| Show 11 Students hold education support rally j Legislators and administrators respond under pressur in the afternoon sun I Mark Hewitt Jack Foriska Horizon Editors After a student rally on Friday it seems that teachers arent aren't the only ones onesin onesin onesin in Ut Utah h with opinions about educational quality After what Ken director of the Utah chapter of the American Federation of Teachers AFT AFf called waffling on the part of Utah Education Education Education tion Association leadership teachers deter deter- mined to take action After a statewide walkout on Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day October 25 teachers rallied rallied rallied ral ral- ral- ral lied at Liberty Park in a demonstration of their frustration Central to their dissatisfaction dissatisfaction dissatisfaction faction is a million state J Ib I- I b I r 1 I d i Concerned Concerned student exemplifies prevailing feeling at Fridays Friday's rally attending students queried legislative and administrative guests government surplus which teachers would like to see al allocated allocated allocated al- al located to the state educational educational educational system It was the use of those funds that teachers thought would be dealt with within in the special session of the Utah Legislature on Tuesday In fact however the legislatures legislature's agenda set by Governor Bangerter and ironclad dealt only with the future projections for those funds projections funds projections which could change drastically over the next four months 11 I II I The teachers rally showed unity and solidarity according according accord accord- 11 ing to Brent Goodfellow executive executive executive ex ex- I assistant to President Carnahan and a legislator himself The problem problem problem lem was that there was some frustration and even some misinformation in thinking we were going to do something something something some some- thing for teachers in that special special special cial session Education funding was not on the agenda agenda agenda agen agen- da therefore we could not act i upon it I Continued on page 2 n I Jon Jordan mediates panel discussion Administrative panel addresses addresses addresses ad ad- dresses issues in South Cafeteria Education support rally Continued from page 1 Somebody didn't communicate to the teachers that we couldn't do anything As tension between teachers and lawmakers mounted students students students stu stu- dents from all over the state pledged their support to educators At an Executive Council meeting on Tuesday the council members determined unanimously that the most productive course of action included postponing a walkout holding a student rally and maintaining fervor on campus until a Legislature vote in January It was at that rally on Friday that issues between students educators and politicians gelled hosted Utah Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Com Com- missioner of Higher Education Rolfe Kerr OD Carnahan and Brent Goodfellow Utah State Legislators in attendance were Sen Bill Barton Rep Hugh Rush Sen Paul Fordham and Rep Bob Anderton Representatives from faculty included Larry Christensen head of the Faculty Senate and Curtis Curtis Curtis Cur Cur- president of the faculty association These guests fielded questions from an estimated attending attending attending at at- tending students The most popular questions concerned the fate of educational legislation in January Christensen pointed to a lack of assertive decision dedsion making on the part of lawmakers as the he root of educational distress He also said that salaries for teachers was not the only point at i issue sue a statement which corroborated I believe there arc are other areas that we should look at when we about ut educational onal supplies and class talk funding He named ed cat sizes as shortcomings as problems Goodfellow pointed out the necessity for enriching th the e Utah tax base as a step to a better educational system Enticing Enticing Enticing ing corporate interest to Utah he said was the most effective e and realistic way to provide the needed funds for all state stat e programs Responding to a question utan J SalarIeS J President Carnahan said that while Utah teachers make 25 less than teachers in other states Utah's general economy i is s similarly afflicted Several of the guests however were quick to point out that while Utah spends less per capita on education education education tion than any other state in the union the states state's educational quality still rises above the national average Commissioner Kerr said that ed education c tion deserves its place e in budget but i is not issue on legislators legislator's s Keep Keep the pressure on as you are arc invited to do do 1 h he e said Lets not be selfish Lets Let's be persistent le lets let's s 's be aggressive aggressive aggressive sive but lets let's be realistic And Arid realism about persistence is something Linda Cunningham Cunningham Cunningham Cunnin Cunnin- a faculty member is concerned about She was disappointed that there were not more teachers present to support the student rally Though she realized that many teachers were in class she said There ere is clearly not the energy energy energy ener ener- gy here that there was at Liberty Park earlier this week Executive Vice-President Vice Tom Sharpe shared those senti senti- ments I was disappointed I honestly thought more students cared Jon Jordan student body president and head of the executive council which organized the rally responded to the question of student and faculty apathy II Attendance definitely wasn't as high as I thought it would be but I think student interest will intensify toward January And January is what it all comes down to In January the state legislature will vote on the education issue and it is for January that all camps seem to be reserving their finest ef ef- ef- ef forts While Commissioner Kerr says I believe the political leadership will recognize the wisdom of improving Utah's investment investment investment in in- vestment in education at all levels in January educators and their advocates are taking no chances A tentative date has been set for a National Federation of Teachers walkout Jordan says student government will support them Utah State University and the University of Utah alike are arc biding their time as well Jordan wants to keep the iron hot That is what this rally was all about about to to prepare people for January |
