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SALT LAKE CITY — Groups across the nation rallied July 28 and 29 against policies they view as hurting public education, and activists in Utah were among them.
These teachers think bad public policy is getting in the way of good teaching.
"I'm hoping to create a forum for educators to respond to the direction that education policy is heading in," said Doni Faber, local organizer of the Save Our Schools March and National Call to Action.
Faber said anti-teachers union sentiment is being spouted off increasingly by lawmakers, and she wants the public to hear from teachers why unions are important to the profession and helpful to learning environments.
These teachers fear their profession is under attack, and that the legislature aims to take away their collective bargaining rights and cut their funding, They are also hoped to shed light on preventing the corporate takeover of public schools, and bringing an end to "high-stakes testing" to evaluate teachers and schools, among other issues.
"Nationally, we're concerned about an unequal distribution of funding to states," Faber said. "Locally, of course we are in support of the Ogden teachers. … We're very concerned about the attack on collective bargaining rights."
Faber said anti-teachers union sentiment is being spouted off increasingly by lawmakers, and she wants the public to hear from teachers why unions are important to the profession and helpful to learning environments.
"We hear very little in the legislature about the importance of teachers. It's more negative," said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, (D) Holladay, who offered a "teach-in" in conjunction with the rally at the Salt Lake City Public Library
Those who rallied were concerned that too much of the ongoing discussion about standards in the classroom focuses on the bad teachers, rather than those that excel. They say they don't fear tougher standards, but the criteria should include their input.
"Teachers are the creative spark. You can't have a good school without good teachers. You can't have a great student without great teachers," said Moss.
A national march will be held Saturday in Washington, D.C., while local groups like Utah's showed support in their communities
Story written by [Molly Farmer](<mailto: mfarmer@ksl.com>) and [Jed Boal](<mailto: jpoal@ksl.com>)
