Category: Political Viewpoints
Proposed Constitutional Amendment & Education Funding
A proposed constitutional amendment to allow income tax revenue to be used for purposes other than education. Does the proposed change provide for adequate funding for K-12 and higher education.
I am hopeful that the proposed constitutional amendment will be good for education. One of the major linchpins of the original agreement was a 6% increase in the WPU. The legislature engaged multiple education stakeholders to craft legislation that in the end was endorsed widely. This is a welcome step that will serve education well over the long run. The general consensus that has been voiced by many is that this constitutional amendment will guarantee both funding and revenue for education. I always have some hesitancy whenever the term guarantee is used regarding money and government, but I like that a coalition was established. This all occurred before Covid-19 took its toll on the Utah economy.
I am again hopeful that legislative leaders will once again engage education stakeholders in the inevitable discussions regarding the fiscal impact of Covid-19 on education. Leadership that can build consensus during difficult times is absolutely essential. I am concerned that some harm was done when the legislature, during the most recent session, passed legislation that was opposed by a majority of education stakeholders . My greatest concern is that this action will have a negative impact on the necessary budgetary discussions in the near future.
Read More...Posted on 29 May 2020, 22:55 - Category: Political Viewpoints
Qualifications
How do your background and skills prepare you to become a member of the State Board of Education?
There are three main areas that have prepared me to become a member of the State Board of Education.
Teacher- I have spent 29 years in the classroom, at both the junior high and high school level. This has given me a rich educational background, but even more importantly the desire to improve my craft has kept me energized and willing to grow and change.
AAPAC- Over the past 2 years I have also had the opportunity to impact the broader educational community by serving on AAPAC at the Utah State Board of Education. AAPAC is an acronym for Assessment and Accountability Policy Advisory Committee. AAPAC is an advisory body that provides recommendations to the State Board regarding the various state assessments. I will address this topic more thoroughly more in a later question.
Community- I have had the opportunity to serve on the South Ogden City Council. This has provided me an opportunity to grow in my ability to seek feedback from stakeholders and be an effective consensus builder. Most importantly, I have developed my skill as a bridge builder between opposing viewpoints by learning to listen to and build connections with people.
Posted on 29 May 2020, 22:51 - Category: Political Viewpoints
How I would serve on the State School Board
Committed to Republican Roots & Values
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Whenever I visit Boston, I take the opportunity to “stand in opposition”
Brent Strate – Utah State Board of Education, District 4
"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing."
— Theodore Roosevelt
I will:
connect, engage, and build trust with all education stakeholders in the drive to consistently improve student outcomes and learning opportunities.
respect, promote, and advocate for the profession of teaching.
champion our home grown Utah Core Standards as the basis of quality instruction.
promote the WPU (Weighted Pupil Unit) as the fundamental pillar of education funding in Utah.
support school district strategic plans through local control of funding and curriculum.
strive to maintain humility and an attitude of service.
study the issues thoroughly and balance the opinions of many.
be polite and respectful of those who have opinions that vary from my own.
respect the taxpayers' dollars.
Finally, if elected, I will retire from teaching at the end of the 2020-2021 school year so that I may fully meet the time commitment associated with serving on the State School Board.
Read More...Posted on 29 May 2020, 16:29 - Category: Political Viewpoints
Building Self-efficacy
The list on the wall was developed by my U.S. History students.
Read More...Posted on 07 May 2020, 19:30 - Category: Political Viewpoints
Common Core
Everyone can and should be diligent about bias in the classroom, the curriculum, and in the standards. It is also important that teachers navigate educational topics skillfully to develop critical thinking skills without indoctrinating their students. As I have listened to opponents of the 2010 Utah adoption of the Common Core I have come to appreciate many of their concerns. We must continue the process of eliminating bias in all of its forms and at all levels. We must be careful however that as we strive to eliminate bias that we not just replace it with our own.
I found the article below on the facebook page of the Davis & Weber Alliance for Public Education It is an excellent example of how bias often manifests itself in our educational system.
Read More...Posted on 26 Jun 2020, 8:49 - Category: Political Viewpoints