Candidate Background Information
Occupation: Chief Civil Deputy County Attorney
Education: J.D. Law, College of William & Mary; BS Finance, BYU
Prior Experience: Utah State Senator; Chairman, Senate Standing Committee on Education; Member, Legislative Education Interim Committee; South Weber City Councilman
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Questions
The League of Women Voters has made every effort to present accurately the candidates' responses as they were submitted.
1. What are the major issues facing the State School Board today?
There are four major problems facing the State of Utah with respect to public education. First, maintaining a high quality of public education in the teaching of our children. Second, the significant increase in the number of school aged children leading to high class sizes. Utah's average class room size is 23. The national average is only 16. Third, gridlock between the State School Board and the Legislature. Fourth, the "one size fits all" approach to public education.
2. What is your position on these issues?
1. Quality Education: We must implement a "Performance Based Compensation Plan." Good teachers should be rewarded with bonus money each year. By injecting market based principles into the educational system, the system will be even better.
2. Class Sizes: We need to encourage the construction of more Charter Schools. We can decrease the class sizes by bringing more diversity and choices for parents. Charter Schools are less expensive to maintain than public secondary schools and can take a lot of the burden off overcrowded schools.
3. Gridlock: The School Board must foster a cooperative relationship with the Legislature. The State of Utah is looking at an educational crisis as the number of students continues to rise and class room sizes expand. Instead of working together to combat the crisis, the Legislature and State School Board of Education have drawn lines in the sand. An antagonistic relationship, sometimes acrimonious, has replaced cooperation. Only together can the education crisis be solved. I intend to erase the lines in the sand in order to solve the problem. I will use my experience in the Legislature to do this. This is not the time for egos. We need to work together, not against one another -- after all, we have the exact same goal; namely, providing a quality education for all children.
4. One Size Fits All: Allow district school boards more local control. The local authorities and parents know what is best for their schools. A "one size fits all" model doesn't work in education and the State Board should not be mandating such.
Opponent:
Chris Dallin
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