With the new school year comes a lot of excitement, but also some concerns.
Teachers continue to face the same struggles they always have, as well as new challenges that come with the current day and age.
FOX 13 News anchor Bob Evans talked with a group of Utah’s educators about these concerns and issues. Watch a shortened version above, or the full 39-minute roundtable discussion below.
In an open forum, they talked about the problems they say were created by the pandemic and they believe still linger in schools today.
“After COVID, a lot of students and even some parents feel like classroom attendance isn't an important part of education,” Rodney Hurd, of North Sevier High School said. “We have lots of students that are absent a lot or show up late. Our first goal was always to do what's best for the student, but we can't teach the student if the student isn't in the classroom.”
The group talked about the financial issues Utah schools are facing.
“When we look at all of our teacher surveys coming out of Utah, it's time that teachers are hurting for… That goes directly to funding.” Krista Pippin, from Draper Park Middle School, said. “The larger Our class sizes are, the less time we have, the less time we have per student, the less time we have to get feedback, the less time we have to give communication to families, all of those things that are so so critical.”
They also recognized the help that they have received.
“I've seen what's happened over the last couple of years where the legislature has been good at changing some of the funding… which has led us to get professional mental health people into the schools and some of these other things we've seen some advances that have really been useful," explained Hurd. "But we're so deep into a hole that it's going to take an awful lot of effort in order to get us up to where the funding will have the type of impact that we'd like to see.”
Despite the issues they are facing, every teacher in the discussion spoke about the love they have for their job and the students they see every day.
“It’s the kids. That's what it takes me back every single day,” said Denise Willmore, of Whiteside Elementary School. “I just love being with students… when they have those aha moments.”
Mike Mudrow, of Logan High School added “we really do care about the outcomes. We really do care about the students as individuals, we want them to succeed.”
