‘We love our students’: Utah teachers walk, demand education spending increase

SALT LAKE CITY — A sea of teachers, parents and students decked in red paused as they reached the steps of the Utah Capitol on Friday afternoon. The group of at least a thousand people wanted to let lawmakers know they believe more has to be done to fund Utah schools.

“You left us no choice. We have to use our teacher's voice,” they chanted outside the building. By the time the group flooded the rotunda, they yelled “start with 6!” in reference to a request of a 6% increase to the state’s weighted pupil unit, which would mean about $200 million in new funding.

“We just feel like the Legislature needs to fund education in a better way so that we can get more counselors, more mental health services for our students, paraeducators that stay in our classrooms and help support our teachers, and substitutes that come in when teachers need sick leave or something,” said Mike Harman, a counselor in the Salt Lake City School District and Salt Lake Education Association vice president. “Oftentimes, our kids are left with people that can’t get substitutes in our classrooms, so we need to increase funding to provide those supports.”

Utah currently spends $3.8 billion on public education, which is 37% more than it did five years ago, Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson noted Wednesday after the march and protest were announced. On top of that, the Teacher and Student Success Act Program was created and provided nearly $99 million in ongoing funds to school districts and charter schools to enhance teacher compensation, retention and other school-level priorities, he added.

Teacher salaries have also risen over the time span. While the pay increases have been nice, teachers say it’s still not addressing the other alarming needs in Utah’s schools.

The Census Bureau rated Utah dead last in the U.S. in per-pupil spending, the Deseret News reported in 2015. State lawmakers approved a 4% increase to the value of the weighted pupil unit during the 2019 legislative session; but even with the extra spending, the bureau still listed Utah last in per-pupil spending in its 2019 report.

Those with the Salt Lake Education Association planned a rally to center around their proposal, which would increase student spending by more than $1,200 per pupil.

On Friday, many Utah teachers, parents and students said they had had enough. They responded by taking it to the streets. The group gathered at the Wallace F. Bennett Federal Building in downtown Salt Lake City and marched up State Street toward the Capitol. Nearly all of them were dressed in red, which is the color associated with education causes. Many brought with them signs with messages supporting more funding and helping students.

And they marched with catchy slogans like “Hey-hey! Ho-ho! Education funding has to grow!” and “Show me what democracy looks like? This is what democracy looks like!”

As they reached the Capitol rotunda, some Utah legislators stepped outside of the Senate and House chambers to snag a photo of the red sea swarming the building. The chants from teachers echoed loudly throughout the building.

The teachers who attended said they’ve recently experienced issues related to funding shortages. Mindy Layton, who teaches fourth, fifth and sixth grade immigrant and refugee students in Utah’s schools, said her students sometimes struggle to learn because of situations at home.

“I’m spending my time ensuring my children are fed. Yesterday, I had a student asking for ramen noodles — we have a loss of learning because our kids are hungry,” she said. “Our students need us to be their voices. We are their voice. That’s why we’re here.”

Meanwhile, John Arthur, a sixth grade teacher at Meadowlark Elementary in Salt Lake City, said it’s been difficult to find substitute teachers. In general, he said the recent increases in state funding have been nice, but they aren’t enough.

“We love our students, and this is for them,” he said. “It is impossible for us to say we have done right by our kids. Anybody who says a small increase year after year is doing the job is completely missing the whole point. When you’re lying face down at the bottom of the pile and someone says, ‘You’re doing better and better each year,’ it is hard to feel you are making actual progress.”

Sens. Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City, and Derek Kitchen, D-Salt Lake City, were among the lawmakers who spoke to the crowd during the event. They were followed by a West High sophomore.

“I’m so proud of every single person that’s here but also disappointed that we have to be here. As a high schooler … education is the only thing a student has. It’s the only thing we have in our entire lives," she said. “I know that the only reason I’m standing at this podium today is because of my teachers. And I think it’s so shocking to me that our entire future is in this building right now, and we’re fighting for ourselves, but we’re fighting for our future generations. Because, ultimately, even though we may make the rules, it is only those who follow us who can create something that’s bigger and larger than we have now.”

Those who participated hope their message was delivered; however, they aren’t entirely sure it was. The Legislature will have until March 12 to settle all state funding.

“You know you’ve been heard, but you’re not sure you’ve been listened to,” Arthur said. “I hope that (the legislators) recognize that this rotunda has been filled with just good, big-hearted people who love kids and are insisting on funding education at a level that would allow us to meet their needs.”

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