I have a difficult time understanding how a man with Mr. Stevenson’s experience can be so ignorant about public education. Howard Stevenson needs to spend several days in classrooms across the state (that’s days, not minutes). Perhaps then he will understand that the teachers, and their professional associations, are not the problem – they are the solution. He may also begin to understand that the problems faced in the typical Utah classroom are not the result of an abundance of poor teachers, they are the result of a society that is cutting itself adrift from the values and standards upon which this great nation was founded. Perhaps that will lead Mr. Stevenson to put his time and effort into legislation that helps solves the problems we face in public education instead of creating additional problems.

I have a difficult time understanding how a man with Mr. Stevenson’s experience can be so ignorant about public education. Howard Stevenson needs to spend several days in classrooms across the state (that’s days, not minutes). Perhaps then he will understand that the teachers, and their professional associations, are not the problem – they are the solution. He may also begin to understand that the problems faced in the typical Utah classroom are not the result of an abundance of poor teachers, they are the result of a society that is cutting itself adrift from the values and standards upon which this great nation was founded. Perhaps that will lead Mr. Stevenson to put his time and effort into legislation that helps solves the problems we face in public education instead of creating additional problems.

Sen. Stephenson implies that he values math/science yet is incapable of showing, with any scientific research, that collective bargaining is causing any of the problems he thinks it is.  His proposal is a solution in search of a problem (or more likely just another attack on unions and teachers, despite his plea to the contrary).  He ignores the scientific research that shows that performance pay and extrinsic motivators do not work in schools or for many types of work that are similar to teaching (see the Vanderbilt study and Daniel Pink’s review).

He leads the education wing of the legislature that has continuously underfunded education to the tune of being LAST in the nation.  If Sen. Stephenson could invest in a company whose costs/resource use were the LEAST of any of its competitors in the marketplace yet produced above average outcomes (revenue) he’d be overjoyed, I’m sure, and be proposing it as a model for the world.  Yet when Utah education produces above average results with the LEAST funding in the nation and highest class sizes, he does not praise the amazing job that teachers/staff must be doing nor does he suggest that what’s happening in public education should be replicated.  Instead he attacks it at every turn.

Sen. Stephenson forgets that he is a public servant.  He is not serving the public good.  He may be serving his base and his lobbyists, but he’s not serving the public good when it comes to education.

Perhaps if he treated himself and others the way he treats teachers he might gain some insight.  I challenge Sen. Stephenson to introduce legislation that allows the public to evaluate them on a yearly basis.  This test will allow us to pay some legislators more than others, as some are obviously doing a better job and it will improve competition between legislators.  He also should propose that this should be the case for police, fire, and military.  He should also propose tax credits for individuals or families that want to opt out of having their legislator be paid because they’d rather use that money to hire a private lobbyist or lawyer to represent them and their family.

I don’t have enough room to point out all the poor logic and lack of empirical evidence in the poor rhetoric used by Stevenson and his colleagues.  It’s just sad that people such as this are in decision making roles for anything associated with education.