Related to my PTA duties, I meant to blog about the 2010 Legislative session that kept me very busy. I uploaded a couple of videos to YouTube and Facebook that showed the House floor debate that took place after weeks of doing what I could (along with the help of many other people) to make sure that a law wasn’t passed that would hurt the PTA in Utah. The bill was ultimately defeated and the law wasn’t changed.

I also testified on behalf of the PTA in the House Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Environment Committee on Feb. 23. I spoke in opposition to H.B. 323 School and Institutional Trust Lands Amendments (Rep. K. Sumsion) and told the committee that they shouldn’t gamble with our children’s money. You can listen to my testimony here starting at 1:30:00. It was towards the end of the meeting and time was short so what I had to say was cut short, as well. I had spent a lot of time preparing my testimony and you can read it in it’s entirety here.

Unfortunately many people were confused by the stance that PTA had taken, thinking that because we opposed HB 323 (the funding mechanism for H.B. 324 and H.B. 143) that we had taken a stance on States’ Rights issues. We were unable to take a position on that because we didn’t have resolutions that had been voted on by our membership that would allow us to speak on States’ Rights issues. I’m still uncertain that this misunderstanding has been resolved, but we were victorious and an alternate funding source was pursued. It was unbelievable how much hate mail we received! Attempts were made for me to go on the Doug Wright show to clear things up, but it was right during the time of the Primary Children’s Hospital fundraiser so that didn’t work out. If you are one of the people that were concerned about the position that PTA took on the funding of these law suits, please contact me so I can better explain our position to you. I’d be happy to talk to you about it.

Most recently I went on a weekend climbing trip to Nevada with a couple of good friends. Google Buzz and Twitter was the social media of choice for the news of the climbing accident that occurred during that trip and the subsequent retelling of the tale by John Orgill. I’ve been tweeting a lot more lately, too, keeping anyone who cares up-to-date on what is going on with the tumors found in my left kidney and the head of my pancreas. I’ll be going in for surgery for those issues in a week or two. They’re still doing some testing on the pancreas to see if it’s cancerous (the doctor thinks not) or if it’s pre-cancerous. They’ll perform what’s known as the whipple procedure if they deem it necessary. We’re hoping to know more after a scheduled endoscopy is performed.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and prayers. I’ve been feeling much better since my fall and release from the hospital. The hospital actually didn’t release us so much as kick us out once they discovered that they weren’t in our insurance plan. I was glad to be gone, though. One of the worst parts about the whole thing was that in Nevada they didn’t insert the catheter correctly or all the way. It essentially blocked me from being able to relieve myself and I was almost more bothered by that then I was from the blood spewing out of my right ear. Finally when I got to the U of U hospital they fixed it and it was one of the most joyous moments of my life! So thanks to the University of Utah ER folks who got me peeing again. I really appreciate it.

I also have to give a HUGE thank you to the people that dragged me off that mountain. First and foremost is Matt Fisher and John Orgill (my friends who were climbing with me) who say they’re not going to rock climb anymore after being traumatized by the sound of my head cracking on the rock face. I really hope they’ll get over that and join me this summer for some great climbing (after I’ve recovered) and I thank them most of all for having the faith in God to give me a Priesthood blessing. I have no doubt that it helped me through the ordeal and was the cause of a quick recovery. I don’t remember too much about the rescue attempt, but I do remember repeating the names of the people that were carrying me down the mountain on a stretcher. Deputy Aitor Narvaiza was one of the men first on the scene and I was told that I kept apologizing and repeating questions. That was until Aitor arrived and told me to knock it off. He was also the guy that made me repeat the names of everyone carrying me down the mountain and he coached me on some deep breathing so I could avoid throwing up, which is what I remember most about the entire ordeal. I threw up and threw up and threw up!! I don’t ever want to throw up again! Deputy Narvaiza also stayed on the scene after they got me in the helicopter and helped my friends get back to their Jeep. He and all the others who helped me in my time of need are awesome and I owe them all my life! I’m not a big fan of the bills I’ve been getting in the mail, but that’s what insurance is for. I’m really glad there are people out there that you can count on when there is an emergency.

I also have to thank the awesome company that I work for who have been very understanding and supportive during all of this.  The corporate office where I work sent me a card that they all wrote in and it was very thoughtful.  I insisted on getting back to work this week and I started working from home since I still can’t drive due to dizziness.  I also had some stuff to do in our Cedar City office on Thursday and my boss was nice enough to drive me down there.  Heck, he was nice enough to let me go!  I needed to get out of the house and although it was harder than I thought it would be, I was glad I went.  He was also nice enough to lend me his Star Trek movie collection on DVD.  I’m a big fan of Star Trek but I’ve never seen Star Trek I through VI.   Now I have something to watch in my down time!

I’ll most likely just continue to use the micro-blogging platforms to keep people updated. But, for more major news I might just use this handy-dandy blog that I am the owner of, now that I remember that I have it! Similar Posts:

• On the Subject of Journals...  August 5, 2006
• Movin' on up! (Or down as it were)  January 10, 2006
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• Angelo Amaranto, 60, 2 World Trade Center  September 11, 2006
• Reading C.S. Lewis to Sami  March 26, 2006

The membership of the PTA are strong supporters of parent involvement, as much as any organization out there if not the most!  We’re also strong proponents of local control.  We also believe in working with our legislators so that the laws that are passed are in the best interest of all children.  It was with great effort that members of the Utah PTA Board met with Senator Bramble to work out a compromise.  Based on the compromise (which took out the anti-PTA language) the voting members cast their vote to support the substitute bill.  The very next day Senator Bramble paraded the PTA leadership on the Senate floor and praised them for their efforts to come to a compromise.

A week went by and we met again as we do on a weekly basis during the Legislative session.  We review the positions we have taken on various bills where the children of Utah are at stake and we discussed SB 199 again.  During the time between the compromise and the next meeting we began to understand some unintended consequences of the bill, even in its new form that we had previously agreed upon.  There was much debate as we discussed the ramifications of changing positions on a bill that we had previously taken a position on.  There were several consequences to consider, including 1) we had worked with legislators and come to an agreement.  2) Legislators were working on “good faith” assumptions. and 3) there were many political reasons why we shouldn’t change our position, despite the unintended consequences of the bill.  But when it came down to it, the voting members of LAC stood up for what was right, regardless of the consequences that might follow. Understanding that if the bill passed and became law, it would be bad law even with good intention (and I have some reservations about the original intent of the bill, especially since it contained “kill-the-PTA” language) because of the position it would put district superintendents and school principals in.  To fully understand the unintended consequences please read the talking points written by Holly Langton, Alison Walker, Sue Carey and other dedicated PTA Officers and Commissioners.

The original bill, SB 199, was opposed by Utah PTA.  PTA members mounted a great lobbying effort to have changes made to the bill.  The result of that effort was 1st Substitute SB 199.  There were still some concerns with portions of the bill, but Utah PTA was supportive of the fact that parental involvement is essential in every child’s education to support student success.  Therefore, Utah PTA took a position of support on the substitute bill.  Since that vote, additional input and information has been received from our attorneys and PTA members, and we have become convinced that 1st Sub SB 199 will not accomplish the goal of increasing parental involvement in our schools and may even have the potential to decrease involvement.

On March 4, Utah PTA’s Legislative Action Committee voted to change the position to on 1st Sub SB 199 to “Support the Concept.”  We appreciate Senator Bramble’s efforts to increase parental involvement in the schools, and we thank him for including Utah PTA in his efforts.  Utah PTA reaffirms its intention of working with all public school groups in an effort to serve the best interests of all children and youth.   However, the overarching concern is that much of the language in the bill takes away the authority of the “School.”  The administrator needs to make decisions based on the best interest of the school and its students.  The language of this bill puts administrators between “a rock and a hard place,”  forced into the position of deciding what is in the best interest of the parent groups, rather than keeping the focus on the students (lines 44-46).  For example, if a school permits a parent group to sponsor an assembly on a specific issue, then the school must allow other parent groups to sponsor an assembly on the issue.  If the administrator feels that one assembly on that topic is all that is necessary or can be justified in taking up class time, then the only recourse for the administrator is to not allow any parent group to sponsor the assembly.  If this becomes a recurring situation for an administrator, it could seriously hamper parental involvement or activities sponsored by parent groups in a school.

Concerns with the bill language:

What is required to be a “legally organized parent or parent/teacher group, association or organization” (lines 29-30)?

What are “patrons of the school” (line 31)?

Why are employees and officers of the entities included in the definition of the “School” (line 35)? Does this language preclude them from joining a group, because they would be seen as endorsing, supporting, sanctioning, or giving approval to one group over another (lines 53-54)?  Can a teacher be assigned to assist only one group and not be seen as endorsing?  Many employees who are parents of children in the school where they work might not be allowed to join one parent group without joining them all.

Individual employees, especially in secondary schools, may have a vested interest in a specific parent group.  For example, the band teacher would want to be involved with the band booster group but not necessarily the basketball parent group.  Would they be required to join all those parent groups in order to support the band group and not favor one over the other (lines 35 and 53-54)?

Would schools now be responsible to ensure that parent groups complete their annual IRS filings and have written fiscal management procedures, conflict of interest policies, and record-retention policies (lines 55-59)?  A school cannot be responsible for all the “applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies” with which a parent group should comply.  This would take time and energy away from the students.

I couldn’t explain all the complexities of the unintended consequences any better than that.  Unfortunately there are other consequences that we’ll now have to deal with, but they won’t affect the children of Utah nearly as much as this bad law would.  I’m proud to be a member of an organization that will stand up for the children and stay true to their word, first and foremost, that they act in the best interest of all children.  What a noble and great act!  I would be ashamed if they took any other action.  They did the right thing!  No matter how mad Senator Bramble and Representative Lockhart are about the change in course, no matter how badly radio and newspapers spin it, the Utah PTA can be proud that they did the right thing.  Read their mission statement and ask yourself how they could possibly do anything different:

The Mission of the PTA is three-fold:

• To support and speak on behalf of children and youth in the schools, in the community, and before governmental bodies and other organizations that make decisions affecting children;
• To assist parents in developing the skills they need to raise and protect their children; and
• To encourage parent and public involvement in the public schools of this nation.

I rest my case…but you haven’t heard the last of me yet!Similar Posts:

• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007
• Partisan State School Board discussed at Education Interim Committee meeting.  November 24, 2007
• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007
• Utah School Vouchers- D. Sirmize's Take  September 17, 2007
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009

I’ve always been very impressed with Superintendent Johnsen as he’s lead a rapidly growing district.  I’m sure the Board will miss his leadership and great ability.  The very next item of business was to appoint the next Superintendent that will fill the very big shoes of its predecessor.

Board President Gary Gowans discussed the options that are available to a Board when faced with the decision of appointing a new Superintendent, including looking for someone out-of-state.  He cut to the chase and noted that with very capable people already in the district the Board had decided to appoint current Assistant Superintendent Terry Linares.  The decision was greeted with applause and a bit of emotion from Mrs. Linares.  She talked about her past experience and, much like Superintendent Johnsen, comes from a long history as an educator in Tooele School District.  She started her career in Wendover and continued at Grantsville Jr. High and Grantsville High School.  She’s been Assistant Superintendent since July 2007.  I’m sure with the support of the Board, her capable staff (including the likes of Ken Luke) and parents she’ll do an excellent job.  She was a driving force behind the recent “What Counts” meeting where community members from around Tooele were brought together to help shape the 2008-2009 Board goals.

In April I spoke to the Utah State Board of Education during public comment and let my opinion of Tooele County School District be known.  It was favorable and today it continues.  While the loss of great ones like Superintendent Johnsen will not go unnoticed, life continues on with the likes of experienced and caring professionals like Terry Linares.Similar Posts:

• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• Tooele Six Flags Rumors Squelched, But We Still Have MMP!  June 11, 2006
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009
• Partisan State School Board discussed at Education Interim Committee meeting.  November 24, 2007
• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007

Yes, this year is an election year.  It would seem that many of the blogs have shifted gears and are talking about the candidates now, but isn’t there still room to talk about and put into action our plans to make education for children in Utah better?  Or did we all just blog about it back then because it was the latest craze?

I don’t think so!  I think that everyone that wrote about it last year can continue to write about it this year!  And they will write because they care!  And they care because they’re outstanding human beings that want to make a difference, not just hear themselves talk.

I was curious to see just how dead the subject had become so I went back to many of the blogs that I read during the voucher debate (not all of them because it took me several weeks just to get to where I am now)  to see how many of you have continued to keep education issues on your front page from time to time.  It would seem that my suspicions are correct because most blogs that wrote about vouchers in 2007 haven’t written one education-based post since last November.  The issues are still there, they’re just not being talked about in the blogosphere anymore.

Utah Educatiton Issues is a blog that, even in title, has determined to keep education on the front page.  It’s written by a teacher and recently has blogged quite a bit about candidates and parties, but continues to keep issues like class size reduction in the mix.  Many of you have participated in the comments there and if we’re serious about making education better the discussion (and more importantly the action) needs to continue.   Which brings up a possible answer to my question; perhaps we haven’t had time for blogging but we’ve been out there fighting hard to make education better.  Why don’t we take an hour and let others know what we’ve done to improve education this month?  By sharing these experiences we can inspire others to do the same.  We can continue to keep the debate alive!

I am not beyond reproach.  I could have posted my experience in participating in public comment at the State Board of Education in April, or attending a “What Counts?” meeting organized by the Tooele County School District Board and giving input as to how they can do better and what they should focus on.  I could (and should) blog more about my involvement with the PTA and our efforts to reduce class size and improve the education of all children in Utah.  Why aren’t we all doing this more?

In hopes that it will get people talking again, I’d like to call a few people out on this.  As bloggers we’re all quite aware of who is linking to us and why and I’m pretty sure that’s how you might have ended up reading this post, but that’s the idea.  Now that you’re here, defend yourself, won’t you?  Tell us all why you cared about education last year but this year you’ve fallen silent.  Express your awesome opinions once again!  Make a commitment today to keep education issues on your front page.  If you’re a political blog, talk about the candidates’ commitment to education.  Don’t permanently die and never post again when you did so much for us last year!  There are a few of you that continue to talk about education and we all thank you!

I hope 2008 will be another banner year for making a difference for our children.  We’d all give up our lives for our children if it ever came to that.  Let’s do them one better and give up our time and energy for them while they’re young and when it counts the most!  Commit today to write at least one post a month on an education related issue.  We can do this!  We have to do this!  If you don’t have a blog, participate in the comments!  We can all make a difference by working together!  I’ve overused exclamation points in this paragraph so it’s time to end!  NOW! Similar Posts:

• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007
• Partisan State School Board discussed at Education Interim Committee meeting.  November 24, 2007
• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009
• Tooele County School Board Says Farewell to Superintendent  May 20, 2008

The line started at doors 14 and 15 or thereabouts, which is on the east side of the building. There were ushers every so often so that you were sure to stay on course and that led me through the middle level of the auditorium all the way to the west side of the building and then back out into the halls and all the way back to the east side of the building, almost to where I entered. Then up the escalators and finally up to where the busts of the presidents of the church are on display. That’s where the Prophet laid peacefully, surrounded by flowers and mourning members (and likely non-members, as well). As I paid my respects I recited the words Gordon B Hinckley (which has become our own personal family motto and that we’ve all memorized; even Griffin can say it word for word) and felt a profound love for him and the difference he’s made in my life. Our family motto is:

The time has come for us to stand a little taller. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation. It is a time to do what is right, regardless of the consequences that might follow. It is a time to be found keeping the commandments. It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous towards one another in all of our relationships. We have nothing to fear. God is at the helm.

Our Prophet was always one to encourage and in a way that made you feel loved and not scorned. He always commended the Saints for doing their best and then encouraged us to do a little better. As I thought about his legacy (many say it’s a legacy of Temples that he left us that he is best known and will be best remembered) but the reoccurring feelings and thoughts that passed through my mind was that of his pure love that he had for everyone. He was truly a charitable and loving man of God. He will be missed.Similar Posts:

• Commencing Epic Adventure!  August 10, 2009
• Out of the Mouths of Babes  June 19, 2006
• PTA Stands Up For Children, Regardless of Consequences  March 6, 2009
• One year later…what a difference!  May 7, 2011
• On the Subject of Journals...  August 5, 2006

During an Education Interim Committee meeting on November 14, 2007, modifications to the State Board of Education were discussed. These modifications would expand the membership of the State Board of Education from 15 members to 29 members whose districts would then be identical to the State Senate districts and also would change the election procedures to a non-partisan board to a partisan board.

The question to the committee was, “Is there a sponsor for this bill?”

The answer was, “Right now it belongs to the Committee.”

More confusion: “Who do we address the questions to? Who is going to answer the questions?”

The answer – even more confusion: “The Wizard of Oz.”

“Let’s pull the curtain back then!”

They finally determined that Senator Stephenson and Dee Larsen (Associate General Counsel) would be able to answer questions regarding the proposed legislation.

Representative Holdaway asked, “Why are we doing this, number one? Number two, in my mind and in many people’s minds this system is not broken.”

Representative Wimmer’s answer (paraphrased): This dates back to the 2006 election. My wife will kill me for this, but I’m going to use her as an example. With the advent of early voting some people voted several weeks prior to the election day. Finding information about State School Board candidates was nearly impossible because they didn’t hold town hall meetings, that we could see. My wife ended up not voting for a State School Board member because she couldn’t find any information. This bill will make the school board members, who do a good job, and puts them through the process where they will make them more visible. As they go through this process there is much more initiative on their part to hold town hall meetings, to hold debates, to hold Meet the Candidate events so the people can see, so that this will shine a light for the public. I don’t see this as anything but good. They are not required in any way shape or form, to pick a political party. What it does is bring it to the people; bring it to the grass roots level where the citizens will be able to shine a light on the candidates and have more of a view of who they are going to vote for. That’s my reason and purpose for it.

Senator Jones then made a comment (paraphrased): I interview people for a living. People really don’t know who their school board members are and sometimes don’t even know who their Governor is. What the public is clamoring for right now is less partisanship, not more. And in my view this does nothing to improve the current system; nothing whatsoever. And in fact, I think it makes it worse because it would include so much more partisanship in the process. It would be incredibly unfortunate for a very capable person to campaign and have people vote against her just because she has Republican behind her name.

Rep. Hughes asked (paraphrased): How many people are aware of the process we have now? How many people are aware that we have a selection committee? That is a partisan selection committee. You have members of the business coalition and members of the education community and they’re coming together as a committee to decide who gets to put their name on a ballot. We can live and die by that process but I don’t know that everyone is going to see that process as being nonpartisan and free of politics. I think we have a process in place that I think could be revisited. He continued to explain that he thinks that the convention process is a great way to elect officials. Anyone that has to go through that kind of refiners fire make a candidate a better public servant. He thinks that the size of the school board districts are too big for people to have one-on-one conversations with constituents; the numbers are too big. This will help bring the process to the people and have them be more a part of who their State School Board members will be.

Senator Stephenson (paraphrased): I agree with this concept. It would elevate the stature of the State School Board. At the same time I realize that anything we pass in the coming session would not have an effect for the 2008 general session because the process is already in place. Should we consider this legislation in the coming session or put it on the interim study list for the 2008 interim and have a thorough hearing process and then bring it back in the 2009 session so that it would be implemented in time for the 2010 legislature. I don’t think it could currently take affect in the 2008 legislature.

Rep. Wimmer concluded (paraphrased): I’m tremendously supportive of what Senator Stephensen said. This is an issue that cannot go away. That’s the way I view it. I’ve received some emails that accuse me of being a partisan hack in this issue. This has zero to do with partisanship. This has everything to do with shining the light on those who represent us. I’ll bet that less than one half of one percent of the citizens can name their school board members. I understand that most of our citizens can’t name us, but those who go to the caucuses can, those who go to convention can, those who are involved in the processes can; they know who we are and they help dictate the government. Right now our state school board members are way too far away from the people they represent. Being that it could not take effect until 2010 I have no problem with Senator Stephens’ suggestion.

A motion was made to have the item formerly placed on the interim study list and that they direct staff to make sure that that happens.

The motion was not recognized but it was the general consensus that this bill would be studied further and brought up in a future legislative session (not 2008).

Representative Wimmer believes that this issue cannot go away, so we’ll certainly see this revisited in the future.

Stay tuned for a synopsis of the second issue that was discussed that could have an effect on our children.

Before the committee met I wrote a letter to my representative (James Gowans) who sits on the committee and argued that a partisan State School Board would not be in the best interest of our children.  I’m fairly certain he agrees, although I have not received a response to my email.  This is an issue I’ll certainly continue to follow.Similar Posts:

• Tooele County School Board Says Farewell to Superintendent  May 20, 2008
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009
• PTA Stands Up For Children, Regardless of Consequences  March 6, 2009
• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007

I know by now “flaws and loopholes” sounds like rhetoric; and it would be if I didn’t know what the flaws and loopholes were. Hundreds of articles in as many blogs and newspapers have been written to identify these flaws and loopholes. I would like to concentrate on the two biggest, but before you read further I would suggest that you familiarize yourself with what exactly House Bill 148 [le.utah.gov] says. The following posts from Accountability First do a great job of breaking down the legal lingo.

1. So, what does House Bill 148 say?
2. What does House Bill 148 say (Part 2)?
3. What does House Bill 148 say (Part 3)?
4. What does House Bill 148 say (Part 4)?

Now that you’re more informed, which is the only way you can really make a good decision anyway, please read on for what I and others perceive to be the flaws and loopholes.

• Very Little Accountability
  • Private schools do not have to be accredited, and they can employ teachers without a college degree or a state license. Furthermore, voucher schools aren’t subject to any performance audit requirements, can discriminate based on religion or ability to pay and aren’t required to dismiss teachers for criminal conduct. [source: Utahns for Public Schools]
    • Supporting articles:
      • How many Mark Twains have we had?
      • Where is the accountability?
      • Teachers in New Ad Explain How Referendum 1 Fails Utah Families
• Does Not Help Most Children
  • With more than 96% of Utah children currently attending a public school, why are we diverting so much money to private schools where there are far fewer children in that category to be helped? Why aren’t we putting the money (and all this effort that we put into fighting for/against vouchers, for goodness sakes) into the public school system to make it better?When talking about money we have to look at the long term, not just the next five years where the districts are held “harmless”. What about when all private school students apply for vouchers in 18 years when the program is completely phased in? That’s when the damage is really done and that’s when it’s probably too late. That’s why the fight is happening now, before the “experiment” goes horribly wrong.By now, hopefully you realize that the way pro-voucher ads describe the money by using Oreo cookies is over-simplified. They look at the classroom and only consider the first five years. They don’t take into account the fixed costs that schools incur; the cost of the school, electricity, the half empty bus that still costs the same to drive and fill with gas, etc. It also doesn’t help that many low-income families couldn’t afford a private school even with a full $3000 “scholarship”. Especially if there is more than one student in the household.I recently attended a Legislative Convention where vouchers were a topic of discussion and a parent that was in attendance admitted that she sent one of her children to a private school and the other to a public school because she couldn’t afford to send both to a private school. However, despite the burden, she admitted that it was her choice (yes, we all have the choice) and as such also her obligation to incur the cost. Why aren’t more people as reasonable?
    • Supporting articles:
      • Is this realistic for Utah families?
      • Who exactly is supposed to benefit from vouchers?
      • Average tuition at Utah’s private schools is $4,520

There are more flaws and loopholes, but those are the biggest ones. I haven’t written anything tonight that 100 other bloggers haven’t already written. Nothing original about this, more of a summary if anything. But the last reason I choose not to support vouchers is not only because of the plain information and facts that are laid out before me, helping me see that it is indeed flawed, but all the other individuals and organizations that are advocating on behalf of our children and hoping Referendum 1 is voted down on November 6.

The latest happens to be one of our wonderful Representatives here in the Tooele area, Rhonda Menlove, who I admire and respect. An article was published today in the Tooele Transcript Bulletin that she authored and it reads as follows:

Utah voters have the unique opportunity to vote either for or against a referendum that would OK the use of state tax dollars to fund vouchers for school-age students to attend private schools.

Ironically, this would be the richest private school voucher program in the nation. In Utah, we pay the lowest amount in the nation per student to fund our public schools. We already have an underfunded public education system and an underfunded charter school system. Now we are being asked to start a new private education system, which will also be competing for tax dollars.

Much has been said about whether or not vouchers would save or cost local school districts. The answer depends upon the number of students who leave. This is a very important issue. However, the larger issue relates to whether or not this will cost taxpayers more. It will.

The state of Utah has two tax funds — the education fund and the general fund. Pro-voucher supporters are proud to say that vouchers will not take money from the education fund. That is true for now. Tax dollars that you pay will be taken from the general fund to pay for the vouchers. It is important to understand that all government functions outside of education are supported by tax dollars from the general fund. These services include transportation, highway patrol officers, senior citizen meals and programs, state agencies, parks and recreation, health and human services — just to mention a few.

The voucher program will grow each year by millions of dollars. Just think what those dollars could be spent on and how much we already invest in a public education system available for all students and funded by tax-payers. My vote is to use our tax dollars to improve what we have and not to start a new private education system. If parents want another choice, that is their option, but they, not the taxpayers, must pay for that choice.

In addition, there are very few private school options in Tooele County. If we choose to spend our tax dollars to send students to private schools, the bulk of the money will be spent along the Wasatch front, not in our county.

More than 95 percent of Utah’s school children attend public schools. We already have a state-funded education system for all students.

I was elected to be a steward of your tax dollars and to use them wisely. I take that job seriously. I will be voting against Referendum 1. I can’t tell you how to vote, but I strongly encourage you to cast your vote so your voice will be heard.

Similar Posts:

• My Opinion on Vouchers – Referendum 1  August 26, 2007
• Utah School Vouchers- D. Sirmize's Take  September 17, 2007
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• PTA Stands Up For Children, Regardless of Consequences  March 6, 2009
• Partisan State School Board discussed at Education Interim Committee meeting.  November 24, 2007

My point is to clear up some of the misconceptions that people may have about vouchers. Some misconceptions come from what seem like very reasonable commercials that I originally thought were funded by an organization called “Parents for Choice in Education” or PCE for short. But while researching the commercials for this post I found out that they were produced by Crowell Advertising for a client who wants to remain anonymous.[source: Salt Lake Tribune]

The commercials (I’ve only heard radio spots so far but you’ll no doubt see TV spots as November comes closer) take a single talking point, competition for example, and speak to it in terms of why it will be a good thing to help the students of Utah. I only remember two of the commercials specifically so those are the ones I will speak to, but I hear there were four; now probably just three because one of the spots was pulled, which I was glad to hear.

The first one I heard talked about how vouchers will create competition and competition is a good thing for business, right? Anyone hearing these commercials would naturally agree on the point that competition is good for business so you pretty much get trapped into agreeing with the commercial. Pretty clever. In reality, competition when it comes to public schools in Utah wouldn’t really make them better. They’re already great! Perfect? Of course not…there is always room for improvement. But improvement for our public schools comes not from pumping public money into private schools. How exactly is that going to make our public schools better? One of the biggest complaints I have about our public schools is that our teachers don’t get paid enough for how important their job is. The way this commercial portrays competition just doesn’t apply when it comes to public schools vs. private schools. The ad is misleading.

As I talk to people about vouchers competition is one of the points they bring up the most. Their argument is valid until they start looking at the big picture and realize that it just doesn’t apply in this case. It’s like talking to people about how rain is so good for plants, something we can all agree on, and then trying to apply the argument to pavement. No, I’m not trying to liken public schools unto pavement, but you get the idea. Maybe I’ll come up with a better analogy later.

The other commercial that I remember was one that I was surprised by. It was the one that quoted 3 Nephi 6:12 [lds.org] from the Book of Mormon. I couldn’t believe anyone could get away with that, and apparently they couldn’t because this is the one that they stopped playing. It didn’t seem right for them to use holy scripture for political purposes; something that the LDS church does not condone or allow. Some may have been tricked into thinking that vouchers were the popular opinion among those that believe in or read the Book of Mormon. And why not tailor your propaganda to a large majority of the State of Utah? Another clever and logical, but very sneaky ploy.

The last misconception that I’ll speak to tonight is concerning Charter Schools. It may be news to many of you that Charter Schools are not Private Schools! Yes, that’s right. Charter Schools are in fact Public Schools! So if you thought that parents could apply for a voucher to get their children into the latest Charter School that just opened up down the street, it’s not going to fly. This is a misconception that many people have and if they realized that 96% of Utah children attend public schools they may look at the issue a little different.

I know this is a very controversial subject and I should have left this one up to guest blogger D. Sirmize who has the luxury of posting anonymously on this blog. I don’t have that luxury but I’m the one with the strong opinion on this topic. D. Sirmize is still surmising, but we’ve talked at length on the subject and I welcome his comments.

Certainly my strong involvement in the PTA influences my opinion, but not everyone in the PTA agrees on this issue either, but it is the official stance of PTA that vouchers are not good for ALL of the children of Utah. And how can it be when there isn’t even a private school in all of the counties of Utah?

To set the record straight, I am not against private schools. They’re just not held accountable to the standards of the Utah State Office of Education so in this issue I have to believe that they shouldn’t be getting public tax money since it’s not up to the public as to what is taught. Private schools, especially in the area of Special Education, serve a wonderful role to our children and make a remarkable difference, but that doesn’t mean they deserve our tax dollars in the form of vouchers.

I’m glad the people have the opportunity to decide this issue in November and I hope you’ll join me in voting NO on Referendum 1.

Other informative reading on the subject:

National Education Association
Jeremy’s Jerimiad
The Wall of Separation
Utahns for Public Schools
Singing BravelySimilar Posts:

• PTA Parents Know Best – New Referendum 1 Ad  October 23, 2007
• Utah School Vouchers- D. Sirmize's Take  September 17, 2007
• Blogging about Education Issues Not Popular?  May 3, 2008
• PTA Stands Up For Children, Regardless of Consequences  March 6, 2009
• Responsible decisions being made in Tooele  January 28, 2009

I’ve been involved with the PTA since my daughter began school in September of last year. I attended my second Leadership Training Convention on Thursday and Friday which happens annually in May. Last year I was inspired by Ronda Rose, Legislative Vice President on the Utah PTA Executive Board. She finished up her term this year and she will be greatly missed because of her ability to speak from her heart, stand up for her convictions, and truly inspire! All the effort I’ve given and all the effort I will continue to give will be, in part, inspired by this amazing woman.

This year I was inspired by the last workshop that I attended; one that I really didn’t have time to attend and one that I had to leave half way through, but the half that I was privileged to listen to proved extremely worthwhile. The workshop was entitled Rachel’s Challenge and was brought about by the tragic events of April 20, 1999 when two students killed 12 students and 1 teacher at Columbine High School. Rachel Scott was the first to die that dreadful day. But little did anyone know, except Rachel herself as she foreshadowed in her diary, that her death would touch millions of hearts.

After her death an essay that she had written for a class was found under her bed. The message of the essay inspired the family to share and challenge people everywhere to take upon themselves Rachel’s “Codes of Life“. There are five of them and they gel nicely with my personal beliefs. But put in perspective of her life and tragic death, they suddenly took on new light and meaning. How this girl of 17 was able to have such vision is a miracle.

I listened eagerly as Dana Scott, Rachel’s sister, shared her story with us. The presentation consisted of heartfelt narration by Dana along with video clips and slide show pictures. It was the best powerpoint presentation I had ever seen. I found myself watching Dana as she watched the video clips and I tried to imagine what she must have felt losing her sister and nearly losing her brother. I watched as her emotions changed from sadness and fear during the news clips that showed the tragedy of that day to pure joy when they showed footage of her as a child, full of joy (incidentally her middle name) and life. I felt myself empathizing, which has only begun to happen in my life as of two years ago.

Several years ago I had a friend who had cancer. I wasn’t being especially empathetic as I talked about the situation with my wife in the car one day. She chastised me for my lack of a Christ-like attitude. At first I didn’t accept that I needed to change. My feeling was that difficulties happen in everyone’s life and that you just accept it and get over it; a complete lack of empathy. But the fact that I recognized that it was not Christ-like to have such an attitude led me to search out that attribute and I began to pray for it.

Several months passed and nothing major had changed despite my prayers. I still had a general sense of disdain for other people’s burdens but continued to search out a change of heart. It was a hot day on the 18th of July, 2005 where Clint (a friend and co-worker) and I found shade under the curved steps of the Salt Lake City Library. Just as we were finishing our 7-11 hot dogs we heard what sounded to me like a skate board hitting the pavement, but much louder. It wasn’t long before we both realized that something terrible had happened. We ran over to where the noise came from and much to our shock we found the body of a woman lying face up on the brick-lain sidewalk. I’ll spare you the rest of the details, but suffice it to say, the woman had jumped from the top of the library to her untimely death, despite what paramedics tried to do for her.

I was still unaware how much this event would effect my life. Clint and I tried to deal with it the best we could through humor, but as the days went on it haunted me. I found myself reading her obituary and all of the online comments from the online version on the local newspaper’s website to try and find out who this woman was and why she would do such a thing. Her name was Michelle Marie Macy and she was only 39 years old. She was a pharmacist and married, but had no children. She loved cats. She had family who loved her. I began to recognize feelings of empathy within myself, but the true change of heart came when I found the courage inside to pray for Michelle – a complete stranger. I prayed for her family and those who must be feeling the pain of her untimely passing. I experienced true compassion and charity during that prayer and when I finished I found that I was crying. The change of heart that I had been praying for had finally come!

I hope Michelle’s family will find comfort that her death was not in vain, just as Rachel’s death was not in vain. My life was touched and I learned a lesson that was long overdue. I hope that one day I can give Michelle a hug and tell her that I love her. I don’t know what circumstances she must have been going through to come to that point, but I know that Jesus Christ loves her. I know that her family loves her.

So it was with charity and love that I listened to the message that Rachel’s sister had to share. Her message did not fall on unfertile soil. I will take the message to heart, re-evaluate my life, and strive to improve myself. That is the Purpose of Life – day by day, week by week, year by year.Similar Posts:

• Monk-E-Mail Not Exactly a Private Message  May 3, 2006
• Anthony Joseph Coladonato, 47, 1 World Trade Center  September 11, 2006
• Tsunami Revisited in STUNNING Photo Essay  March 22, 2006
• “Death To Israel” Rally in Salt Lake City  August 30, 2006
• “Turning the Pages” of Mozart's Musical Library  January 13, 2006