Friday - May 07, 2010

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Most Recent Content

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Did Your Legislator Make The Grade? See Our 2010 PCE Bill Update & Check Our Report Card To See How They Voted

2010 Legislative Session in ReviewLegislative Report Card: Did your Legislator make the Grade on Innovation, Accountability and Parental Empowerment?

Parents for Choice in Education has released our Legislative Report Card. During the 2010 Session, PCE introduced and advocated for legislation that would bring more innovation, accountability, efficiency in funding, and parental empowerment to Utah's K-12 education system.

This newsletter will provide you with updated information on the final status of our bills and a link to our report card where you can learn how your elected representatives voted on PCE bills and supported legislation.

"The status quo can no longer be the standard," states Robyn Bagley, Board Chairman of Parents for Choice in Education. "K-12 education currently represents the largest expenditure in our state's budget. As we face major budget cuts and the reality that in the U.S. and right here in Utah our students continue to lag behind other industrialized nations, it's imperative for citizens to hold elected officials accountable to implement efficient, innovative, empowering solutions to education that will prepare our children for a 21st century global economy."

 

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Are Your Elected Officials Representing You?

Review our 2010 Legislative Report Card to see how they ranked - Contact them

This report card chronicles the votes by Senators and Representatives on legislation that offered real solutions to a system that needs to be more responsive to the mounting evidence that Utah is not keeping pace nor making significant gains in education outcomes. The intent of this report card is to provide information about the positions of your elected officials on critical education policy so that you, their constituents, will be empowered to demand comprehensive solutions.

Go HERE to view our REPORT CARD

We encourage you to hold your elected representatives accountable! Be sure to review the report card and see how they voted on the issues that are important to you. Then let your voice be heard. If they were supportive of those issues, be sure to thank them. If they were not, contact them and ask them for an explanation. Remember, significant improvement in education will not happen unless, you, the parents, taxpayers and citizens demand it. 

GO HERE to view PCE's 2010 Legislative Report Card

GO HERE to find out who your legislators are, their contact info, and tips on communicating with them. 

When contacting elected officials, it's appropriate to be firm, but always remember to be respectful.
 

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2010 Legislative Session Wrap Up

PCE is very pleased with the success and outcomes of our bills, sponsored by and partnered on with great legislators. We want to thank you for contacting your legislators about bills and issues that were important to you. Your participation and support is critical to the improvement and success of the education of all Utah children. We hope that through our communications we were able to engage you more and assist you in letting your voices be heard as voters, taxpayers, parents, and citizens.

Status of PCE Bills - Overview:

• Passed SB55 allowing Institutions of Higher Learning to authorize Charter Schools (creating a 3rd Authorizer in our state).
• Secured .9 million in ongoing add-backs to the Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship in a year when virtually every program experienced a budget cut, bringing total funding to $3.25 Million.
• Moved SB77, intended to stop the unethical practice by school districts of Taxpayer funded teacher's union employee salaries/benefits, through both the Senate and House, forcing a vote of all legislators to be on record.
• Began a dialogue on encouraging innovation in education by providing local school communities and principals with autonomy and greater control over their school.

Passed - Senate Bill 55
Authorization of Charter Schools by Higher Education Institutions
Chief Sponsor: Stuart Adams
House Sponsor: Greg Hughes

Allows a board of trustees of a higher education institution to authorize the establishment and operation of a charter school and specifies the responsibilities of a board of trustees that authorizes a charter school.

Go HERE to see an overview and the benefits of this bill.
 
Failed - Senate Bill 77
School District Leave Policies
Chief Sponsor: Margaret Dayton
House Sponsor: Keith Grover

Prohibits granting paid association leave. Requires reimbursement to a school district of the costs for certain employees, including benefits, for the time that the employee is on unpaid association leave.

Go HERE to see an overview and the benefits of this bill.
 
2010 Interim Study - House Bill 268
Public School Innovations
Chief Sponsor: Keith Grover
Senate Sponsor: Wayne Niederhauser

Allows a school or group of schools in a school district to create an innovation plan and adopt the plan upon approval by the local school board and State Board of Education. Encourages innovation in education by providing local school communities and principals with autonomy and greater control over levels of staffing, personnel selection and evaluation scheduling, and educational programming with the goal of achieving improved student achievement. Provides a means to gain waivers from district policies, state policies, and collective bargaining agreements.

Go HERE to see an overview and the benefits of this bill.
 
Secured .9 million in ongoing add-backs - Senate Bill 2
Carson Smith Special Needs Scholarship
Appropriations

The Executive Appropriations Committee should not cut funding to this program to relieve budget shortfalls; it is counterintuitive. Policymakers should recognize that the cost of a scholarship to the taxpayer is significantly lower than the cost for the student to attend public school, saving the taxpayer dollars. Most importantly, the Carson Smith Scholarship allows Utah families to choose the best education option to fit their child's unique needs. In fact, the recent legislative audit showed 100% satisfaction with the Carson Smith Program.

Go HERE to see how this program is impacting students in Utah.

 

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A Note from Our Board Chair - Governor's Education Excellence Commission

 

Dear Friends of PCE,
 
Many of you may have heard about Governor Herbert's Education Excellence Commission. During the last days of the session there were a few stories speculating on the intent and outcome of this intimate workgroup. One particular issue that rose to the surface was equalization of funding in some form that would create uniform equity for every child. This makes us hopeful as Backpack funding (dollars that follow the child) is one of PCE's top initiatives.  

What you may not know is that PCE is one of the few groups invited to participate on this commission - As Board Chair, I was personally asked to represent our organization, which includes a database of over 240,000 supporters throughout the state. We are very optimistic about the work this commission will be tasked with. The commission is scheduled to meet through the next legislative session in 2011. Our next monthly meeting is scheduled for May 24.
 
If you have specific feedback, please don't hesitate to let us know. We want to engage our supporters in this process and you can expect to see future communications, including feedback surveys to compliment the work this commission is tasked with doing.
 
We sincerely appreciate the support you extend to our movement. Education reform and innovation is not a battle you win overnight; however, we continue to experience success and substantial strides forward as illustrated during the 2010 legislative session.

We're grateful for the opportunity we have to be actively involved in carrying out the noble mission of Parents for Choice in Education, and you can count on our continued commitment to ensure that every child has equal access to a quality education.
 
Warmest Regards,

Robyn Bagley
Board Chair

News Stories:
Governor Herbert Website- Press Release HERE 3/22
Deseret News- Gov. Herbert Launches Education Commission HERE 3/25
KSL- Governor Launches Education Reform Study Group HERE 3/26
KUTV- Commission To Address Problems In Utah Schools HERE 3/24