Which Schools Are Closing Tuesday?
Dec. 3, 2000-- For Utah students, Monday is a school day.
But Tuesday is a different matter. Only a handful of the state's schools will be open.
Teachers in the rest of the state will be honoring a one-day walkout.
As News specialist Richard Piatt reports, that walkout has been on a lot of people's minds ever since it was announced last week.
Across the state, and even at play, awareness is high about Utah's education impasse.
Parents are anxious, for a lot of reasons.
Josh Jackson/Parent: "I WORRY ABOUT IT. I THINK WE NEED A GOOD QUALITY EDUCATION WHEN YOU GROW UP IN THIS DAY AND AGE."
Lindsay Eugster/Parent: "THE FACT THAT CLASSES ARE SO CROWDED WITH MORE KIDS THAN THE TEACHERS CAN HANDLE. AND THAT DOESN'T GIVE KIDS ONE ON ONE ATTENTION."
When the Utah Education Association announced teachers would not be on the job Tuesday, it stirred a lot of emotions. It again exposed one of the state's most difficult problems.
Education Funding is a problem, even though it's at an all time high.
Last year, almost half the state's budget-- $2.3 billion went to education.
This crisis exists, even though Utah's student population has remained relatively flat over the last ten years.
In 1990, there were about 460,000 school age children in public schools.
This year there are 484,000.
Real problems are on the horizon, however.
By 2005, Utah's school age population is expected to jump to 523,000.
By 2010, the projected number climbs to 600,000.
17 years from now, 670,000 children will need education funding.
This projected explosion in Utah's school age population is the reason the UEA president keeps harping on the long-term funding solution.
Phyllis Sorensen/UEA President/Thursday: "WE STILL DON'T HAVE A LONG TERM FUNDING PLAN. THEY'RE STILL FRUSTRATED, THEY STILL DON'T HAVE THE TOOLS TO DO THE JOB."
Lawmakers say what the U-A wants is a tax increase. And there is almost no support for that on Capitol hill.
RICHARD PIATT EYEWITNESS NEWS: "FACTS AND FIGURES, POPULATION PROJECTIONS: ALL THAT AND MORE ARE PACKED INTO A BROCURE TEACHERS WILL DISTRIBUTE TUESDAY. GOING DOOR TO DOOR WILL BE THEIR PICKET LINE, THEY SAY."
In spite of UEA's walkout, both lawmakers and the Governor have already pledged another significant increase for education funding next year.
Dec. 1, 2000--
An exclusive Eyewitness News poll by Survey USA, found that the people of Utah are divided about the walkout.
Do you agree or not agree with the one day walkout?
| 54% |
Agree |
| 40% |
Disagree |
| 6% |
Not Sure |
| +/- |
4.5% |
Do you think a walkout is an appropriate way to draw attention to public school funding concerns?
| 52% |
Appropriate |
| 43% |
Inappropriate |
| 5% |
Not sure |
| +/- |
4.5% |
Will you be personally inconvenienced by the walkout?
| 21% |
Inconvenienced |
| 77% |
Not Inconvenienced |
| 1% |
Not Sure |
| +/- |
4.5% |
Do you believe the State Legislature is or is not addressing the financial needs of the state's public schools?
| 24% |
Is |
| 71% |
Is Not |
| 5% |
Not Sure |
UEA President Phyllis Sorensen says one day is enough to send the message teachers want to send.
Sorensen says teachers would use the day to educate parents and lawmakers about the urgent needs in Utah schools.
"We do not take any of this action lightly," she said. "We want the public to understand, we want lawmakers to understand what is at stake."
Utah spends less per student than any other state in the nation, has the most crowded classrooms and has tattered and outdated textbooks. The teachers' union wants that to change.
She said enrollment in Utah's public schools is expected to grow by 100,000 students over the next decade. Accommodating those students will require 4,000 new classrooms, about 11,000 new teachers and at least 172 new schools.
Union officials were frustrated that an education funding task force failed to come up with a long-term finance plan.
Five bills designed to boost education funding were unveiled Thursday and will be considered in the upcoming legislative session.
Those include two bills that could make it easier for local districts to raise taxes.
One that's a direct funding proposal for textbooks.
Another that could increase money for new schools.
And another that would increase fees for accepting out of state hazardous waste.
Lawmakers could also use a projected surplus--about $500-million to boost public education if they wish.
But the sticking point is a long-term solution. And that could ultimatly mean a tax increase. Lawmakers say there will be no tax increase for education this year.
The lawmaker leading the quest for long term education funding admits he's frustrated over the teacher walkout. Representative Kevin Garn, Majority Leader, says,"It seems like it's never enough for public education. And that's discouraging to a lot of lawmakers."
Sorensen says most UEA members--about 20,000 teachers--will take part in the walkout next Tuesday.
She's careful to call the walkout a "job action," not a "strike."
But there is a question about how many teachers will actually take part.
Among some educators, there is a feeling lawmakers are doing all they can to help public education.
Teacher Response
Teachers may be unified in their message of more education funding, but not about the walkout.
In Granite District, the state's second largest, teachers will stay in the classroom next Tuesday.
They say they already held a walkout at the end of last year's legislative session.
Their colleagues across the state didn't follow suit.
So now, Granite Teachers say they'll support the UEA's message, but not their methods.
Pat Arakaki/Granite Education Assocation: "AND SO WE'VE MADE OUR STATEMENT AND WE FEEL IT'S OUR TIME TO STAY IN SCHOOL."
Steven Rossi/Granite Teacher: "I FEEL LIKE THE U.E.A. IS KIND OF WORKING AGAINST US IN THIS MATTER."
In other districts teachers are firmly behind the walkout.
Wendy Bromley/Jordan Education Assoc.: "THE SENTIMENT IS OVERWHELMINGLY IN THE MAJORITY THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO."
Utah Education Information
- Utah has the highest average class sizes and spends
less per pupil than any other state in the nation.
- Utah
taxpayers pay more of their taxes toward
education than all but two states.
-
Last year, teachers threatened to strike unless
education funding was increased dramatically.
Legislators responded with a 7.4 percent increase in
overall education funding.
