Show VERNAL VAL Cancel Delegation of Authority Resident Utah Teachers Many statements and arguments arguments ments have been made con con- concerning concerning needs and require require- requirements ments necessary to maintain and upgrade our schools inthe in inthe the State of Utah A strictly give it or else policy has been undertaken by the Utah Educational Association thru authority delegated to them by a power of attorney from the school teachers themselves By this delegation delegation tion of authority to act in their name and in their be- be behalf behalf half the school teachers of the State of Utah have established established themselves as a Union and have threatened to strike against the State if those demands mands are arc not met in full j de-j I NOW WISH to quote for i you in case you ou have not al- al already al already ready read it from the Deseret et News of July 3 1963 j DeSer-j under undera a Detroit headline where the national convention for the National Education Association Association tion is being held There Th le is a determination on the part of the teachers to have a larger voice in all lev- lev levels els of making decision con con- concerning concerning the schools They not only want to secure a more powerful bargaining position I irs in regard tet salaries they want to have a greater voice irs in setting the school curriculum I stan stan- standards standards determining urn um and in dards of teacher preparation and certification In short the teachers seen seem to be driving for almost total tota control of the education system tern tem holding that as they are the individuals individuals best qualified to deter deter- determine determine mine what Johnny is to b study what methods are to tobe t be used irs in the process and an how teachers should be re recruited trained disciplined and paid BL Y at no previous time in NEA history has a state affiliate embarked on or such dramatic action as has ha the In challenging a de decision of the state legislature I de-I or advocating statewide with with- withholding withholding holding of services to win financial increases One veteran observer here herc feels that the teachers no now are striving for a profession al education system as corn com compared pared with the public system tern tem we now have This anal anal- analyst sees the ultimate result as removing the schools from control of local lay boards and putting them Into the hands of professional educators educators tors Again I wish to quote from the Deseret News of of July 4 1963 the quotation being a statement made by Dr Rich Rich- Richard Richard ard B Kennan executive secretary of the NEA Corn Com Commission mission on Professional Rights and Responsibilities at ata ata a discussion of professional sanctions THE LEGISLATURE had voted funds to make possible substantial increases in sam sam- salaries ries for school employees employees- the largest in- in increase increase crease In school support ever voted by one Utah legisla- legisla legislature legislature ture But the members of the UBA were acting in support of at a program for improve improve- improvement improvement ment of conditions irs in the schools the associations attorney had warned their teachers of the dangers of the action but it was evident I that the teachers were deter deter- determined determined mined to take extensive risks in order to secure improved conditions in Utah schools In all fairness to the State of utah it should be noted that Utah makes a greater per capita effort to support the public schools than practical practical- practically ly all of the th other states This Is largely offset by the facts that 1 Utah has more school age pupils per family than most states 2 Utah has few few- fewer fewer er children in private and parochial schools than most of the states The foregoing quotations state quite clearly the reasons for the taken by the Utah Educational Association Association tion and they state quite plainly the ultimate aims and Intentions of the to auto auto- autocratically autocratically take over the full control of the educational system in the state of utah They have made extreme demands of the legislature to appropriate money from state funds that are not available nor can they constitutionally be made available The school schoolchildren schoolchildren children of the the- State of utah are made hostages for these Impossible demands I sug- sug suggest suggest gest a statewide referendum be held to show to the the attitude of the parents 3 and the taxpayers with reo re- re gards to these unreasonable demands IN ALL OF the statements made by the in support of their demands for increased increased ed school curricula of ed supervisory requirements for increased visual aids etc there has never been one idea advanced as to how all these things were to be paid for If the is so smart that it can demand all of these things they should also be smart enough to outline a means of pay pay- paying paying ing for these things The parents of Utah want everything they can afford in inthe inthe the way of better E education but will not bankrupt the state and themselves to do it They will riot not kill the hen that lays the golden egg They will not turn the educational system over to the teachers to teach what they will when and how the they will The foundation of society and the backbone of the na- na nation nation tion lies in the home and the people of the State of Utah and the people of this nation ar are not going to allow the National Educational Asso- Asso Association elation or the Utah Education Education- Educational al 51 Association to usurp the responsibility of determining the course of educating and training their children The is with the fam- fam family family ily and will stay stay- there We will have all that we can possibly pos pos- possibly sibly afford and will reject blackmail or dictatorship in any form or from irom any ap- ap approach approach I SUGGEST the teachers in inthe Inthe the State of Utah cancel their delegation of authority to the and act as their own agents in all matters educational educational The parents and the taxpayers in the State of utah know what they want and what they need they also know how much they can pay payI for it Let all these matters be reso ved in the constitutional constitutional I manner Utah does not need a James Hoffa John C Evans to dictate its school system The teachers can re- re return re- re return turn to their schools with a sense of dignity if they but give up the wild dreams put into their heads bY the lead of the of Utah Lets Let's see them do that REUBEN A McCONKIE |