Salt Lake Teacher’s Association Issues a Stinging Rebuke on Michael Clara

Elaine Tzourtzouklis & Susan McFarland with Michael Clara                                       following our Monday meeting on February 25, 2013. I had meeting with the SLTA leadership on Monday at my request. The meeting lasted over an hour wherein I explained why I was filing a complaint with the Office of Civil Rights. The picture above was taken at the conclusion of the … Continue reading

Board Meeting: 02/19/2013 (Audio)

021913bmaudio This is a 20 minute audio of the February 19, 2013 School Board Meeting. This audio starts 53 minutes into the meeting. The full audio of the meeting can be accessed on the district’s web page. The Assessment and Evaluation Department of the Salt Lake City School District is seated above giving their presentation to the school board. Looking at the camera is the director of the department, Dr. Jo Ellen Shaeffer and seated to her right is … Continue reading

Are School Boards Too Insulated? (Deseret News)

By John Florez , Deseret News Published: Saturday, March 2 2013 12:00 a.m. MST Sometimes the cover up is worse than the problem. School boards often appear to avoid dealing with serious policy matters. At Salt Lake school district meeting last week, board members were listening to a presentation by their staff regarding the district’s Student Achievement Plan. One of the presenters noted a correlation between student achievement and teacher effectiveness, which prompted newly-elected board … Continue reading

Mandatory Teacher Transfers? (Updated 03/07/13)

  Picture taken on 02/25/13 -SLTA Leadership with Michael Clara TEXT OF EMAIL TO SLTA LEADERSHIP: Dear Ms. Tzourtzouklis, Ms. McFarland & Mr. Harman, I have received several calls from teachers who cited an email they received referencing your joint opposition to my “idea of mandatory teacher transfers in our schools”. I am so sorry that following our meeting on Monday, I left you with the impression that I supported that concept because I do … Continue reading

Salt Lake City School District Favors East Side, Says Board Member (KSL)

By Andrew Adams  Link To Video SALT LAKE CITY — Is Salt Lake City’s east side better than the west side? When it comes to elementary school teachers, one school board member thinks so. Michael Clara filed a federal complaint accusing the Salt Lake City School District of not allocating enough resources to west side schools. Clara said there are too many inexperienced and ineffective teachers at west side elementary schools, due to attrition. Why … Continue reading

Complaint Charges Inequality at Salt Lake Schools (San Francisco Chronicle)

By PAUL FOY, Associated Press Updated 10:18 am, Thursday, February 28, 2013 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A school board member’s complaint about inexperienced teachers at schools in Salt Lake City’s working-class neighborhoods is raising a debate about perceived inequalities in public education. Board member Michael Clara filed the federal civil-rights complaint this week against his own school district, where administrators responded with a statement scolding him for ignoring protocols. Clara said he tried to bring up a discussion … Continue reading