As Utah School Board’s proposed ‘teacher standards’ draw attention, board member says standards are already in place

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education’s proposed “educator standards” are garnering some attention online. Particularly, the use of the words “immoral/moral” and “noncompliant.” 

Christina Boggess, the board member behind the proposal, said the standards are already in place. 

“Currently, the standards for educators are held in multiple places,” Boggess said. “It appears new in the draft because we’re moving it from one spot and putting it into another.” 

According to Boggess, approximately 80% of the proposal already exists in Utah code, and the new text is made up of amendments to provide clarity. 

“There’s some, I would call it clunky language, in our current rule that has needed fixing for a long time,” Boggess said. “This eliminates that clunky language to provide clarity for all parties.” 

The proposal comes out to 36 pages, but many of those are pages filled with old or redacted text. 

Boggess says the updated guidelines are also good for educators because they will grant them enhanced due process. The clarity and consolidation of the rules and expectations for teachers can be used to their advantage. 

“We have a space right now where teachers can receive formal action without due process,” Boggess said. “So it puts it in a place where teachers can appeal it if they so choose. ”

Boggess, a teacher herself, says unclear language can become abusive. 

“I believe if we’re going to adjudicate a teacher’s license, we should have clear language that is well defined so everybody can know what we’re talking about.”

She added that some Utah teachers are breaking the law simply because they don’t know what it is, and this will help them understand what standards they are being kept to. 

UEA not on board with teacher standards proposal

The Utah Education Association is not on board with the proposal.

The organization says its mission is “to advance the cause of public education in partnership with others by strengthening the teaching profession, promoting quality schools for all of Utah’s children, and advocating the well-being of members. Our vision is a safe, equitable public school for every child.”

Dr. Sara Jones spoke out against the proposal at the recent board meeting, claiming it didn’t go through the proper channels.

UEA released the following statement,

Some very significant changes are proposed in drafts that were not discussed by the committee last month and don’t reflect an understanding of the circumstances that led to the current rules. In fact, the rules are the result of a series of legal settlements. As part of the settlements, a stakeholder task force was formed by the Board in 2019 to undertake a comprehensive review of numerous rules over the course of several months — underscoring the need for a careful and transparent process. Adopting sweeping rule changes without following your own process for committee hearings and public input undermines trust and collaboration. We urge you to reject these drafts and ensure any changes follow the full, open process educators, parents and students deserve.

Boggess rejects these claims, saying it has been a work in progress for a long time and was discussed last week, as well as last month. But, she did agree that some of the language did not meet the intent, and it will be reformatted. 

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