Under the Dome Reaction

The following is a reaction from Denise Fountain Willmore of Bountiful Elementary to her day spent at the legislature last Wednesday.

"I really enjoyed my experience at the State Capital on Wednesday. I now realize the importance of being involved and to express my opinion to the decision makers in the state.

"I had the opportunity to speak with Representative Roger Barrus about the latest retirement bill. He expressed to me that he supports the retirement bill because he feels that the current retirement system is costing the state an enormous amount of money. He believes that the new system would allow new teachers to have more of a choice in regard to how long they stay and would be able to transfer their money when they leave their job. He also expressed wanting to offer teachers a higher salary but retirement would have to be cut in order to do this.

"I expressed to Representative Barrus that I recently moved to Utah from Colorado and was faced with taking a $25,000 reduction in pay. The retirement benefit that Utah offers made the pay cut a little less painful. In addition, if they are going to cut the retirement, when will they be increasing wages for teachers? (There is nothing in legislation at this time that is addressing increasing pay. )

"Overall, I felt like Representative Barrus heard what I had to say. I do not think that it will change his vote but perhaps it will make him aware that teachers do care about their profession. I walked away from my experience realizing the importance of owning my voice and expressing my passion for a profession that I love. The bottom line is the kids that we teach. If we are not able to attract exceptional candidates into the profession of teaching or lose teachers to nearby states that have higher compensation plans, the children in the state of Utah are ultimately the ones who will suffer."

Five more Davis educators are scheduled to attend the next Under the Dome which will be Friday, March 5.

Gambling with Schoolchildren's Future

Follow this link to read an opinion piece in The Salt Lake Tribune written by Viewmont High teacher Hollie Barenz.

http://www.sltrib.com/opinion/ci_14477967

Retirement Information

There is a good summary on UEA Under the Dome. Follow this link:

http://www.utea.org/politicsLegislation/legislativeInformation/index.htm

Members should have also received two emails from Joel with more information.

House Acts on Retirement

Susan, Joel and Pat are sitting in the House chamber watching them vote on the Tier II system as amended six times. It will pass the House and go back to the Senate. Details will be posted here later today.

Two Retirement Bills Move Through Committee

Wednesday, February 24, two of the proposed changes to the Utah Retirement System were voted out of the House Retirement and Independent Entities Committee and sent to the House for action. The two bills currently moving through the legislature affect new hires after July 1, 2011 and retirees returning to work after July 1, 2010. Neither of those bills impact current employees or people currently rehired.

Please continue to contact your House members to encourage them to send the bills to interim committees for study. Based simply on the number and complexity of anticipated amendments in the House, further study seems to be warranted on this matter. The two bills are scheduled for debate Friday morning at 10:30.

Legislative Activity Dominates the Coming Week

Monday, February 22, begins early at 8:00 AM with a House Revenue and Taxation Committee meeting where proposed changes to the income tax code will be discussed. That is where Joel and Pat will start the week. The DEA Executive board will meet at 4:00 PM for updates on the legislature and other DEA business.

Wednesday, February 24, will once again be UEA Educators on the Hill. Several Davis educators will join the UEA and DEA lobbying teams for a day filled with legislative observation and contacts. Following that day of activity will be a meeting of the Membership Committee at 4:00 PM.

The only thing that is constant at the DEA office is change. We start every week knowing that what is planned for the week will have to be adjusted to accommodate new legislative developments, concerns called in from schools, and unexpected meetings with legislators and candidates.

Be sure to check here for continuing updates and visit UEA Under the Dome for help with contacting legislators and keeping up-to-date on the latest news.

Concerned about the Future

Yesterday, I had a call from a recently retired teacher. She wanted to point out a concern she had with some language in our negotiated agreement and how it had impacted her. I listened carefully to be sure I understood what she needed from me, but she didn't want me to do anything. At least, she didn't have a personal concern she wanted my help with. She was calling to point out something we should look into for the future. She was looking out for the teacher who took her place and all of the other teachers still in the classrooms of Davis School District and for those yet to come.

As I listened and finally understood why she was calling, I began to realize the reason why there is a disconnect between how current public employees have reacted to the proposed changes to the Utah Retirement System and how many legislators expected us to react. When legislators point out to us that changes for current employees are minimal, they expect us to say "Thank you," and disappear. While we are grateful that the obligations to current employees will be honored, we are still very concerned about how the proposed changes would impact the classrooms we leave behind when we retire.

It has become increasingly difficult to attract and retain teachers to Utah classrooms. Although the current unemployment rate has temporarily decreased that problem, as soon as the jobless rate declines the shortage will return. With a lessened commitment to an adequate retirement which has always kept some teachers in the classroom and attracted others, that anticipated shortage is likely to worsen. That is why we have not disappeared. As hard as it is for some to believe, we care about the future teachers and want them to be the best and the brightest for the students waiting to enter the schools we care about so much.

A commitment to education is a commitment to the past, the present and the future of Utah's schools and students.