Salt Lake City’s west-side schools need help. As a former Salt Lake School Board member representing the west side, I admire board member Michael Clara’s persistent efforts to gain attention for west-side schools at the Legislature.
In your scathing Aug. 28 article “School board maverick stirs teacher debate at Legislature,” Clara takes on the Salt Lake School Board and superintendent to get more experienced teachers for these schools. They continue to face difficult socioeconomic issues requiring great teachers and community resources to make up for the poverty that prevents many students from getting a competent education.
As a board member in the 1980s and ’90s, I tried increasing the power of parents to have more say in their children’s education at their schools and the district. My efforts weren’t successful. Perhaps Clara’s approach might be more effective in making a real difference for these students.
I too, faced a hostile school board and superintendent. But now Clara has taken up the challenge on behalf of the west side. Our society simply can’t afford to keep increasing our two-class system of a predominately educated rich and pervasively uneducated poor, with only some exceptions.
Tab L. Uno
