Show Utah Foundation Report Certified Teacher Rise Utah has taken some giant strides in reducing the number number num num- ber her of emergency teachers and land increasing the number of properly certificated teachers since the end of World War II This point was brought out in a study of teacher personnel personnel personnel person person- nel problems just completed by Utah Foundation the prIvate private vate governmental research agency According to the Foundation Foundation Foundation tion report more than 95 per perc percent percent c cent nt of all aU teachers employed in the Utah public schools last year were properly certificated ted with only 42 per cent being being being be be- ing emergency teachers serving serving serving ing under temporary temporary letters letters of authorization Immediately after afier after af af- af- af ter ier World War II approximately approximate approximate- ly third one-third of all Utah teachers teachers teach teach- ers em were teaching under emergency emergency emergency emer emer- gency letters of authorization This was made de- de site a doubling of the number of teachers required during the period The n Foundation analysis which was based on the annual annual annual an an- nual Status of Teacher Personnel Personnel Personnel Per Per- report published by bythe bythe bythe the State Department of Public Public Pub Pub- lic lie Instruction shows that the turnover among Utah teachers teach teach- ers in the summer of 1962 amounted to 8 94 per cent one of the lowest rates in recent years The State School Office Office Of Of- fice flee observes that the state of Utah has an unusual holding holding holding hold hold- ing power Utah also more than held its own in its teacher teach teach- er training graduates last year Even though only two two- thirds of the teacher graduates graduates graduates ates from Utah colleges were residents of the State three- three fourths of those taking teaching teaching teaching teach teach- ing jobs anywhere signed contracts contracts' contracts contracts' contracts con con- tracts tracts' with Utah school dis dis- dis- dis Utah also obtains a substantial substantial substantial number of teachers from other states the report con con- Last year teachers who had taught the preceding year in some other state signed signed signed sign sign- ed teaching contracts i in Utah A total of 62 of these experienced experienced experienced new teachers came from California a state with generally high salary levels In Jn its analysis Utah Foundation Foundation Foundation tion concludes that family and personal reasons appear to bethe be bethe bethe the most important considerations in determining where a teacher will teach Although Utah has accomplished pUshed much in reducing the teachers teach teach- number of emergency ers increasing the proportion of properly certificated teachers teach teach- ers and improving the general level of academic preparedness prepared prepared- ness ness among teachers during recent year Foundation analysts analysts analysts ana ana- point out that there are still other teacher personnel problems to be solved A Among nong some of the other teacher personnel per per- problems still existing in Utah the Foundation report discusses the following 1 While most teaching positions positions positions po po- po- po have been filled by certificated teachers some teachers are teaching without adequate preparation in subject subject subject sub sub- fields to which they have been assigned This is especially especially espe espe- true in the case of mathematic mathematic mathematic math- math science and English teachers 2 Although Utah usually has been able to secure the quantity of teachers needed to staff the schools in the postwar postwar postwar post post- war period local school officials officials officials have not always had opportunity opportunity opportunity op op- op- op for selection of new teachers Some school administrators administrators administrators admin admin- contend that a sufficient sufficient sufficient suf suf- supply of qualified teachers are needed to permit opportunity for picking and choosing before a quality educational educational edu edu- c program can be ach ach- 3 There has been inadequate inadequate inadequate quate recognition in salary and prestige for diff differences in performance special responsibilities responsibilities responsibilities or time requirements within the teaching ranks This uniformity has bas tended to initiative and has placed the mediocre and the outstanding outstanding outstanding out out- standing teacher on the same financial and prestige plane |