Editor:

How many faculty members within the U’s College of Education department have taught in the public schools of Utah for a significant period of time?During my experience within this college, the greatest complaint of graduate level students who were practicing teachers is that the department members have little if any real public school teaching experience.

Public school teachers are required to continue their education year after year to maintain their teaching certificates.Some will use district level professional development programs, but most use the U to accomplish this. Everyone knows this is costly and requires a great deal of time on top of a daily, eight-hour teaching assignment, grading student projects and trying to have a life.The U has made this even more difficult when it recently decided to no longer honor Utah’s HB211,which requires universities to allow public school teachers to enroll in classes at areduced tuition, with the State Office of Education reimbursing the university for the remaining costs.

In summary, the U has made it difficult and onerous for public school educators to attend the U.How can it say it is trying to help the educators?What benefit is a meeting going to have?District administrators can collect data for years, but until the professional in the classroom is able to progress, student learning cannot be enhanced.

N. Eric Heiselt

Alumnus