Canyons school board, teacher union reach tentative agreement on salary increases  05/14/2012
(Deseret News) CEA President Ross Rogers said the agreement was reached in under two hours, a far cry from the weeks-long discussions of past years. He said negotiations were positive and pleasant and the agreement is the best result he could have hoped for in the current economic climate.

National Teacher Day honors America’s teachers  05/07/2012
Throughout National Teacher Week, May 7-11, thousands of communities across the country take time to express their gratitude to local educators and to acknowledge the crucial role teachers play in ensuring that every student receives a quality education. This year, the National Education Association teamed up with Parenting magazine for two groundbreaking projects that highlight teachers’ dedication to their profession and their students.

Hundreds debate Common Core standards at Utah forum   04/27/2012
(Salt Lake Tribune) Hundreds packed the Granite School District board room, offering arguments for and against the standards, which outline skills students should learn in each grade in math and language arts. The standards were developed as part of a states-led initiative in hopes of better readying students for college and careers.

EdEx task force members named  04/19/2012
The UEA has organized the Educational Excellence Task Force to study and prioritize critical education issues and create a vision of teaching excellence that is designed and led by educators.

At 98, she is still 'part of the action'  04/19/2012
Although she’s been retired from education longer than most are in their careers, Dorothy Jonas continues to make regular contributions to the Utah Education Association Political Action Committee.

$25 million education budget error discovered  04/11/2012
In a statement issued April 11, the Utah State Office of Education (USOE) announced it discovered a miscalculation in the data used by the Utah Legislature to appropriate school funding for the upcoming fiscal year. This miscalculation left a shortfall of approximately $25 million between what was appropriated and what is needed to fully fund student growth for the upcoming school year.

2012 UEA Utah State Legislature voting records now available  04/02/2012
Each year, the Utah Education Association tracks numerous bills during the legislative session. The UEA then reviews the voting records of legislators and highlights selected bills voted on in the House and/or Senate that could have significant impact on public education and/or the UEA.

Teachers lend their voices for change on Utah's Capitol Hill  03/27/2012
(KSL-TV) More than ever before, teachers -- not their union leaders, but actual teachers -- had a presence at the capitol during the state legislative session. Advocates say, without a doubt, they made a difference.

New study says Utahns top priorities are economy, education  03/27/2012
(Utah Foundation) In this election year, Utahns are more confident that the state is heading in the right direction than they were two years ago. However, they are still not as confident as they were in the 2004 and 2008 elections. Their concerns about issues like jobs and the economy, public education, and healthcare remain strong.

PTA Golden Apple award winners named  03/16/2012
(Deseret News) Each year, Utah’s PTA and television station KUED recognize outstanding educators, volunteers and school PTA groups who go above and beyond. State winners are selected from a group of nominees submitted by individual schools throughout the state.

2012 Legislative Summary  03/09/2012
Prior to the beginning of the 2012 Utah General Legislative Session, Utah Education Association leaders identified four critical priorities: passing comprehensive employment reform (SB64), preserving collective bargaining, maintaining rights to payroll deduction of dues, and protecting orderly termination procedures. These goals were all met.

Statement by NEA President Dennis Van Roekel Regarding Release of MetLife Survey of The American Teacher  03/07/2012
(NEA Press Release) “The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher results are shocking, with teacher job satisfaction having dropped to the lowest level in more than 20 years. Some 29 percent of teachers—professionals of extraordinary talent and dedication—are thinking of leaving the profession they love due, in part, to the unconscionable cuts to the resources their students need.

BLOG: Listen to Education Experts  02/26/2012
In order to move forward and create a great public school system, we need to commit to a healthy and productive dialogue and continue to collaborate. The Utah Education Association stands ready to do just that. I hope others will hear the call and do the same. We need to continue to listen to the group of professionals who are teaching our children and not only hold them accountable but trust them.

2012 Legislature: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly  02/14/2012
This week marks the midpoint of the 2012 Utah Legislative Session. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, legislators are working hard to make the changes they believe will make a difference for Utah’s students. So far, the UEA is tracking more than 120 education-related bills.

UEA and MediaOne partner to transform annual teachers’ convention  02/13/2012
(UEA Press Release) Through a new partnership with MediaOne, the UEA intends to add a whole new dimension to its annual convention with expanded events and activities geared toward parents, students and others involved in education.

Governor Visits UEA Board Meeting  02/07/2012
The Governor began his comments to the Board by expressing his gratitude for teachers and the work they do across the state. He also said he believes the UEA and public education have a much stronger voice now than in recent years, a fact he attributes “in large part to the efforts of Sharon and those from the UEA who are reaching out” to business and political leaders.

NEA Priority Schools: How Family Involvement is Helping in Utah  01/11/2012
If it hadn’t been for parental involvement at Glendale Middle School, a large group of girls would be failing gym class for one simple reason – they couldn’t wear the uniform.

Utah Education Association hopes for collaboration with lawmakers  01/01/2012
(Salt Lake Tribune) "I remain hopeful that we will be able to sit down together and look at public education in our state and move it forward," said UEA president Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh.

BLOG: Real conversations trump rhetoric  12/22/2011
Over the past few months, freshman Senator Aaron Osmond has been traveling around the state of Utah seeking input from superintendents, schoolboards, administrators, parents and teachers about his proposal to overhaul public education This act of seeking input from constituents and stakeholders resulted in a long-overdue conversation between the education community and a member of the legislature.

NEA Spotlight on SLC's Glendale Middle: "Having Faith in the Students"  12/21/2011
(NEA Priority Schools Campaign) At Glendale, a target site of NEA’s Priority Schools Campaign, the teachers are taking the lead in transforming the educational experience for students at one of Salt Lake’s consistently low performing schools.

Utah Educator Speaks at Senate Panel on Teacher Effectiveness   12/12/2011
(Education Votes) Sharon Gallagher-Fishbaugh—a former second grade school teacher in Utah who is known to her students as “Mrs. G”—is sharing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill NEA’s vision for the teaching profession.

Bingham High chemistry teacher wins statewide honor   12/01/2011
(Salt Lake Tribune) In her 19th year in education, Brown has won the prestigious Excellence in Teaching award, a statewide honor given each year to 10 outstanding educators by the Utah Education Association. Brown won $1,500 from the UEA and partner Arch Coal Foundation.

Tough love earns Canyons teacher statewide award  11/17/2011
(Salt Lake Tribune) "My first thought," said Van Dyken, who won $1,500 from the UEA and partnering Arch Coal Foundation, "was every teacher deserves an award like this."

Murray elementary school teacher earns statewide kudos  11/10/2011
(Salt Lake Tribune) “I was blown away, overwhelmed, a little emotional,” gushed Johnson, who won $1,500 from the UEA and partnering Arch Coal Foundation. “I wasn’t expecting it; it was a shot out of the dark.”

Educator honored for extra effort  11/09/2011
(Davis County Clipper) “It’s huge,” said Donna Tippetts. “It’s why I became an educator and a coach to begin with – to make a difference for kids.” Tippetts recently received another reward as well, when she was recognized at the Utah Education Association’s Superstars in Education banquet with an Excellence in Teaching Award.

Proposal would eliminate collective bargaining, career status   11/04/2011
The proposed Public Education Employment Reform Act would eliminate traditional collective bargaining, the orderly termination statute, and “career” status for educators.

Oakridge Elementary Teacher Named 2011 Utah History Teacher of the Year  11/02/2011
(USOE Press Release) Jan Rolan, a teacher at Granite District's Oakridge Elementary and member of the Granite Education Association, has been named the 2011 Utah History Teacher of the Year.

New UEA Director Named  10/28/2011
Long-time UEA state associate staff member Jenny Okerlund has joined the UEA State Program Staff as director of organizing, capacity building and member benefits.

UEA-Retired Forms, Elects Leaders  10/26/2011
The Utah Education Association-Retired held its first meeting Oct. 21 in conjunction with the UEA Convention. Those in attendance elected officers and approved organization documents.

Arch Coal Foundation, UEA Name 2011 Top Educators and Public Education Advocates  10/22/2011
Ten educators were honored with 2011 Arch Coal Foundation Excellence in Teaching Awards during the Utah Education Association’s annual Superstars in Education banquet at Noah’s in South Jordan. The guest speaker for the banquet was Utah Governor Gary R. Herbert.

UEA representatives to NEA Board report on NEA Board of Directors Meeting  10/19/2011
by NEA Directors Ryan Anderson & Sue Dickey

East High Social Studies Teacher Named Utah Teacher of the Year  10/07/2011
Utah State Superintendent of Public Instruction Larry K. Shumway today named Salt Lake City East High School Techniques for Tough Times/social studies teacher Leigh M. VandenAkker Utah's 2012 Teacher of the Year.

NEA’s ‘Priority Schools Campaign’ addresses needs at SLC school  10/05/2011
In May and August 2011, leaders from the Salt Lake Teachers Association (SLTA) and the Utah Education Association (UEA) met with administrators and teachers at Salt Lake’s Glendale Middle School to discuss the school’s needs and how to improve student outcomes at the consistently low-performing school. They were joined by experts from the National Education Association (NEA).

CARF grant brings students, authors together  10/03/2011
(Standard-Examiner) She obtained a grant from the Utah Education Association's Children At Risk Foundation that would pay the salary for the authors, buy special writing books for the students and cover the cost of printing a literary school magazine -- the first of its kind for an alternative high school like Two Rivers.

NEA Foundation Funding Opportunity for NEA Members  10/03/2011
The NEA Foundation announced a new partnership to help educators faced with shrinking classroom budgets enlist public support to acquire the tools to engage and inspire students.

‘Orderly Termination Act’ Changes Considered  09/16/2011
Under terms of the proposed legislation, individual school boards would be required to establish employment policies and procedures, which “may be subject to negotiation with employees or their associations as determined by each board.”

Arch Coal to Sponsor ‘Excellence in Teaching’ Awards  09/15/2011
The UEA is pleased to announce a partnership with the Arch Coal Foundation to sponsor the “Excellence in Teaching” awards. The awards are presented each year to 10 Utah public school teachers whose efforts in the classroom have significantly impacted the life of an individual child or group of children.

Back to the Table in Ogden!  09/14/2011
In a letter to all Ogden City School District employees, newly appointed Supt. Brad Smith said the District and OEA “will engage in interest-based negotiations for the 2012-13 school year.” In addition, he said the District and OEA bargaining teams “will immediately explore and shortly commence joint training in interest-based negotiations.”

Educator suite provides online options for services  09/09/2011
Utah teachers no longer need to wait in line or visit a state office to renew their license. Online, they can access a variety of critical services through the USOE.