Education

Investments in ‘at-risk’ students falling short of national benchmarks

Written by: Peter Reichard

In the K-12 education arena, battle lines can be drawn in numerous areas: curriculum content, school choice, teacher qualifications, school taxes, governance – the list goes on. But one area in which there is broad consensus is the notion that, to the extent feasible, impediments to student success ought to be lifted. Each child ought to have a fair shot at academic achievement. That challenge is a top concern of the Governor’s Education Excellence Commission, … Continued

Utah Thrives: Funding for Utah’s At-risk Students

Written by: Dan Bammes

When the Education Excellence Commission convened by Governor Gary Herbert looked at ways to improve Utah’s public schools, it spent a lot of time talking about students at risk of academic failure. How to pay for the extra help they need to catch up to their peers, what programs are in place and who pays for them, is the subject of a new research report from Utah Foundation. In this episode of Utah Thrives, we … Continued

A Visit to the Asylum for the Politically Deranged

Written by: Peter Reichard

While out walking the other night, I came upon a gray, severe building. Over the doorway were the words, “Asylum for the Politically Deranged.” A white-coated doctor appeared at the door. “Good evening,” he said. “Would you like to tour our facility?” I followed him down a long hallway. In the first room patients were gazing out the windows. I could hear them mumbling, “It works in Portland” and “It works in Scandinavia.” “This is … Continued

Utah Thrives – Income Tax Changes

Written by: Dan Bammes

It was called the Jones-Mascaro bill, after Democratic State Representative Pat Jones and Republican Representative Steve Mascaro. The idea was to limit the income tax break that large families were getting under Utah law. Over a dozen years, the legislature rejected the idea time after time. But now, thanks to the tax reform enacted by Congress and the response of the Utah legislature to those changes, a policy similar to Jones-Mascaro is in place – … Continued

Sorting out Utah’s public school spending puzzle

Written by: Peter Reichard

Among the qualities that define Utahns is a devotion to family – the latter of which is manifest in our average household size and the share of our population under 18, both the largest in the U.S. Another quality is Utahns’ strong sense of civic pride. So it’s not surprising that when people are reminded that our K-12 education spending per pupil is the lowest in the nation, a lot of folks get up in … Continued

What’s Utah Doing Right?

Written by: Peter Reichard

Scanning the indicators for economically successful states, any objective observer would need to pause on Utah. As Utah Foundation recently outlined in part of the 2018 Economic Report to the Governor, the state stacks up very favorably in national and regional comparisons. Looking at 2013 through 2016, the most recent three-year period with complete data, Utah Foundation found that our state ranked second in the nation for GDP growth, with an eye-opening annual growth rate … Continued

Utah Thrives – Education Roadmap

Written by: Dan Bammes

For the past several years, the Governor’s Education Excellence Commission has been working on a long-term plan for education in Utah, starting with pre-school and continuing through college. With its publication at the end of November, Governor Gary Herbert outlined a series of goals to guide legislators, school board members and other decision makers in policy decisions over the next ten years. At a Utah Foundation event in December, Governor Herbert’s education deputy, Tami Pyfer, … Continued

Utah Thrives – Technical Education

Written by: Dan Bammes

As he announced his budget proposal for the coming year, Governor Gary Herbert proclaimed 2018 the Year of Technical Education in Utah. He set the goal of leading the nation in the number of students completing a high-quality technical education. His budget proposal includes more than nine million dollars in new funding for the institutions that provide it. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we hear from the head of Utah’s System of Technical Colleges, … Continued

Utah Thrives — Training a Skilled Workforce

Written by: Dan Bammes

The focus of education in Utah seems to be pushing students to graduate from high school and move on to academic degree programs. But many businesses in Utah are having difficulty finding workers with the right skills to fill open positions. In this edition of Utah Thrives, we look at programs being developed in Utah’s colleges and by business groups to help match up students with opportunities — and jobs that sometimes go begging. We … Continued

Utah Thrives: Education Funding

Written by: Dan Bammes

Utah Foundation published a report in November, 2016 looking closely at the evolution of funding for Utah’s public schools over the past 20 years. Getting By with Less: Two Decades of K-12 Education Revenue and Spending pointed out that changes in the state’s tax structure over time had resulted in a net funding shortfall of more than $1.2 billion annually in spite of recent allocations of funding meant to keep pace with enrollment growth and … Continued