This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Now that the Utah Legislature has passed a law tying teacher compensation to accountability for results, perhaps it's time to hold the Legislature itself accountable for its treatment of public education.
Undeniably, the educational performance of the so-called "Best-Managed State in the Union" is mediocre. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Utah's fourth and eighth graders score smack on the national average in math, reading, and writing skills.
Make no mistake, these are unexceptional, middling, run-of-the mill results. Regardless of our legislators' boasts, they are not "the best managers" when it comes to their greatest responsibility — educating our children with excellence.
The best managers are in Massachusetts, America's educational showcase.
There's a shocking achievement gap between Utah's children and those in Massachusetts, who lead the nation in all areas. Even more troubling: Twice as many students in these states score in the "proficient" category than in Utah, while twice as many in Utah score in the "below basic" category. Speaking as a business person, I wouldn't be beating my chest about my management skills — not with these results.
For the last decade, Massachusetts routinely scores significantly higher than all other states in math and reading; Utah has stayed relatively flat. Massachusetts has the most "proficient" students of any state; Utah is right on or below the national average. I don't know if Massachusetts is the "best-managed" in other ways, but they surely do know how to lead.
Why does Massachusetts lead the nation and leave Utah in the dust? Our demographics are similar, although Massachusetts has more minority students than we do. Adjusted for cost of living, household incomes are about the same. So what's the difference?
The answer? Massachusetts legislators value education more than Utah legislators do. Far more. Their teachers are paid 40 percent more than Utah teachers, although cost of living is only 25 percent higher. Their teacher/student ratio is the lowest in the nation at 14, while Utah's at 23 is the highest. Since Massachusetts decided to lower that ratio about 13 years ago, their educational results have risen each year. Utah, our Legislature tells us, "can't afford" to lower kindergarten class size by even one child!
Most Utah legislators spout the myth that teacher pay and class size make no difference to educational results. While they deny the old reality that you get what you pay for, McKinsey research shows that teacher pay does affect teacher quality, which is the "key factor determining student achievement" (McKinsey Quarterly, June 2009). And reducing our teacher/student ratio from the highest in the nation just to the national average would produce a nearly 40 percent increase in the number of students scoring proficient or better.
If Massachusetts can afford to lead the nation, why can't we? Are children in Bountiful worth less than children in Boston? Yes, we have proportionally more children than Massachusetts does, but does that automatically justify shortchanging our own?
I have in my office a cartoon of a business meeting. On the wall is a chart of a large bell curve labeled "Quarterly Performance of All Units." A nervous, sweating man points to the chart and says, "I'm proud to report that my unit is right on top of the curve."
Well, that's where Utah is — right on top of the curve. The "Best-Managed State" is nothing of the kind. In educating our precious children, the Utah Legislature is doing a decidedly mediocre job. And while they like to blame everyone else for these results, a good long look in the mirror would show them where the real accountability lies.
Breck England is a business consultant and writer. He lives in Bountiful.