Published: January 2025
Key Takeaways
- UEA members ranked funding for long-term staffing solutions, reducing educator stress and burnout, and providing behavioral support as their top legislative priorities.
- Nearly all respondents opposed funding increases for religious private school vouchers.
- Members showed clear support for policies like reducing class sizes, banning cell phones in schools, and protecting income tax allocations for education.
Top Legislative Priorities of UEA Members
Opposition to Voucher Expansion
A near-unanimous 93% of respondents opposed increasing funding for private religious school vouchers.
Quote byKaren Reynolds , Granite School District
If teachers are to get to know their students and better help them understand and learn, we need smaller class sizes.
—Karen Reynolds
,
Granite School District
Students and educators from East High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, express their support for public schools the day before Utah lawmakers passed the largest voucher bill in state history.
Rick Egan/The Salt Lake Tribune via AP
Analysis of UEA 2025 Pre-Legislative Survey
These priorities reflect the immediate needs and values of Utah’s public educators, with a strong focus on funding, equity, support systems, and legislative reforms. This analysis will guide UEA's advocacy efforts with the legislature during the 2025 legislative session.
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Funding Long-Term Staffing Solutions: 50.21% of respondents ranked this as the most important priority.
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Reducing Educator Stress and Burnout: 44.20% of respondents identified this as critical.
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Providing Behavioral Support Resources: 36.42% ranked this as a top priority.
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Reducing Class Sizes: Frequently highlighted in both rankings and open-ended responses.
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Opposing Private School Voucher Expansion: 93.18% opposed increased funding for private religious school vouchers.
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Protecting Public School Funding: 61.66% opposed income tax cuts, emphasizing the need for sustained financial support for education.
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Increasing Equity in Resource Allocation: Highlighted in qualitative responses as a need to address disparities between urban and rural schools.
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Addressing Legislative Overreach: Frustration with micromanagement, such as book bans and curriculum restrictions, was a common theme.
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Improving Mental Health Support for Students and Educators: Calls for mental health days, resources, and professional support systems were recurring themes.
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Ensuring Safe and Inclusive Schools: Advocacy for diversity, equity, and inclusion, particularly protecting LGBTQ+ students and staff, was emphasized.
Quote byCresta Winter , Emery School District
We need more counselors and resources to handle disruptive behavior. It’s impossible to teach effectively in these conditions.
—Cresta Winter
,
Emery School District
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