is the objective of your bill, the end game. She challenged the legislature to draft reform from an education model and not a business model.
• Sandra Darrington: a 1^st grade teacher, advocates for children every day.  This legislation has the potential of asking a teacher to choose between family and student. She shed tears for the art and love of teaching.
• Bring back the honor in teaching. 
• Connie Anderson, West High teacher and member of the SLC school board. Put the focus on what a good teacher looks like and not on the bad.
• Legislating something just to see if it works is backward. Use early retirement incentives to move senior teachers out of the schools if career status is the issue.
• Patrick, bus driver in Canyons School District:  How will you create performance pay for a bus driver?

·         Rebecca Bracken, Canyons District: The more legislation that downgrades education,the less freedom teachers have and the less beneficial I am as a teacher. NCLB, hurts special need children.  I adopted four special needs children.  Her daughter at 14 years old made the statement that, under NCLB, “No one will want us.”  The gifts that special needs children bring are lost in the search for success and rigor.

Public Meeting Scheduled

Senator Aaron Osmond, who represents the majority of Jordan School District, is proposing legislation at the request of State Superintendent Larry Shumway that includes the following:

·         Repeal all Orderly Termination Laws

·         Require school districts to adopt employee management policies

·         Replace “tenure” with “at will” status

o   5 year contracts for educators

o   Dues process to terminate educators within the 5 years

o   Non-renew any educator without cause at the end of 5 years

o   Career teachers can “opt out” for 10 years, but would not be eligible for performance pay

·         Establish salary range based on market demand

o   Subject, experience, location, difficulty

·         Each district must establish a performance pay model

o   Minimum of 5% of pay tied to student performance

For more information, visit http://aaronosmond.com/index.php?option=com_docman&Itemid=7 and click on Public Education Employment Reform Act Proposal.

A meeting with Senator Osmond and Superintendent Shumway has been scheduled to discuss these issues.  The meeting is Tuesday, November 8 at 7:00 at the Granite District Office, 2500 S. State Street.  I would encourage all who are concerned about the above items and their impact on public education to attend and wear a JEA t-shirt, button, etc. if you have one.  I will be there and hope all JEA members can sit together.