Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Our spring member drive has ended, but it's not too late to give. You have the power to help fund the essential journalism that keeps us all informed. Help us close the gap on our spring fundraising goal! GIVE NOW

Crowded Classrooms, Few Resources Among Utah Teacher Concerns

mackinac.org

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sydnee Dickson is on what she calls a “listening tour” throughout Utah to hear from parents and educators. After making a stop on Friday in Logan, she said that many teachers have expressed concern over school infrastructure wearing thin.

“Some of the common themes were funding, teachers are feeling very overwhelmed by high class sizes, lack of resources and support,” Dickson said. “There was also conversation about having better relationships among policyholders, stakeholders, teachers, and thinking about how we can all work together to improve education rather than either fighting for scarce resources or around policy decisions.”

Recently, a change in the state’s school evaluation system raised eyebrows when some high schools saw their institutional scores downgraded. Dickson said that the changes are a part of an improving educational system and thus a higher standard being used to measure schools.

“The very thing we’ve tried to help teachers and parents look at is, what’s going on in your school? If you see growth and you see movement occurring, that’s really the upward trajectory that we’re looking for. We’re seeing that across the state,” she said. “Really paying attention to that data and looking then at who’s learning in your school and who’s not and what can I do about it. Those are the conversations that we hope that this elicits, not so much on a single grade.”

Dickson was selected as superintendent back in June.