Education

Utah Thrives: Teacher Compensation

Written by: Dan Bammes

A pair of recent research reports by Utah Foundation revealed that teacher pay in Utah has not kept pace with a booming state economy, and that its retirement system has some unique features that are an important part of overall compensation. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear from a Steve Dimond, a school district administrator responsible for hiring teachers in an increasingly competitive environment. We’ll also hear from Utah Foundation Vice President and … Continued

Utah Thrives: Paying for Water

Written by: Dan Bammes

What’s the best way for communities in Utah to share the cost of providing water? How can municipalities and water districts encourage users to conserve so in the long run, there will be enough to go around? Utah Foundation looked at those questions in a new series of research reports. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we’ll hear from Research Analyst Christopher Collard, along with Ron Thompson from the Washington County Water Conservancy District, Tom … Continued

2019 Utah Ethical Leadership Awards

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Utah Foundation was a finalist at the sixth annual Utah Ethical Leadership Awards on Friday, September 6th. This program is designed to recognize organizations that embody the spirit of ethical leadership exhibited by Bill Daniels, who was a founder of the modern cable industry and former owner of the Utah Stars. Bill Daniels believed deeply in ethics and integrity. “The finalists and awardees are a great representation of Utah’s principle-based ethical leadership.” – Utah Governor … Continued

Getting clear on K-12 spending, outcomes – and goals

Written by: Peter Reichard

When the question of K-12 spending comes up in public policy circles, someone is bound to mention: “We spend the least per student in the nation.” Though ranking last may induce shame, the real issue is not how much we spend on schools. Rather, it’s how well the schools perform. Utah Foundation launched a series of reports on K-12 spending nearly two years ago, exploring issues ranging from funding for students at risk of academic … Continued

Utah Thrives: Education Outcomes

Written by: Dan Bammes

You might think, because Utah spends less per student in our public schools than any other state, that the results our students achieve in the classroom would also be low compared to states that spend more. But that’s not true. A new research report from Utah Foundation looks at measures of education outcomes, from standardized tests to graduation rates. It shows Utah students are doing as well or better than their counterparts in both the … Continued

When considering teacher compensation, don’t forget the retirement benefits

Written by: Peter Reichard

It has been said that John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address inspired a generation to consider public service. But for those going into public service today, Kennedy’s words might be rephrased: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country — and be sure to ask about the pension benefits.” That’s because, in the decades since Kennedy, the public and private sectors in the U.S. have taken … Continued

Rapid growth brings challenges – and the opportunity to leave a legacy

Written by: Peter Reichard

This state’s powerhouse economic growth has made it the envy of other states and is one of the key features of life in today’s Utah. But with that growth comes challenges and a constant stream of pivotal development decisions. It puts land use decision making at center stage in the theater of public policy. Utah Foundation addresses the importance of development decisions in a new report, Building a Better Beehive: Land Use Decision Making, Fiscal … Continued

Utah’s Quality of Life – Housing Affordability – Video

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Utah Foundation occasionally surveys Utahns in an effort to understand how they feel about both their community and their personal quality of life. This video describes Utahns’ view of housing affordability — and looks at the numbers that may be influencing those views. This is all described in further detail in our report What’s the View from Your House? Housing Affordability Concerns in Utah. For the full Quality of Life Index, read Utah Foundation Quality … Continued

Utah Thrives: Robert Putnam

Written by: Dan Bammes

Harvard political science professor Robert Putnam talks with Dan Bammes and Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard about the idea of social capital — the central idea of his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. He also talks about his more recent book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, that looks at the growing gap between wealthy American families and others who’ve found education and social mobility much harder to … Continued

New data show Utah still last in nation in per-pupil spending

Written by: Shawn Teigen

Is Utah still last in the nation in per-pupil spending? Yes. Census data released on May 21 show that Utah is still last at $7,179. Nonetheless, spending has been on the increase in Utah and nationally. In fact, U.S. per-pupil spending has increased for five straight years. It now stands at $12,201 per student. That puts Utah at 59% of the national average. But how are Utah students performing? Future Utah Foundation research will look … Continued