Happy Friday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
Happy new school year to all you educators, parents and students.
This past spring, local teacher Roger Donohoe wrote that “due to politics and lack of autonomy, I’m being forced to leave a profession I love.”
I wanted to hear from other educators in the state who might feel similarly. Here’s what they said about whether they’ve thought about leaving their profession.
“I teach humanities in an elementary school,” writes Norah in Clearfield. “I’m working on getting my degree but have recently changed it to something outside of education. Behavior issues are my main reason for wanting out — and, talking to coworkers, it’s the same for them. The behaviors and disrespect from students and parents not caring what they do when they are in school has left us all burned out. My plan is two more years while I finish my degree, and then I’m saying goodbye to education.”
“I love teaching and plan on staying,” said Mark in West Jordan. “I teach at a different school from my daughter so that I can pay her tuition.”
“Yes, I have considered leaving, but the benefits outweigh the disadvantages for me,” writes Ashley in Ogden. “I am a part time teacher with four kids. Two of my kids attend the school that I am at, and I love teaching them. In the last few years, Ogden School District has put a lot of work into increasing teacher salaries, so I am paid a decent wage and get years towards retirement. Some of the disadvantages is the cost of having my two youngest in daycare half of the week and the price of inflation is still difficult for our family to juggle everything financially. We also don’t have health insurance through my work, and my husband is self-employed so we have to go to the marketplace for insurance. That has been expensive, but better than nothing!”
“Yes,” says Donald in Provo. “I can’t live in a state that prevents me from trying to discover who each individual student really is on the inside. If we don’t allow our students to be their true selves, we are complicit in the oppression of our state’s children. Our government officials are more concerned with bullying students for using the bathroom they identify with than educating them.”
“Yes,” says Mike in Eagle Mountain. “There are a number of things that have caused me to consider leaving. There have also been some improvements. The largest factors are salary, workload and the Legislature passing crappy education bills they know nothing about. Salary has improved dramatically. At the same time, workload and ridiculous legislative action are getting worse every year.”
“I left before this school year after 7 years,” Emily in West Jordan. “It’s not safe for queer teachers to exist without fear of discrimination. I could get written up or fired for even mentioning that my fiancé exists because we are both women. Parents have been given far too much power to accuse teachers of things, demand books and social emotional curriculum be banned, demand to interrupt lessons, etc. … Children are so far behind on social skills and academic knowledge post pandemic and behavior instances are at an alarmingly high rate.”
“I left teaching science and math a year ago,” writes Dean in Vernal. “I taught for 18 years and had a master’s degree. Last year I made $40,000 more than the previous year. I love my job now. They treat me like a professional and make work enjoyable again. I miss teaching and watching students grow and learn, but I don’t miss the crap piled on by administrators because they read a book or attended a workshop … I loved the teaching profession but it is moving from teaching and helping students actually learn and prepare for the next level to presenting and passing so that the principal and district administration look good.”
Speaking of classrooms, I want to hear about what you think about book bans. Who — and how — should those decisions be made? Let me know.
(The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) A solar-paneled meetinghouse in Farmington.
Utah Voices
The following excerpts come from op-eds recently published in The Tribune.
“Utah has a unique asset that could enable it to accelerate rather than slow its transition to renewable energy while simultaneously reducing the cost of energy,” write Jeb McCandless and Devin Thorpe. “The state has a large number of churches, which sit under some of the best sunshine in the country.” Read more.
“Above all, Utahns deserve elected officials who restore and to maintain our trust in government,” write Judith Pinborough-Zimmerman and Ronald Mortensen. “So, let’s have timely, independent investigations into reports of government corruption and malfeasance rather than more stonewalling to protect those in power.” Read more.
“Many people specifically point to the Bible to substantiate anti-abortion positions, though, when read, there’s no real talk of abortion in the Bible,” writes the Rev. J Sylvan. “As a progressive minister and occasional Bible-nerd, I believe there is timeless wisdom contained in scripture as well as human error. But if we want to use this flawed-yet-irrefutably-foundational religious text as inspiration for modern moral laws regarding family planning, I find it much more useful to look at pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood in the Bible. Now, that is something the Bible has a lot to say about.” Read more.
“When homes, groups, organizations, and societies shift to what is called a ‘Partnership System,’ violence decreases and all members of families and communities better thrive,” writes Susan R. Madsen. “This includes respect for all contributions including household management, childcare, volunteer work and caregiving work more generally — which is as critical and important as paid contributions. The trouble is that a lot of people and entities say they value these things, but the deeper culture does not — words versus actions.” Read more.
“Lawmakers should not bail out bad actors,” writes Amy Johnston. “Instead, they should target the problem at its source and hold companies like Facebook and Match accountable by requiring them to keep underage users off of their dangerous apps.” Read more.
“Engaging with FLDS community leaders is crucial for the success of any healthcare initiative,” writes Utah medical student Jacob Taylor. “These leaders can provide insights into the community’s needs and help facilitate accepting external healthcare services. Building partnerships and collaborations with local religious and community leaders can also ensure that interventions are culturally sensitive and more readily accepted.” Read more.
(Illustration by Christopher Cherrington | The Salt Lake Tribune)
Share Your Perspective
Utah often ranks as one of the worst states for women. I want to hear from you: What would it take to feel more like equals?
From Bagley’s Desk
Pest Control | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.
