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Sammy Linebaugh reportingThe annual UEA convention kicks off this morning at the Salt Palace, and along with it, a new campaign called "No Excuses."
One of the biggest challenges for educators, ironically, is getting people to listen. Most agree, education is important. But getting them to take personal initiative in improving schools can take creativity.
And to that end, a new campaign officially kicks off today, called "No Excuses."
UEA President Pat Rusk cites the need for more grass roots involvement in education, and education advocacy. A number of town meetings have been happening across the state the past several months, and there are more to come, to mobilize parents, teachers, and others in the cause of bettering learning opportunities for Utah children.
Rusk says it's time to put the public back in public schools, and by that, she also means better public funding.
It's no secret Utah spends less per student than just about every other state. According to UEA numbers, per pupil spending is down to 62% of the national average.
And, of the 428 million dollars in income tax revenue available for K-12 public schools in the year 2005, less than one-third, according to the UEA, has actually been allocated by the legislature for K-12 schools.
It's UEA's purpose to advocate for schools and teachers and, of course, the kids. The annual convention -- open to the public-- also looks for ways to improve teaching by hosting the workshops and looking for ways to improve the learning process, classroom by classroom.
The UEA convention kicks off at 9:30 this morning at the Salt Palace.
