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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah is growing rapidly and in need of an educated workforce, so it's no surprise that education is inextricably tied to the state's economy, society and, ultimately, its future. there is no.
But where should countries direct their policies and investments to optimize educational outcomes for students while supporting teachers?
That was the crux of the discussion Monday at a summit hosted by the Kem C. Gardner Institute for Policy Studies in partnership with the Deseret News and Hinckley Institute of Politics. Educational and political leaders alike weighed in on how Utah's past can influence its future regarding the most pressing issues facing the state.
Challenges in education
When she's not at the Capitol, Sen. Kathleen Reeve (D-Cottonwood Heights), a teacher in the Granite School District, is in the classroom. Liebe said one of her biggest challenges facing education is recruiting and retaining quality educators.
“When we think about education now, we need to remember our 35-year career and think about how we off-ramp and on-ramp teachers in a more fluid way,” Liebe said.
Although Utah is in a better position than other states in terms of teacher shortages, retention, and salaries, there is still room for improvement.
According to a report from the Gardner Institute, pay is one of the key factors in attracting and retaining teachers. Utah has the second-highest average starting salary for teachers among states, but with an average salary of $58,619, it ranks 26th after adjusting for cost of living for the 2021-22 school year. Additionally, Utah's adjusted average salary is several thousand dollars below the national average ($61,047).
The 2024 legislative session passed HB215, which gives licensed educators a $4,200 raise and an additional $1,800 in benefits.
“The secret sauce (of education) is teachers, and the fact is that teachers are not being treated well these days. Utah must focus on retaining the best and brightest teachers,” said Governor Michael O. John. said Rich Kendell, former lieutenant governor. Mr. Levitt is a public and higher education official and former commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education.
Kendell's statement is backed up by data. According to a Utah State Board of Education survey that asked educators who left the profession after the 2020-2021 school year why they did so, the top two reasons for leaving were emotional exhaustion and burnout, and job-specific stressors, which ranked third. was the salary.
More specifically, the two specific stressors most frequently identified by retired teachers were unrealistic workload expectations (35.8%) and lack of recognition, respect, and general accountability (20.4%). %) was.
modernization of education
Utah Superintendent of Public Instruction Sidney Dixon said she often gets asked questions about Utah's education system “because we are seen as a state that is modernizing or trying to modernize education.”
But what does modernized education look like?
That doesn't mean Utah is abandoning common pillars of education like math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and anything else you can think of from the K-12 experience, but rather that Utah is abandoning common pillars of education like math, reading, writing, science, social studies, and anything else you can think of from the K-12 experience. This means that areas of focus are emerging. Prepare students for the future.
Dixon said the state is in a situation where “we have to double down on what I call durable skills,” which consist of collaboration, critical thinking and problem-solving, all of which are traditionally It goes beyond the school curriculum, he added.
Modernizing education also means moving away from some systems that have been in place for a long time. As an example, Dixon said, they are embarking on competency-based education.
According to Educause, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing education through the use of information technology, competency-based education is the ability of students to progress based on their ability to acquire skills and competencies at their own pace, regardless of their environment. It's an approach. A common argument against this model is that it accommodates students' unique learning abilities and can lead to more efficient outcomes.
Essentially, it's a more customized form of education.
“Over the long term, we need to think about how we create a modern education system that is more personalized, more competency-based, focuses on lasting skills, and teaches us how to be better people. We need to seriously invest and think about it,” Dixon said.
At the end of the day, Dixon said, it's important to create a structure that ensures students can make a living, whether they get a job or pursue higher education after high school.