Walk for Colleen Bliss

Walk for Colleen Bliss! She is a retired Jordan/Canyons teacher who was a career-long UEA member. She is the recommended candidate against Dan McCay in the Riverton/Bluffdale area. See below for her scheduled campaign walk times for this week.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 Colleen's House 1945 Rock Hollow Road, Bluffdale
Rock Hollow is approximately 14900 So. Redwood Road 5:00pm

Wednesday, Oct. 29 Rosamond Elementary parking lot
1219 South 1975 West 4:30pm

Thursday, Oct. 30 Rosamond Elementary parking lot 4:30pm

Saturday, Nov. 1 Jordan River Parkway Trailhead (Draper Rotary Park) 12300 South 1100 West 10 am

UEA Excellence in Teaching Award Winners

Kelley DeHaan, Vocal Music Teacher at West Jordan High, and Bruce Gunn, District Math Specialist, received the UEA Excellence in Teaching Award tonight.  Their wives, also teachers and JEA members, joined them along with Superintendent Johnson and West Jordan High principal Mike Kochevar.  Congratulations to these two outstanding educators and JEA members!

Letter from UEA President

Dear Fellow UEA Members,

I am writing to you today about the appointment Brad Smith, current Ogden School District Superintendent, as the State Superintendent of Instruction. I recognize there is angst by many over Mr. Smith’s appointment.

First, let me thank those of you who actively engaged with your State Board of Education members. The current Utah State Board of Education is very divided. Supt. Smith was selected by an 8-7 margin. Many Board votes are determined by the same margin.

Second, we are very disappointed the State Board of Education appointed a State Superintendent with no significant classroom teaching experience and little public education administration experience. With so little education knowledge, we anticipate the learning curve for Supt. Smith will be very steep. The UEA hopes and expects to work directly with Supt. Smith, as we have with past superintendents, to help him understand and appreciate the views of classroom teachers.

Finally, let me reassure each of you that UEA has staff and leaders sitting in each and every USOE Board meeting working to influence board rule and board members. Because of UEA, the interviews for State Superintendent were held in open meetings, the stakeholders were involved in the semi-finalist interviews and the public weighed in on the issue of the next Superintendent having education experience. Did we win the day? No, but you can darn well bet the public, teachers and other stakeholders are going to keep tabs on Mr. Smith.

It is important to note that Superintendent Smith’s record in working with teachers has evolved significantly over his short tenure in Ogden School District. A local UniServ director who works with Supt. Smith said, “I believe Mr. Smith's view of teacher organizations has changed in the (past few) years…We went from having a district-implemented contract in 2011 to very positive contract negotiations this past year. Teachers received all of their lost pay steps…for some, 3 pay steps equaling more than a $5,000 a year pay increase. Teachers now have a salary schedule where they will always continue to advance and we have solidified more protections for teachers…Plus, we have been very successful in winning grievances that he has ruled on.”

We will continue to work collaboratively with the new State Superintendent but we will also not lose sight of the fact that teachers need the support of the State School Board and the State Office of Education. Rest assured that we “have your back” and we will continue to be vigilant in our representation of you, the member.

Thank you for all you do for our students and our profession.

Best,

Sharon

Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh, M.A., NBCT

President, Utah Education Association

2009 Utah Teacher of the Year

Final Colleen Bliss Blitz!

See the information below about a final walk for Colleen Bliss in Riverton!

Dear Friends, Teachers, and generous Volunteers,

 

We are in the final stretches. Please join me on Saturday October 18th for the final Bliss Blitz. We will walk, knock on doors, talk to good folks and hand out literature and lawn signs in the Riverton/Bluffdale area.

 

Time: 9:30am 

Place: Jordan River Rotary Park: 12300 South and the Jordan River (North of road, east side of river (

12300 S 973 W

Riverton, UT)

 

You will receive:

• Free t-shirt - until we run out! (If you already have one, please wear it)
• Precinct Map (Please mark where you have been and return it to me)
• Script - for those who have not walked before
• Literature and lawn signs to distribute
• Bring water and a friend!

We will walk until noon (or until you have to go) and then meet back at the parkway. Bring a lunch to eat after the walk and we will celebrate our successes!

 

Thanks! Colleen 

PTA Meet the Candidates Night

The PTA is sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night for all candidates representing areas in Jordan District.  Be an informed voter and attend.

UEA Convention Ticket

I hope to see many of you at the UEA Convention, Thursday and Friday, October 16-17 at South Towne Expo Center.  I look forward to hearing UEA President Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh and NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia speak on Thursday at 9:30.  Get there by 9:00 to register and find a good seat!

 

 

Congratulations to Bruce Gunn, District Math Specialist, and Kelly DeHaan, Vocal Music Teacher at West Jordan High, on being selected for the UEA Excellence in Teaching Award!  They will be honored at a banquet on Thursday of the convention.

 

 

This is a great opportunity to earn re-licensure points and to re-ignite your passion for education!

 

 

Utah Core Survey

Governor Herbert is asking for stakeholders to provide input about the Utah Core Standards.  Please take the time to read the standards and provide input through this survey.

 

As you are aware, the Governor is asking parents, teachers, community members and other constituency groups to provide input and comment on the Common Core Standards which Utah has adopted as part of the Utah Core Standards. This input is being invited via the following website:

utah.gov/governor/standards

This survey allows for a general response on the support, or lack of support for the standards overall, but more importantly, it asks for comments on specific standards that respondents feel are problematic or that could be improved.

All comments related to specific standards will be given to a committee of Utah higher education experts who have been asked to evaluate the alignment between the K-12 standards and the requirements of Utah post-secondary programs. This committee will consider the survey comments as part of of their work.

Please forward this email and survey link to your membership, business partners, parents, and other stakeholders you associate with and invite them to take a few minutes and give us their feedback. The more feedback we receive, the better position we will be in to address concerns over these issues.

Thank you!

Tami

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Tami Pyfer, Education Advisor

Office of the Governor

Utah State Capitol, Suite 200

P.O. Box 142220
Salt Lake City, UT  84114-2220

Phone: (801)538-1178

Cell: (435)770-6555