Author Archives: theutahteacher

By: Wendy Rush In February of 2018, I had my first experience at Educator Day on the Hill at the Utah State Capitol.  I am a part of the first cohort of the Utah Teacher Fellows working in conjunction with Hope Street Group. Each year, as fellows, we meet as a group at the StateContinue reading “Committee What? My Experiences with Educator Day on the Hill”

By Deborah Gatrell School board meetings. They’re not the most exciting show to watch, but if you care about the district policies impacting your classroom, these meetings are crucial to understand and attend. The connections between Boards and classrooms are Board priorities and initiatives. Things like boundary changes get parent attention. New construction and schoolContinue reading “School Board Meetings: Why Teachers Should Attend & How to Make an Impact”

By Denise Willmore I first met State Board Member, Jennifer Graviet when I was a participant in NEA’s  Teacher Leadership Initiative in 2014. Jennifer was one of the facilitators of this program and greatly assisted me in developing my leadership skills. I was impressed with her enthusiasm and positive outlook on teachers embracing leadership rolesContinue reading “Feature Friday: Jennifer Graviet- Teacher and Utah State Board of Education Member”

By Machelle Rogers “Here you are, Miss Rogers.  How was your meeting?” The young valet handed me the keys to my vehicle, and–slightly startled–I looked more closely at his face trying to place this young man into my memory bank.  I couldn’t, but I hated not remembering his name, so I acted like I knewContinue reading “Are you one of mine?”

I am so excited to feature another talented teacher from Tooele County School District. Becky Darling is a talented math teacher and I have been fortunate to run into her at several education conference across the state. Read on to learn more about her teacher journey. Where did you complete your teacher prep? Utah State UniversityContinue reading “It’s Thursday- Thank a Teacher: Rebecca Darling Edition”

By: Kelly Gill There are times in your life when you meet someone and it doesn’t feel like happenstance. Such is the story the first time I met Suzanne Harrison. It began on a Saturday when I saw someone putting her campaign signs in a neighborhood near me as I drove to the grocery storeContinue reading “Feature Friday: Suzanne Harrison- One of Utah’s New Representatives in the House”

By Denise Willmore The upcoming election offers constituents the opportunity to take a stand for children in Utah.   In the wake of the Great Recession, educators across the country experienced the effects of the economic shortfall.  In Utah, teachers have seen a decrease in wages, cuts to retirement and benefit plans, increase in classContinue reading “Standing up for Education”