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SALT LAKE CITY — "The very best thing we can do for our students in the state is put the best possible teacher in front of them," says Rep. Brad Last, R-Hurricane.
He and other members of the House's interim education committee have been working to increase funds for professional development for years. During the great recession these funds were greatly reduced and they are still not back to pre-recession levels.
House Bill 28 seeks to restore some of those funds, $30 million dollars worth. In 2014, Last passed HB 320 which established standards for professional learning, HB 28 would help fund those standards.
"There's so much changing all the time in education," said Last. "Take technology for example … if we put technology in a classroom and that teacher has not had quality professional development about how to use that technology we are going to be flushing that technology down the drain."
Acting state superintendent Sydney Dickson agrees with the importance of professional development and said the state is looking at professional development "at a deeper level" beyond traditional workshops. She described the research that went into the development of professional standards and emphasized that professional development "happens best at a local level when they look at student data and needs."
The Utah Educational Association seconds the importance of professional development, but not at the cost of the weighted pupil unit (WPU). Mike Kelley, UEA director of communications, said, "UEA feels that the money is best placed on the WPU so local school districts can decide (how) to distribute those funds. UEA supports Rep. Last's efforts to restore that money" but, Kelley emphasizes that the UEA feels elected school boards should determine what is best for their districts.
To learn more about HB 28 see: http://le.utah.gov/~2016/bills/static/HB0028.html
To learn more about technology in education at the Utah Legislature see: https://www.ksl.com/?sid=38063624&nid=1012Carrie Rogers-Whitehead can be reached at rogers-whitehead@hotmail.com
