Wheatley Papers on Education

Wheatley Publications

UTAH IN SEARCH OF AN EDUCATION FUTURE

Richard Kendell and David J. Sperry

Richard E. Kendell
Regents Professor, Utah Education Policy Center;
University of Utah
Richard E. Kendell received his Bachelors degree from the Weber State University, and his Masters and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Utah, emphasizing
in leadership and policy.
Dr. Kendell is a former Commissioner of the Utah System of Higher Education. He has previously also been executive director of the Utah Partnership for
Education, deputy to the governor for education and economic development,
superintendent of Davis School District, and Assistant State Superintendent of Schools. He is currently
a Regents Professor in the Utah Education Policy Center at the University of Utah. Dr. Kendell was also
formerly associate dean of the graduate school, associate dean of the school of education, and acting chair
in the department of leadership and policy at the University of Utah.
Dr. Kendell has received numerous awards including Utah Superintendent of the Year, a four-time
National Superintendent of the Year Finalist, Utah Education Association Administrator of the Year, and
the Lewis Shurtleff Award from Weber State University for his contributions to education.

David J. Sperry
Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy;
University of Utah
David J. Sperry is a professor of educational leadership and policy and Dean of
the College of Education at the University of Utah. He earned his BA, Masters,
and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Utah, where he emphasized in comparative education and education law. He began his career teaching social studies
at Murray High School in Murray, Utah, until he began teaching at the University of Utah in 1971. Dr. Sperrys teaching expertise includes education law, legal
research in education, and Utah school organization and administration.
Dr. Sperry is a recipient of the Darrell K. White Legacy of Learning Lectureship, the Murray High School
Distinguished Alumni Award, the Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award at the University of Utah, and
the Faculty Teaching Award at the University of Utah.
Dr. Sperry has published eight books and numerous other chapters of books and scholarly articles. He is
an associate editor of Educational Administration Quarterly and was a former associate editor of Journal of
Cases in Educational Leadership. Dr. Sperry is a co-chair on the Governors Commission on Reading and
Literacy, a member of the WestEd Board of Directors, and also holds many other distinguished service
positions at the national, state, and university levels.

UTAH IN SEARCH OF AN EDUCATION FUTURE

Richard Kendell and David J. Sperry
Fellows of the Wheatley Institution at Brigham Young University

This paper was commissioned by

the Wheatley Institution at Brigham Young University
and published in conjunction with a symposium of the same
name held at Brigham Young University
April 26, 2011.

The Wheatley Institution

Brigham Young University
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Provo, UT 84602
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UTAH IN SEARCH OF AN EDUCATION FUTURE

February 2011
PREFACE
The education initiative for the Wheatley Institution has
been evolving since early 2009. The initiative is based on
several key propositions. One is that education is intrinsically good and that gaining knowledge is one of the more
important and ennobling purposes of life. A second is that
public education is essential to the maintenance of our
nations democratic institutions. A third is that other core
institutions such as the family are strengthened by education systems that extend opportunities and advantages to
all people. In this way education strengthens individual
lives, families, and societies. Thus, the education initiative
fits logically within the framework of the Wheatley Institutions charter to strengthen and preserve the core institutions of our society. (Williams, 2009)
From these propositions came several questions or
themes that would constitute an agenda for future study.
Each, however, required further development to guide
the institutions activities. It was proposed that the institution sponsor a day-long retreat for institution leaders, fellows, and associates to discuss the themes, explore issues
facing public education, and encourage analysis of topics
that might provoke the interest of scholars and state policy
makers. Such a retreat was held in the fall of 2009 and six
themes which are noted below emerged from the discussions. These themes might be considered significant challenges that will influence the future of public education for
many years to come.

Preparing students for a changing economy and
workplace.
Addressing the achievement gap between white students and students of color as well as the gap between
economically advantaged and disadvantaged students.

Attracting and retaining excellent teachers as the
most important human resource in the educational
enterprise.
Assessing and monitoring student learning as the primary strategy for improving the effectiveness of an
instructional program.
Introducing and supporting early childhood education
as an important development/intervention in public
education.

Maintaining or re-thinking the basic purposes and
functions of public education.

It may be the case that these themes are less a formal

consensus among participants than a broad interpretation
of the retreats deliberations. Many topics were introduced
and discussed, but no themes emerged that would eclipse
those listed above.
The point was made, however, that the retreat participants did not represent a broad cross-cut of the general
population nor of the public school community. The question was raised: Were the six themes the big issues and
questions facing public education, or were they simply the
musings of the retreat membership who leaned toward academic topics that may be outside the concerns of those who
direct and operate public schools on a day-to-day basis?
It was proposed that the themes be introduced in focus
groups conducted in various locations across the State and
to engage a broader audience of business people, school
board members, superintendents, teachers, and others to
discuss the themes as outlined and to determine if they
could be confirmed or, perhaps, revised in the process. Two
Wheatley Institution Fellows, Dr. David J. Sperry and Dr.
Richard E. Kendell, were appointed to conduct the focus
groups and to report on the proceedings. Focus groups
were conducted to represent regions of the state, but no
attempt was made to have true representation of all regions
and school districts. Six focus groups and related conversations were held over a period of eight months. During that
same period, additional discussions were held with five college and university presidents and numerous professional
colleagues who had had many years of experience in both
public and higher education.
The proceedings, including specific recommendations
for future Wheatley Institution activities, were prepared
in a report entitled A Proposed Education Initiative for the
Wheatley Institution (Kendell and Sperry 2010).
This essay is based in large part on the above report, but
it should be said that neither the report nor this essay is
social science research in the usual sense of those terms.
Strict definitions and procedures did not direct the work.
Focus group membership varied from one group to the
next. Some groups were rich in school principals and other
administrators. Other groups had business and media representatives while others did not. No recorded version of
the meetings was made; however, general notes were kept
without giving attribution to specific individuals. This essay
is best seen as a broad interpretation of conversations with

more than fifty educators, business leaders, school board

members, teachers, and others involved in public and
higher education. Observations, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are the authors alone and not
those of any particular institution, school district, or individual participating in this project. References to specific
data sources and reports are included in the bibliography.
The purpose of this essay is not simply to recount the most
important issues facing education as they were reported
nor to propose specific projects but rather, to interpret and
comment on what was heard and observed. In doing so, the
authors have drawn upon their own combined experiences
in Utah public and higher education which span more than
forty years.
Four questions organize this essay as follows:
Where is the voice?
Where is the plan?
Who is in charge?
What is the future?
WHERE IS THE VOICE?
One of the most striking observations resulting from the
focus groups was the question of advocacy and leadership.
Where are the strong voices, outside of the educational
community per se, supporting public education and/or
higher education? Several references were made to earlier
times when the desire to educate, to form schools for the
common good, and to establish academies, even universities was an important priority. Utah has a long history of
advancing education in many communities. The University
of Utah was founded in 1850 when the early Salt Lake Colony consisted of cabins and a few hundred acres of arable
land. In fact, the early effort to found the University was
delayed; but the early impulse was strong, and the effort was
not forgotten. Similar stories are told about other communities where considerable sacrifices were made to initiate
and sustain schools. Community members sold produce
and bartered goods in Sanpete County to keep their academy going. The same is true of Cedar City where heroic
efforts were made to keep an early teacher training institution alive. The following abridged account is taken from a
monument on the Southern Utah University campus:
The first Utah Legislature authorized a branch of the State
teaching academy to be located in Southern Utah. Cedar
City was selected as the site. The community had to deed
fifteen acres of ground to the State and agree to construct
an appropriate building. At the time Cedar City numbered
1500 citizens. The ground was donated, but the building was
beyond the towns capacity to fund; therefore, the early academy was conducted in an alternate existing building. When
the town applied to the State for the payment of teachers, the
attorney general ruled that the town was out of compliance
with the earlier agreement and refused payment. Moreover,
2

he warned, the school must be built by September of the following year, 1898, or State authorization would be cancelled.
Town citizens acted immediately. A bank loan provided funding for teachers salaries, secured by three citizens who mortgaged their homes. An emergency plan was launched to cut
and deliver timbers from nearby Brian Head. Two hundred
and fifty thousand bricks were made mostly by volunteers.
To secure cash, more than sixty families donated stock in the
Cedar City Coop and a local cattle cooperative. Lumber was
donated, including the siding of a newly constructed barn.
The effort was heroic, but the school was built and the teaching academy saved. Most donors never attended the school
they worked so hard to build.
It is tempting to write off this and similar stories as mere
nostalgia, remembrances of a better time uncluttered by
current conflicts and details. But the memories do linger in
many places, made more poignant by current controversies
that seem to diminish the role and importance of public
education. Moreover, focus group participants voiced a
genuine weariness with the current political climate and
the lack of adequate financial support, worrying that the
value of schooling and the importance of common purposes, in fact, may be waning.
There is evidence to suggest that such worries may be
warranted. Many participants pointed to the declining
financial support for schools over the last ten to fifteen
years. This loss of support is confirmed by a recent study by
the Utah Foundation which reported that Utah has a history of being a high effortlow yield state, meaning that
despite rather significant efforts to levy taxes the actual yield
of revenue has been rather modest. This was described by
the Utah Foundation as Utahs paradox. But the paradox
is no more. Over the last fifteen years in particular, Utah
has become a low effortlow yield state. Important tax
changes enacted over the last fifteen years have reduced
support for public and higher education in significant ways.
Utah now has the lowest expenditure per pupil of any state
in the Nation and not by a small margin. Utahs expenditure per pupil is 56 percent of the national average and
83 percent of the state that is the next lowest (U.S. Bureau
of the Census, 2010). This has occurred because several
of the methods that can be used for school funding have
been revised thus reducing the level of potential revenue
that could have come to schools. For example, property tax
levies were curtailed in the mid 1990s and such rates have
declined ever since. Income tax rates were reduced during
the 20002010 decade. The personal income tax which had
been set aside exclusively for public education was changed
by a constitutional amendment in 1997 to allow funding for
both public and higher education. This freed up the general
fund for other State purposes. The net effect is that potential sources of funding public schools have diminished over
time (Kroes, 2010).

Utah in Search of an Education Future

In truth, participants in the focus groups were less concerned with the statistic of being last in per pupil funding
than with the practical, day-to-day implications for their
own work. The lack of funding is evident in a variety of
ways that impact students, parents, and teachers.
Example 1: Class sizes are too large in many instances.
This has less to do with comparative statistics and national
rankings than with meeting the needs of individual learners. Some classes especially at the elementary level are simply too large for the kind of individual attention that many
students need. Funding is not available to address this
problem and provide effective remedies targeted to specific
circumstances.
Example 2: Educational technology has made important advances to support both instruction and assessment;
but many schools have rationed access to such technology,
and the demand far exceeds capacity in many schools. The
availability of funding for instructional technology has
been inconsistent over time, stopping and starting and then
stopping again. There appears to be no vision or plan to
remedy this situation, thus frustrating students, parents,
and teachers.
Example 3: Many schools consist of a diversity of students who bring different languages, values, and attitudes
to the classroom. Some students have disabilities that
require specific interventions. Teachers need ongoing
training and assistance to be truly effective in their classrooms, but training programs have been cut back. In other
instances, specialists who have the knowledge to provide
interventions are in short supply or are not available at all.
These are only examples, but the point was made that the
lack of support for public education has consequences, particularly for students.
A recent study by the Utah Foundation illustrates the
point that Utah students have not performed well when
compared to students in states with similar economic and
demographic characteristics. This apple to apple comparison concluded that in key areas such as math, reading, and science, Utah students have performed at the low
end of its peer group for nearly two decades (Utah Foundation, 2010). The common perception that Utah schools
are high performing schools despite low funding is not
borne out by peer comparisons. Low funding has consequences; and according to this study, it has not produced
high performance.
It must be said that Utah, like the rest of the nation, is in
the middle of a serious recession and that all public institutions have been faced with funding cutbacks. Virtually all
participants acknowledged that some of the current difficulties result from problems with the larger economy. Utah
policymakers have, in fact, made good efforts to give public
schools priority over competing state functions; but schools
have not been left as unscathed as some have claimed. One
participating district reported expenditure reductions
of over $61.0 million over a two-year period. The conseUtah in Search of an Education Future

quences on the quality of the instruction program in this

district have been significant. Other districts reported similar funding reductions and consequences.
There was also acknowledgment in the focus groups
that the economy will probably improve and that budgets
for public education will get better, but this optimism was
guarded. Will better budgets be directed to improving
public education in significant ways, or will the improved
revenues of a better time simply lead to further tax revisions that reduce available revenue for public and higher
education? Certainly such tax reductions have been accomplished during good times in the past.
The Governors Office of Planning and Budget has
reported that approximately $400 million of annual tax
revenue has been reduced due to tax reforms enacted during the 2006 2007 legislative sessions (GOPB, 2007). Of
equal or greater concern are the statements from some
policymakers that Utah is unique and that current circumstances such as funding per pupil, large class sizes, relatively
low teacher salaries, and modest services to support and
improve instruction are beyond Utahs capacity to fund.
The point is made that this is simply the way things are
and will be in the future. Again the question was raised
by many individuals in focus groups: Where is the bold,
even audacious voice that created a thriving state and
advocated for the importance of education as central to the
progress of individuals and the state?
Will political, business, church, and civic leaders step
forward to improve an education system that will produce
a better future for all Utahans? Can we find the will to do
so and can the idea of commonweal take a renewed place
in the conversation about the future? Most participants
agreed that these questions can be answered in the affirmative, but a better future for education will require a collaborative effort of all parties, not simply an effort internal to
the educational community.
WHERE IS THE PLAN?
Utah is the beehive state, having adopted the beehive
as a symbol of industry and resourcefulness. The symbolism is well earned. Utah citizens can claim many important accomplishments, often through the cooperation of
state, local, and federal efforts. The Central Utah Project
has brought water to millions of Utah citizens. An international airport has been created. Roads, highways, and
railroads provide a transportation network that fosters economic development and growth. Billions of dollars have
been directed to these efforts. Utah has a capacity to plan
important projects and to complete them. Sponsoring the
2002 Winter Olympics is another recent example.
In light of these achievements, it is remarkable that Utah
has no generally agreed-to plan for developing its public
school systems for both public and higher education. This is
not to say that planning is not underway and that governing
boards for public and higher education have not developed
3

plans to govern their actions and steer future development.

However, often such activities are not acknowledged nor
acted upon in any significant way by either the governor
or the state legislature. There are no commonly agreed to
goals, strategies, or funding plans that would make a strategic plan something more that a document that occupies
shelf space. Indeed, efforts to develop a coherent plan have
been attempted. Witness, for example, the Utah Commission on Educational Excellence, 1983; Education, A Call
to Action, 1985; A Shift in Focus, 1988; Employers Educational Coalition Report, 2002; and The Twenty-First
Century Workforce Initiative, 2007 among other efforts.
When these reports were discussed with focus groups, participants had difficulty in remembering such efforts and in
identifying a single initiative that had had a lasting impact
on public education. This is a striking record of planning
and reporting with little or no progress.
Focus group participants acknowledged a swirl of activities in their respective schools, school districts, colleges,
and universities but at the same time pointed to the fact
that new initiatives and consequential funding were neither predictable nor reliable over time. The focus groups
also acknowledged that the education systems have a
kind of momentum that guides activities from year to year,
but there is no generally agreed-to plan that propels institutions toward improvements even though there is compelling evidence to do so. The most common reaction to ideas
about the future is a mixed expression of apprehension and
doubt, while in other instances there is an audible sigh of
relief.
It may be that the idea of a state-wide plan flies in the face
of the idea of local control. There are many reasons to support the general pattern of leaving education to local communities and districts; local control is a deeply held value
and practice. At the same time, there are some issues that
are not easily or efficiently handled by local districts and
schools that could be accommodated in a statewide plan.
The point here is not to argue for micromanaging schools,
districts, colleges and universities, but rather to suggest
that the development and implementation of key policy
and funding initiatives would give the state a basis for better supporting institutions and managing scarce resources.
Some of the most important and compelling issues facing
the state were identified by focus groups as outlined below.
Such topics could be the basis for a statewide effort.
Growth
Utah is a growing state, and generally this is seen as an
asset. According to data published by the Utah State Office
of Education, the Utah school population has grown from
495,682 students during the 20042005 school year to
574,317 students during the 20102011 school year, an
increase of 78,635 students. Similar growth is expected
through 2020 with enrollments exceeding 700,000 students
(USOE, 2009). Higher education has also had a recent
4

resurgence of growth during the last several years which

has been brought on in part by a slumping economy and
relatively high unemployment levels.
Enrollment growth for public education was partially
funded for the 20092010 year and was not funded at all
during the 20102011 school year. Higher education has
not had new funding for enrollment in more than a decade.
Given the predictability of enrollment growth, especially
in public education, it would seem prudent for the state
to have a short and long term plan for managing growth.
Unfortunately, none is on the horizon.
The circumstances of growth are made more difficult
because growth is not spread evenly across the state and is
concentrated in several regions or counties, such as Washington County, Utah County, and Davis County. Several
other regions are affected as well. Many of these school
districts will have difficulty with burgeoning enrollments
because they lack an adequate tax base to support new
school buildings. The operating budgets for schools are
equalized; but the capital budgets are not, leaving some
school districts with high enrollments, high tax levies, and
relatively low revenue yields.
Moreover, dealing with growth is more than anticipating the aggregate number of new students. It also includes
anticipating the specific circumstances of where enrollment increases will occur and how state and local officials
can work together to make appropriate policy and funding changes. Equalizing capital outlay budgets is a difficult
political process, but it is less difficult in the long run than
ignoring the issue altogether. On a related matter, class sizes
are too large in many growing districts. This cannot be dealt
with by attempting to lower average class sizes in the aggregate but necessitates targeting funds to specific instances
where relief is required. A good plan would provide funding for districts to target class size problems, especially in
the early grades, as part of a general plan for managing
growth. This is less expensive and more effective than trying to lower the aggregate class size per se. There are other
collateral issues related to growth that could also be mitigated by better planning and funding.
Problems with growth in higher education are manifest in different ways. Participants noted the difficulty of
scheduling classes for many students, the denial of access
to others, and the problem of staffing courses with parttime adjunct faculty, etc. Few would argue against the value
of adjunct faculty, but adjunct faculty should complement
a core of full-time faculty who provide consistency to the
instructional program over time. Quality is important, and
it cannot be purchased with tuition increments alone. The
failure to fund growth has several negative consequences:
higher tuition and fee charges for students, higher debt
loads, delays in securing proper courses in sequence, and
far too many students who fail to graduate on time, or graduate at all.

Utah in Search of an Education Future

The state also has a vital interest in providing opportunities in higher education for as many students as possible.
A current report prepared by Anthony Carnevale from the
Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown
University argues that the major challenge facing Utah and
the nation is the development of human capital. A growing economy simply must have more educated people and
skilled workers. Fortunately, Utah has a good supply of students and raw talent. However, Carnevale (2011) projects
that by 2020 two-thirds of Utahs workforce will require a
post-secondary degree or credential that has value in the
marketplace. Clearly this economic and workforce requirement will demand careful planning and budgeting if a more
robust and thriving economy is to be achieved.
Admittedly, all of these maladies cannot be laid at the
doorstep of growth alone. Indeed, these problems are complex, but adequately accommodating growth is a significant
part of the solution. Enrollment growth cannot continue
without attention and better funding. The stakes are too
high, and the consequences both good and bad are too
important for individuals and the state. Even a modicum
of funding for student growth within the context of a statewide plan would go far in alleviating some of the most vexing current problems.
Achievement Gap
Utah is experiencing extraordinary demographic
changes, which University of Utah economist Pam Perlich
has referred to as Utahs Demographic Transformation in
a recent issue of the Utah Economic and Business Review.
She reports that Utah . . .will continue to become much
more diverse in many ways, including age, culture, language, nativity, race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomics. She reports that Utah in 2007, racial and ethnic
minorities were 18 percents of the Utah population and 24
percent of the population in Salt Lake County. These percentages will change to 30 percent and 41 percent by 2050
(Perlich, 2006, 2008). Early numbers from the 2010 Census
indicate that these estimates may have been too low.
Participants in the focus groups had first-hand experiences with the demographic changes and learning challenges that are affecting their own schools. And, changes
were not restricted to Salt Lake County. Teachers and
administrators indicated that significant changes were taking place in southern, central, and eastern Utah, including
both rural and more urbanized communities. Some school
districts in Utah County, Ogden and Salt Lake City, are
minority-majority districts at the present time.
One middle school principal described the growing
diversity of his schools student population by noting that
more than a dozen languages were spoken by his students.
He and his school district were scrambling to provide adequate services for these children.
The growing diversity of school districts has brought
into sharp focus the achievement levels of various subUtah in Search of an Education Future

groups. There is a significant achievement gap between

white students and students of color. Likewise, there is a
similar achievement gap between economically advantaged
students and those who are relatively disadvantaged. For
many minority students and economically disadvantaged
students, test scores are lower, dropout rates are higher, and
college attendance and completion is significantly lower
compared to other students. This is both a national and
a state phenomenon and these differences have been well
documented.
Focus group responses to the achievement gap ranged
from very important to an imperative for school and
state policy makers to address. Most participants agreed
that minority children are not given the priority that is
required for these children to succeed in school. Important
programs and services to help these children are missing or
underfunded. For many, this failure to achieve some resolution of the achievement gap runs contrary to some of the
most important purposes of public education. Such ideals
are summarized well in the Nation at Risk Report (National
Commission on Excellence in Education, 1983).
All, regardless of race or class or economic status, are entitled to a fair chance, and to the tools for developing their individual powers of mind and spirit to the utmost. This promise
means that all children by virtue of their own efforts, competently guided, can hope to attain the mature and informed
judgment needed to secure gainful employment, and to manage their own lives, thereby serving not only their own interests but also the progress of society itself.
This ideal has never been fully realized in practice; but
some of the tensions that run across racial, economic, and
religious lines are unsettling to many.
The current tensions over immigration status has made
discussions about programs and services more strident
and complicated. Some focus group respondents reported
an increasing concern among parents about diversity in
schools. Some parents questioned whether public schools
have the capacity and support to forge a common culture
and common values in an environment that is also safe for
their children. Some parents have found solutions for their
own children in charter schools, private schools, and home
schools that consist of children that are . . . more like my
own.
These attitudes and concerns, while troubling, are not
new. America is a nation of immigrants, and the diversity
of its people is generally considered to be a strength. But
schools must address the needs and capacities of all children if their basic purposes are to be realized.
As Lawrence Cremin summarized in his book The Genius
of American Education:
In the last analysis, there is no more humane view of education than as growth in understanding, sensibility, and
5

character, and no more humane view of democracy than as

growth in understanding, sensibility, and character, and no
more noble view of democracy than as the dedication of society to the lifelong education of all of its members [emphasis
by authors] (Cremin, 1965).
Realizing this ideal will require a renewed emphasis on
the social and political conditions that make such ideals a
reality. Making an accurate assessment of what those conditions are and determining how schools should change in
order to more fully address these issues will be an important challenge for the future. Moreover, this should be a
state effort not restricted to local districts alone. The demographic changes are statewide, not local; the trends will
intensify over time, and the consequences for not responding adequately on individual lives, and on the states quality
of life and economic wellbeing are significant.
Attracting and Retaining Excellent Teachers
The topic of attracting and retaining excellent teachers
was one of the two highest ranked issues on the part of
focus group participants. Virtually all participants agreed
that quality teaching is at the heart of the educational process. Discussions focused on several topics which can be
grouped into three broad categories including salary and
compensation; teacher effectiveness/accountability; and
the nature and structure of the work environment. Each of
these sub-issues is a significant topic in its own right. Each
has been studied, and the research literature is rather extensive. An important point was the question of teacher shortages in the state. This issue has disappeared from broader
discussion due largely to the current recession which has
drawn many inactive teachers back into the mainstream of
employment.
Nevertheless, several underlying factors remain pertinent and have not gone away, e.g. growth in student numbers, an aging teaching population, high turnover rates,
and the possibility of curriculum requirements which may
change the make-up of school faculties. Regarding the last
factor, the possibility exists that the demand for engineers,
scientists, and other technically trained people will require
changes in high school course offerings if not graduation
requirements. Adding more math and science requirements either at the State or local district level will drive up
the need for teachers with appropriate credentials.
A major report entitled An Education Initiative for the
State of Utah was published in 2007 by the Special Task
Force on Teacher Shortages created by Utahs K16 Alliance (Sperry 2007). The report dealt directly with the factors underlying teacher shortages in Utah and made specific recommendations regarding salary and compensation
issues. Further, the report discussed factors that contribute
to teacher turnover and outlined certain structural and
scheduling changes that could provide teachers with greater
opportunities for contract options and improved salaries.
6

The report was praised for being the most comprehensive

and accurate study of teacher supply and demand in the
state. Many policymakers felt that the issues raised and proposed solutions in the study deserved further exploration,
but the combined impacts of the recession (limited revenue) and the return of teachers from the latent teaching
pool changed priorities, at least temporarily.
A related topic that received a good bit of attention had
to do with the nature and structure of the work environment and with the processes for inducting teachers into
the profession. This is a topic that has been addressed by
the Wheatley Institution on prior occasions. (See Richard Ingersolls (2001) work for an example.) Teachers in
the focus groups emphasized that the issues surrounding
teacher motivation and performance were far more complicated than is often believed. Both teachers and principals
emphasized the importance of collaborative time among
teachers and the value of planning time to prepare better
lesson plans and materials for students. The support of
principals in leading the schools instructional environment and in working with teachers, students, and parents
was considered to be of critical importance.
Moreover, the way teachers are inducted into the profession and the support that is given to them by their principal
and other teachers are significant factors in job satisfaction and teacher retention. These and related issues as they
pertain to attracting and retaining good teachers should
be explored further. The role of the principal, for example,
should be a topic for additional inquiry.
The issue of teacher effectiveness received considerable
attention from focus groups. Common topics of discussion
included: How is effectiveness defined? Are current policies
and practices effective? Should excellent teachers be paid on
the basis of their overall performance? Should the assessment of teacher effectiveness include student achievement
data? Are poor teachers being retained because of weak
evaluation practices and/or the sheer difficulty of dismissing ineffective teachers? Can the teaching profession be
restructured to provide greater opportunities for advancement and compensation? Despite abundant research and
numerous reports on these and related issues these questions continue as important topics and, in many instances,
remain unresolved issues.
In search for better resolution, the topics of attracting
and retaining good teachers might be looked at in two
ways. The first has to do with the structure of the teaching profession, that is to say, how teachers are organized
by class levels, calendars, work schedules, and rewarded by
single schedule salary plans. In many ways, the teaching
profession is remarkably flat with very few options for professional mobility. There are many states, institutions, and
foundations that have been experimenting with different
ways of organizing teachers work to get away from the traditional salary schedule and to provide different compensation options. The Milliken Foundation and the Denver
Utah in Search of an Education Future

Public Schools are two examples in a public school context, and Brigham Young UniversityIdaho is an example
in higher education.
The second issue has to do with the evaluation of teacher
effectiveness. This is a topic of much contemporary interest, and several organizations like WESTED, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the Hoover Institution
are developing new research and recommendations for
improved practice. One idea is to link teacher compensation with student achievement data. It is interesting to
note that the State of Colorado, in 2010, passed legislation
requiring teachers to be evaluated annually, with at least
half of their rating based on whether their students made
progress during the school year. This change in Colorados
teacher employment law was met with vigorous opposition
from the states largest teacher union but has been hailed
by others as an important step forward in holding teachers
more accountable.
With the prompting of Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr.
the Utah State Legislature (2009) introduced a teacher compensation plan and proposed linking additional compensation to teacher performance evaluations including student
test scores. The original plan had a fiscal note of approximately $25.0 million. Local school districts were given a
very short deadline to prepare proposals, and the process
resulted in the State Office of Education returning many
proposals for further development. Eventually the funding
disappeared, and the legislative plan was withdrawn. However, five local schools were funded to experiment with
teacher evaluation plans and to prepare reports for further
study. Reports from these initial pilot projects are pending.
Given the importance of this topic and notwithstanding the potential value of the five pilot projects currently
underway, it is surprising that there is not a bold and innovative plan being pursued in Utah. Perhaps this point of
relative stasis provides an opportunity for new thinking
and new proposals.
The three planning ideas described above are illustrative
of important issues facing Utah that could be addressed
with a strategic plan. These three issues have important
consequences for Utahs future, and none can be adequately
addressed by local school districts alone. A state plan
might include one or two additional topics that are considered significant in scope and importance for all districts
in the state. For example, reference could be made to the
six major themes identified for the Wheatley Institution
outlined earlier in this essay. Such a plan would give local
districts a framework for developing their own resources
and leveraging assets to complement state priorities. Such
an approach would preserve an important balance between
state and local initiatives and allow districts the opportunity to develop plans suited to the needs of their local
communities.

Utah in Search of an Education Future

WHO IS IN CHARGE?
To many observers, especially those outside of the education community per se, the governance of public education is a confusion of shared responsibility, multiple layers
of authority, and complicated process variables that make
responsiveness to changing circumstances nearly impossible. Indeed there is reason to become confused if not exasperated by the multiple points of influence and control over
education policy and practice.
To begin with, the federal government plays a much more
significant role in public education than often thought,
despite the fact that states have the primary responsibility
for public education.
Since the United States Constitution does not authorize
Congress to provide for Education, the legal control of public
education resides with the states as one of its Sovereign powers (Cambron-McCabe, McCarthy, and Thomas, 2009).
But the U.S. Department of Education has gained a much
more important role in policy formulation by directing a
number of critical education programs that are funded
from federal sources. Career and technical education and
special education are two programs that receive significant
funding from the U.S. Department of Education, funding
that could not be easily replaced by state funds even if there
were the will and authorization to do so. The recent No
Child Left Behind initiative was accepted by the states
even though many of the states disagreed with some or all
of the programsimply because of the dependence on federal money.
The Race to the Top program is still another illustration of a well-funded U.S. Department of Education initiative that has captured the attention of many states and
school districts. The emphasis on math and science education and the importance given to evidence-based strategies to reform and restructure schools may have a powerful
impact on schools for many years to come.
At the state level the Utah State Board of Education has
certain powers granted to it by the Utah Constitution to
control and supervise public education in Utah. The state
board plays a significant role in the state, but its authority
is tempered by the fact that the Utah State Legislature has
the authority and responsibility to fund public education
and to hold schools accountable for the performance of
their duties. The state board has no authority to levy taxes
or to generate other revenue for schools. That said, there is
not a clear line of authority between board and legislative
responsibilities, and the state board often claims that the
Legislature intrudes into policies that rightly belong to the
state board. Moreover the terms control and supervise
are subject to broad interpretation, hence, there are no clear
guidelines for determining the boundaries of authority and
responsibility.

Local boards of education are at the firing line of education policy and practice and wield enormous influence over
the implementation of programs and the supervision of
students. Local districts are also empowered to raise taxes
and use them for school building construction, building
maintenance, transportation, and instructional programs.
Indeed, they must work within the broad framework established by legislative statutes and state board rules, but they
individually and collectively exert enormous influence on
the direction and control of education in the state.
The governor is the chief executive officer of the state
and the highest elected official responsible for directing
state government. The governor has the power of the bully
pulpit, exposure to the general public, especially through
the media, and has access to political leverage with the legislature and other political entities not equaled by any other
individual in the state. But the governors actual powers
over the conduct of both public and higher education are
very limited. Governors can exert enormous influence, and
often do in launching important educational projects and
initiatives, but they do so more by persuasion and political
leverage than by administrative authority.
Moreover, the state operates under a variety of employment agreements ratified by teachers and school boards at
the local level. While these agreements are entered into by
professional associations at the local level, the impact is
not unlike a state contract that binds the teachers and their
respective governing boards into specific agreements about
employment; retention; salary schedules and benefits; and
methods for evaluation, promotion, and dismissal.
What emerges from this overview of constitutional provisions, statutory enactments, rules, regulations, and court
decisions is a complicated pattern of governance that can
advance important ideas and initiatives, but equally, can
forestall new ideas, innovations, and reforms from ever
becoming a reality. Witness several examples:
Example 1: Governor Jon M. Huntsman, Jr. launched the
21st Century Workforce Initiative in the spring of 2008.
The effort had an audacious beginning with the appointment of prominent citizens, business leaders, education
officials, political leaders, and others to a Steering Committee. Participants worked under the general oversight
of the Steering Committee and went through a rather
elaborate planning process, many of them working virtually full-time during several months of the planning exercises. The report released in December of 2008 contained
many laudable ideas and plans for future work, but the plan
did not win favor with the Utah Legislature nor the public
school community. Little in the report received attention
after its formal presentation in January of 2009. The causes
were many: an elaborate but ineffective planning strategy;
doubts and suspicions on the part of some participants; too
little involvement by Utah legislators; a too ambitious calling for fundamental changes in the way schools, college,
and universities were to be governed and funded; etc. At
8

the heart of the problem was a suspicion that the Workforce Initiative was simply a thinly veiled effort to change
the governance of public education. Regardless of the reasons, the effort was shelved.
Example 2: The Utah State Legislature, after many years
of exploring the possibility of launching a voucher program
in Utah, eventually secured enough votes to pass the most
expansive voucher law in the nation (2007). The vote margin
was very small, and the opposition from many traditional
education groups was open and assertive. Nevertheless, the
new law was passed, signed by Governor Huntsman, and
slated for full implementation. But the new law was never
implemented due to a public referendum that defeated the
new law by a 68 percent favorable vote. This is, perhaps, the
most significant reversal of new legislation in recent memory. Many lawmakers responded by saying that the people
have spoken, and the voucher issue should be put to rest.
But few focus group members took these statements at face
value, anticipating that the whole idea of a market driven
approach to public education was not dead, certainly not
among many Utah legislators who saw education as a broken institution that could only be fixed by a free market
approach. While the formal voucher initiative may be set
aside for now, other market driven ideas continue such as
charter schools, on-line courses and programs, and homebased education.
Example 3: The Utah State Board of Education has had
an ambitious agenda for improving the quality of schools
for many years. Indeed their funding requests to the Utah
Legislature have been very large, guided by the belief that
the Board needed to accurately represent the needs of all
school children statewide, and not to present a budget that
seemed simply realistic given certain revenue forecasts.
Prior requests have included plans for all-day kindergarten for all students statewide, and pre-school programs for
students most at risk of failing in school. Other priorities
have been improved reading programs, better assessments
to measure student achievement, math programs for the
early grades, more counselors for junior and senior high
schools, reduced class sizes, and improved educational
technology among many others.
Except for a few pilot programs authorized by the legislature, the state board has not been able to advance an agenda
to improve the quality of schooling albeit they have secured
funding for enrollment growth and modest increases in the
value of the weighted pupil unit.
The examples can be expanded, but the point is made
that the key parties for governing education in Utah have
had difficulty collaborating on new ideas and practices
that can be advanced to implementation. There have been
a couple of notable exceptions, both driven by governors.
The first is charter school legislation advanced by Governor Michael O. Leavitt which was a compromise position
with legislators who were advocating voucher plans. Indeed
the creation of charter schools resulted in the development
Utah in Search of an Education Future

of many new schools (approaching 80 in 2010) and many

additional choices for students and parents. Charter schools
remain public schools and fall under the supervision of the
Utah State Board of Education; however, the State Charter School Board and local school boards supervise charter
school policies and day-to-day operations. There is little
debate that charter schools have been a significant change
in the way public education is conducted in the State, but
the performance of charter schools has been mixed. Some
have become very good schools; others have not. The question of whether such schools represent an element of competition that drives all schools to improved levels of performance remains an open question.
A second development is the K3 literacy program
advanced by Governor Olene S. Walker. This program was
broadly favored by the public education community but
received only lukewarm support from the Utah Legislature. Governor Walker made reading literacy a fundamental policy position during her tenure, and she pushed the
legislation through, compromising only on the sources of
funding for the new program. The final legislation required
a state appropriation matched by property taxes raised by
local school boards. Full implementation took some time
to complete, but the K3 literacy program is now part of
every school district in the state. The K3 literacy program
is generally regarded as an important contribution to the
quality of schooling statewide; however, the lack of a universal and valid assessment protocol has been a conspicuous shortcoming.
In spite of these two examples, there is a general sense
that real progress in improving schools has been modest
by virtually any standard, especially given the number of
important issues that need to be addressed. Many of the
problems facing public education are not intractable, but
there is, at minimum, a sense of resignation among many
educators that public education, as an important social
institution, may be at a point of stasis and that progress
and improvement will not be achieved, at least in the short
term, without significant help and intervention. The parties to the educational enterprise are well established; their
respective views have been articulated over time, but a clear
plan or direction that might unite the educational community is not in evidence at this time.
These circumstances are made more difficult by the
seeming impasse among the parties. Who is in charge? Is it
the State School Board, the legislature, local school boards,
school superintendents, or the governor? Who can initiate
and implement important changes effectively? Is a coalition among the parties possible? In the face of these questions, there is a sense, especially among senior educators,
that many of the same issues get cycled and recycled without proper resolution. Forbearance and optimism among
career educators may be among the more valuable side
effects of the current impasse.

Utah in Search of an Education Future

Some have argued that this educational standoff can

be remedied only with significant structural changes in the
way schools are governed. A number of different ideas have
been aired, such as the governor appointing members of the
Utah State Board of Education and/or the Superintendent
of Public Education. Other ideas include the elimination of
the State Board of Regents, allowing institutional Boards of
Trustees to govern each school. Still others advocate stronger governing boards with powers, and perhaps financial
incentives, to better control and manage institutions. There
are others. This makes for interesting conversation, but to
date no structural change has had enough interest or support to provoke a serious proposal for action.
A more likely possibility is that the governing authorities can be brought together by a leader, most likely the
governor, given the states recent history, and by a common agenda or plan that will overcome the long-standing
structural issues that have made progress difficult. Such a
development will require the expense of political capital on
the governors part and all the skills of political leadership
that seem to advance most important new developments:
great ideas coupled with advocacy, cajoling, arm twisting, deal-making, compromising, and the myriad of other
skills required to make significant progress on education
issues, or for that matter, any public policy issue of any consequence. The governor would need to build a formidable
coalition both within the educational community and with
business and political leaders to make this effort a possibility. Governor Gary Herberts Educational Excellence
Commission is clearly a step in the right direction, but such
plans have experienced resistance in the past. An alternate
possibility is that a prominent business leader or coalition
of business leaders could lead the way to a clear plan for
educational improvement. Such has been the case in other
cities and states.
WHAT IS THE FUTURE?
Dr. Roald Campbell, the former Dean of Education at the
University of Chicago once remarked that every generation
needs to remake or renew the social contract between public education and the larger society that supports it. The
public schools, as currently organized, did not evolve until
the mid to late part of the 19th Century; however, there
were strong sentiments for universal public education from
the days of the nations founding. Thomas Jefferson pointed
out that some degree of education as necessary to prepare
citizens to participate effectively and intelligently in our
open political system: If a nation expects to be ignorant
and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was
and never will be. Other important values supporting public education include such things as promoting civility and
virtue and preparing individuals to be self-reliant and selfsufficient participants in society.
As the general patterns for governing and funding public education evolved over time, several key characteristics
9

emerged that received popular support and that persist to

the present time. Such characteristics include: individual
state systems funded through public taxation with a strong
preference for local district control; schools that are free
(no cost to children); and schools that are free of religious
bias and open to all children. A common curriculum is
directed by local elected school boards that control day-today operations.
While there is evidence of continuing support for these
basic patterns of organizing and funding public education,
and indeed the focus groups provided such support, the
respondents reported a variety of concerns that question
some of the most fundamental practices and values undergirding public education. In fact, one of the more surprising
developments during the focus group sessions was the frequency and urgency of the questions surrounding the aims
and purpose of education. Many questions were raised, and
a few are listed here to illustrate the lively and provocative
discussions that ensued.
Are schools and districts, as presently organized, sufficiently responsive to the important changes that are
taking place in society at large?

How nimble are schools in dealing with dramatic
changes in workforce requirements?

Can schools survive the political polarization that
seems to dominate social issues and political discussions at all levels?
Why has financial support for public education diminished over time, and is this simply an early warning of
what lies ahead?
What are the core values that should be transmitted to
future generations, and what is the role of public education in doing so?
Should schools be a countervailing force in society and
push back against the trends of popular culture and the
values of non-stop entertainment so pervasive in the
media and elsewhere?
Are schools being pushed away from their core purposes and being asked to do too mucheverything
from training new drivers, certifying firearm safety,
teaching and speaking Chinese, and educating students
to be more productive, inventive, and humane than
ever before?
There are no easy answers to these questions, and many
focus groups ended more with a sense of concern and
apprehension than with clear resolutions about the future.
What then can be said about this uncertain future? Several
possibilities follow below:
First, public education may move toward a more market
driven system. The current pattern of governing education
by state and local school boards has been challenged by the
idea of allowing market forces to determine the direction
and purposes of education.
10

The point is made that putting money in the hands of

parents and letting them choose an education appropriate
for their childrens needs will produce a superior system
of education. The argument is made that competition will
drive excellence. The voucher movement has been strong
in Utah, especially among Utah lawmakers; and many of
the tensions relative to that issue persist, despite a public
referendum that turned back a voucher initiative approved
by the legislature and signed by the governor. There are
residual, unresolved issues about the control of education
that appear to continue just below the surface of public
commentary. Advocates argue that public education cannot be nudged or moved into better practices short of this
market driven model. Such a system may emerge over time,
and several new ideas are being proposed by Utah legislators and others that would advance a more market driven
approach to public education.
A second possibility is that public schools as now organized will become part of a much larger network of schools
that operate under the banner of public education. Included
in this group would be charter schools, on-line schools,
private schools that may receive grants and contracts to
provide certain services, and public colleges and universities that provide seamless transition programs from K12
grades into a broad range of postsecondary programs.
Teachers may find multiple opportunities in such an environment, working part of the time in a conventional school
and working part of the time as an on-line instructor for
a school, college, or university. The lock step pattern of
employment contracts would be subordinate to many more
market driven opportunities across the entire spectrum of
public and higher education. Under such a plan students
and parents would need to take much more responsibility for learning outcomes by putting together a plan of
programs, courses, and extra-curricular activities from
a rather broad menu of choices. There would be less reliance on school buildings, reducing somewhat the reliance
on physical facilities, transportation systems, etc. There is
evidence of these practices both in Utah and other states.
What emerges from this point of view is a network of
educational programs and services not locked into the
present pattern of schools and school districts. Schools and
districts would not be eliminated but would complement,
perhaps even orchestrate, a network of educational programs and offerings.
A third possibility may be a reorganized system of public
education that provides fewer services and programs but
does so in ways that enhance the efficiency of the existing infrastructure of schools. Such a development would
be driven by either the lack of revenue to continue to do
business as in the past or the lack of public and political
will to make further investments in public education. This
scenario would call for schools to be scheduled on a yearround basis to increase the productivity of existing schools

Utah in Search of an Education Future

and to make much greater use of technology to drive and

deliver instruction.
The call for smaller government and fewer public programs has advocates. And, there is some evidence of these
sentiments in the Utah Legislature. Public and higher education are included in the demand for fewer and leaner
government programs. The current climate of limited revenue is laced with doubt about further investment, and that
doubt may exceed the difficulties of the current recession.
It is not uncommon to hear some legislators say that no
new funding is justified until the system of education can
demonstrate better initiatives and improved performance
regardless of the availability of revenue. In the face of revenue shortfalls and/or the reluctance to raise taxes, there
are advocates for scaling back the number of school days or
trimming whole grades as presently organized.
It is difficult to forecast how scaled back schools would
be more effective over the long term given the demands for
a better educated citizenry and for a more skilled workforce. High quality school systems are characterized by
more time in school, not less, and by longer school days
and longer school years. But in the final analysis, the quality
and productivity of public education is a matter of public
and political will. And there is a legitimate question as to
whether Utah has enough of either to sustain an improved
system of public education.
It may be that after all of the options for organizing public education are placed in front of the general public the
present system, properly focused and funded, is the best
option for the future. Public education continues to enjoy
strong support at the grassroots level. Parents and students support their local schools while at the same time
have doubts about other schools in general. This irony is
evident in many communities in the state and nation. It is
not without precedent to conclude that when options are
clearly understood, citizens make choices that often defy
conventional wisdom.
Year-round schools, for example, have advantages both
for learning and for the efficiency of operations. Despite a
flurry of activity to implement such schools, driven in large
measure by enrollment growth, such schools are being
replaced by traditionally scheduled schools as enrollment
and funding permit. One might conclude that faced with
the options, parents and constituents, in general, prefer
paying higher taxes or existing taxes over a longer period of
time than opt for a year-round school schedule.
In examining these alternative futures, there are some
matters that must be addressed, regardless of the specific
design. All of these ideas were expressed and reinforced by
focus groups members:
1. Schools do not do a good job of telling their story and
expressing it in ways that turn the hearts and minds of
the constituents they serve. New initiatives, especially,

Utah in Search of an Education Future

will require new strategies for informing students, parents, and taxpayers.
2. School performance is not what it should be. By and
large, students can and should perform better, especially in basic subjects.
3. The achievement gap as outlined earlier is an enormous problem that cannot be ignored.
4. Future schools must be more successful in engaging
the participation of parents in the education of their
students. Poor parent involvement is a common complaint, but there must be carefully planned and creative
ways for schools to get better connected with parents.
5. The continuance of poor teachers is a serious problem.
School principals who fail to deal with poor teachers
present a serious problem.
6. Schools and districts must find ways to be more productive and effective. Added revenue from state and
local sources will demand such efforts.
7. 
Education improvement cannot be left to schools
alone. Business, religious, political, and community
leaders must all join the effort to improve opportunities for students. The voice for education as described
earlier must be rekindled.
It is often said that politics is driven by crisis. The same
could be said about public education. Perhaps there is
no apparent crisis in education, at least not one that has
the drama of natural disasters or the near collapse of the
nations banking system. But below the surface of normalcy
are issues of major significance that could surprise many.
For example, neither the state nor the nation can sustain,
indefinitely, a high school drop-out rate as high as is currently the case. All students must become ready, in high
school, for either college (postsecondary training) or for
the workplace; and the requirements for either will demand
more skill and education than ever before. Our global economy requires it.
Surprising to some are the well documented changes in
U.S educational achievement especially since the 1970s.
Harvard economists Claudia Goldin and Lawrence F. Katz
have documented the slow-down in educational achievement for U.S. students and the loss of comparative advantage with other nations (Goldin and Katz, 2008). These
phenomena have had a particularly profound effect on
income disparity in the U.S. They conclude that:
The slowdown in the growth of educational attainment
... is the single most important factor increasing educational
wage differentials since 1980 and is a major contributor to
increased family inequality. If technology continues to race
ahead (and history suggests it will) and educational attainment does not begin to increase rapidly, we are likely to see
continued increases in inequality. For many reasons, then the
United States must find a way to increase the stock of educated Americans.
11

Whatever the new design or social contract may be, the

mandate is there that we must do much better in advancing
the educational achievement of all students.
Perhaps what is more troubling to many is not simply
the decline in educational achievement and public investment but a sense that the idea of public education may be
diminishing or becoming lost. Public education, as an idea,
has the power to shape people, institutions, and nations. It
is not simply the sum of schools and school districts, yellow school buses, and football fields. It is an idea that has
given rise to the hopes and dreams of millions of Americans who believe that through their own work and determination they could become an educated person and participate more fully as a worker, family member, and citizen. A
recent immigrant was observed saying: I came to America
to live the American dreamto know that I and my children can become all that we want be.
The current debate about public education is uncertain
and conflicted. It is not clear what new plans or agreements will be drafted and signed but hopefully, this great
idea of free, universally available, public education will be
preserved. It is an idea that is at the heart of the American
dream.
SUMMARY
After more than a year of discussion, focus group sessions, and conversations/interviews with many Utah educators and leaders, it has become clear that education in
Utah is facing some serious challenges. Enrollment growth
in the K12 system will continue to grow at relatively high
rates. Fall enrollment for 2011 will increase by at least
14,000 students. Higher education is seeing unprecedented
growth due in part to a weak economy and an increasing emphasis on college attendance and graduation. Both
enrollment trends will continue for the foreseeable future.
The population, in general, and the school age population
will be much more diverse in the future, and such diversity will pose additional challenges for school systems and
the state. Responding effectively to a more diverse student
body will be more costly than in the past. The economy is
undergoing dramatic changes, and the implications for the
future workforce are that workers will need higher levels
of skill and education in the future. Utah public schools
are performing at better than national averages by most
measures; but when Utah schools are compared to other
states that are most like Utah, overall performance tends
to be lower than that of peer states. These factors are not
simply assumptions that might assist future planning. They
are well documented trends and conditions that will shape
public and higher education for many years to come.
One would anticipate that policymakers at all levels
would be mobilized to address and prepare for these challenges; but in fact, the state is in a serious holding pattern.
There is no plan that gives direction to important issues;
nor is there a means for prioritizing remedies. Reducing
12

class sizes, giving teachers bonuses, or labeling schools with

letter grades pop out of the political landscape like mushrooms after a storm. After the visit of virtually any high
level consultant to the state, it follows that a new educational solution will emerge during a subsequent legislative
session. Do such strategies work and, if so, by what standards or criteria? What makes such proposals attractive
except that one or the other might be cobbled together by
certain factions within the body politic? None of this makes
sense for good educational practice, nor is there much hope
for real progress.
The Book of Proverbs (Proverbs 29:18) says it well,
Where there is no vision, the people perish. At present,
the people of Utah are not favored with a vision for education; and they need direction and leadership. At minimum,
the authorities that govern education need to collaborate
on an agenda that moves education forward and promises
a better future. Much of the leadership for this effort lies
with the governor to get the parties together on an agenda
that meets Utahs most pressing needs. The governor is
moving in this direction. At the same time, the Utah Legislature must play a more constructive and helpful role in
the future. But there is plenty of responsibility and work to
go around both within the educational community and the
larger community of church leaders, political and business
leaders, students, and parents.
The students of the state deserve it, and the states future
requires it.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Cambron-McCabe, Nelda H., Martha M. McCarthy, and
Stephen B. Thomas, Legal Rights of Teachers and Students
(2nd Edition). Allyn and Bacon, Inc. 2009.
Carnevale, Anthony, Postsecondary Education and Utahs
FutureHow to Get to Sixty-Six Percent. Center on
Education and the Workforce. Georgetown University,
February 2011.
Cremin, Lawrence 4.,1965. The Genius of American Education: Vintage Books.
The National Commission on Excellence in Education. A
Nation At Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform,
1983, United States Department of Education, Washington D.C.
Ingersoll, Richard M., Teacher Turnover and Teacher
Shortages: An Organizational Analysis American Educational Research Journal, Fall 2001, Vol. 38, No. 3.
Golden, Claudia, and Lawrence Katz, The Race Between
Education and Technology, Harvard University Press,
2008.
Governors Office of Planning and Budget. State of Utah
Tax Reform: Demographic and Economic Analysis. Salt
Lake City, Utah, April 2007.
Kendell, Richard, and David. J. Sperry, A Proposed Education Initiative for the Wheatley Institution, Report

Utah in Search of an Education Future

of Education and the Utah State Board of Regents, Salt

Lake City, Utah.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. Public Education Finance: Elementary-Secondary Per Pupil Current Spending Amounts
by State20072008. Washington, D.C. June 2010.
Utah Foundation, School Testing Results: How Utah Compares To State with Similar Demographics. Report Number 697, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 2010.
Utah State Office of Education, State Public School Enrollment and Population 19762009 and Projected 2010
2019. Salt Lake City, Utah, October 2009.
Williams, Richard N. The Wheatley Institution Initiative
on Education, 2009, Brigham Young University, Provo,
Utah.
Reports on Minority Student Achievement Include: The
National Assessment of Educational Progress, ACT and
SAT Annual Reports, and the Annual Reports of the
Utah State Superintendent of Public lnstruction.

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June 2010.
Kroes, Stephen, K12 and Higher Education Concerns:
Funding and Performance. Presented at the Utah Legislative Policy Summit, Salt Lake City, Utah, January 2010.
Perlich, Pamela S., Utahs Demographic Transformation:
A View into the Future Utah Economic and Business
Review, 2008, Vol. 68, Number 3.
Perlich, Pamela S., Long Term Demographic Trends
Impacting Higher Education in Utah Bureau of Economic and Business Research. University of Utah, May 8,
2006.
Peterson, Paul E. A Courageous Look at the American
High School, The Legacy of James Coleman Education
Next. Spring, 2010.
Sperry, David J. An Education Initiative for the State of Utah,
A Report of the Special Task Force on Teacher Shortages.
March 2007,The K16 Alliance of the Utah State Board

Utah in Search of an Education Future

13

Wheatley Papers on Education

Wheatley Publications

UTAH IN SEARCH OF AN EDUCATION FUTURE

Richard Kendell and David J. Sperry