This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Our public schools are underfunded and overburdened because the Legislature refuses to properly fund public education in Utah. Unfortunately, we don't have the luxury of letting this be an excuse for why our local school boards can't be more creative to find solutions to reduce class sizes, minimize testing hours, and maximize teaching time.
Even more important is that we work even harder to remove the disparity in graduation rates between socioeconomic groups and communities and restore society's promise of a first-rate public education to all students. I decided to run for school board in Salt Lake City because my kids, who are biracial and have two dads, are likely to face challenges from the current inequities in our system.
Like so many other children, they are going to be in overcrowded classrooms with overworked and underpaid teachers. As a former public education teacher, a parent, and a community activist – I get it. We all have a role in eliminating as many barriers for our children as possible so they can have a great public education experience in Salt Lake City.
Weston Clark
Salt Lake City