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Show Money Problems Teachers Going Elsewhere By TOM BUSSELBERG FARMINGTON -- If teaching's always been your first love but the bucks are far more alluring elsewhere, it's not only tempting, but may be aboslutely necessary, to let economics outweigh! desire. SUCH A dilemma is facing education in an ever-greater scale, noted Dave King and Dee Burningham. both executives execu-tives w ith the Davis Education Assoc. Mr. King is this year's president, drawn from the ranks of the district's 1,600 teachers, while Mr. Burning-ham Burning-ham continues as executive secretary, a staff position. "We just sense there's a real dilemma in trying to encourage young people into the profession profes-sion and retain the quality," Mr. King says. "It's brought about not only by the higher class sizes that are part of the phenomena here but also the salary schedule and all the other related areas." THAT SALARY schedule, perhaps three-four percent higher than most other districts, dis-tricts, according to Mr. Burningham, Burn-ingham, still puts starting teachers with a bachelor's degree de-gree in about the $14,000 range-far below what they could earn in some fields, especially computer science-a science-a "hot" job-grabber in these mostly depressed times. One way being sought to counter those problems is through the "Weighted Pupil Unit." where proportionate funding is allocated by the Legislature. At $1,013 this year, the DEA is pressing for a fairly "substantial incrc-oe," well above 10 percent. "IN THE past, the state hasn't fully funded WPU's." Mr. King explains. "In the last couple years they've underfunded under-funded by under-estimating (enrollment on which money's based). By not making an adjustment, ad-justment, we still have to live with what's budgeted and that puts a real strain on it. "1 think people can appreciate appreci-ate if they (want to) hire professional, pro-fessional, qualified, trained people, they have to be able to pay something commensurate with their skill and ability," he continued. MR. BURNINGHAM said the Legislature's actions, brought on by the "tax mood" of the last several years, have resulted in "severe" back tracking, pushing teacher salaries back coupled with "greatly increased" class size. That, along with a forced reduction re-duction in programs brought on by less money, has also generated gen-erated a "great increase in fees charged" for athletics and other activities, such as music instruction, he continued. "THOSE are probably the two most serious problems. We've really experienced a threatening to retaining a quality qual-ity education. Class sizes are so large many teachers are just feeling that strain and stress, contributing to teacher burnout. burn-out. That's always with us, but it's particularly acute at this time." These key areas and several others backed by the DEA are gaining momentum and currently cur-rently under study by the 13.000-plus teachers' Utah Education Assoc. as it prepares pre-pares lobbying efforts for the 1983 legislature. AMONG DEA proposed items are increases in state aid for school construction, an ongoing need in the district where more than 1,000 students stu-dents are routinely added each year, meaning a couple new schools and several additions are completed yearly. Noting "major alternative programs considered (such as Year-round schools) have not proven to be effective or are unacceptable to school patrons," pat-rons," the DEA written proposal prop-osal continues. They (legislature) (legisla-ture) have only deferred the state's acceptance of its prime responsibility of providing a major share of the funds through an equitable system of state support." MR. BURNINGHAM noted that while many teachers have moved to favor the year-round concept, for example, reports from others who've tried it indicate in-dicate cost-savings is not in the cards. "Equalization" of state support sup-port includes a request not only to increase voted leeway supports from $17 to $21 per student but asks for a change in the state school finance law to "provide equal incentive for citizens of each school district to raise additional funds for public school supports by a guarantee of an equal return per student, per mill of local tax which may be voted." Davis County voters approved a three mill voted leeway for school programs, two of those mills are now in effect. |