Issue Position: Education & Innovation

Press Release

Caring for Education is essential to our future.
VISION: Education is our greatest opportunity and our biggest challenge. Funding is always in short supply and innovation and technology must help close the gap. We must also create a healthy economic environment to meet revenue needs and create ongoing educational partnerships. Every child deserves a great education. Our children and grandchildren will need to be prepared and ready for the opportunities of a bright future.

Statistically the numbers tell us we need to be ready to build schools for the many young adults and children in our ever growing communities around the state, but especially in Utah County.

UVU has plans to grow from a campus of 25,000 students currently (that's as large as BYU) to a whopping 50,000 students, who are right now growing up in Utah County, by the year 2020 (pdf).

That's not very far away. How do we build the buildings, and just as important, how do we make certain the students, our children, are receiving an education that prepares them to attend college and then work for one of the many highly skilled industries looking for employees?

Today, there are not enough classrooms at UVU to use for teaching as many students as want to enroll. So, classes are closed and opportunities for our children are closed too.

A high percentage of women in our community are entering college but never graduating. They still work to offset the cost of living whether as single adults or married with children. But they are under qualified for higher paying employment.

When we fail to prepare for the education of our children, we also fail to prepare for our own communities to thrive into the future.

The county population continues to grow at a robust rate and subdivisions continue to house young families in areas where there are currently either too few schools built or more students than the classrooms can fill. Costs of education continue to skyrocket.

HARD WORK: As a former chair of the Alpine School District Foundation and a current board member, I have spent countless hours securing donations from our generous community to enhance educational opportunities for our children.

I am ready to spend the time and effort to address the ever pressing needs for the future education of children, OUR children. Innovative development and innovative classroom teaching must be encouraged and allowed to thrive for this to happen.

CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT: I will continue to work with community members to find solutions to address the growing needs for educating our children and their children.

When we fail to prepare for the education of our children, we also fail to prepare for our own communities to thrive into the future. An educated city has less crime, is more healthy, is more involved in local schools, government and provides for a better standard of living. Creating opportunities NOW saves so much when it comes to creating a citizenry that can take care of itself. Yet, we can't always look to raising the taxes of our citizens to create the solutions.

REAL SOLUTIONS:I will work toward securing designated federal lands within state boundaries for economic benefit and addressing the unfunded mandates that cripple the ability for states to operate effectively. I will encourage partnerships between businesses and schools and look to business leaders in technology to help us enhance future jobs.

We must change the way we DO education if we expect to be able to continue to provide an educated workforce for our communities to thrive. This requires innovation.

One of the ways we can innovate is through the careful use of technology. I have been heavily involved in such changes in the Alpine School District. Please watch my video as I explain in greater depth concepts and opportunities that are already in place to address education issues as well as solutions I am ready to discuss and introduce at the state level. We need the funds to fund the growing educational needs.This will happen through increased economic development.

One of the ways we can innovate is through the careful use of technology.
I will encourage the movement towards incorporating even more innovation by allowing business partnerships with schools and other private sector opportunities. Higher education in Utah is attempting many types of innovation right now. I will continue to encourage this at the grade school and high school levels. It will save money, tax dollars in the long run as well as pay big dividends in our individual families.

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