James R. Moss set the stage Wednesday for his exit as state superintendent of public instruction. He will leave the post July 1 to become the executive of the Utah Partnership for Education and Economic Development.
After the announcement of his appointment, Moss enthusiastically endorsed the concept of the partnership and said he believes it can move business and education "from a position of confrontation to cooperation and eventual collaboration."The partnership has the potential to create an educational system that is more market-driven and responsive to the needs of business at the same time that economic development bolsters the needs of education, he said.
It can become "a vital and dynamic movement within our state, one that will impact the lives of all our citizens for good and strengthen both education and economic development in Utah," he said.
In a terse, one-sentence statement to the State Board of Education, Moss resigned the superintendency effective July 1. The board has not said when it will meet to consider the vacancy.
The announcement, made by former regent Donald Holbrook, chairman of the task force on Education and Economic Development, came after a hearing on economic development at Salt Lake Community College. It ended speculation that the superintendent would leave the education position. His three-year term as head of the state's education system has been marked by periodic clashes with the State Board of Education and organizations within the education community.
At the same time, he has been credited with upgrading the operations of the State Office of Education and providing outstanding representation for the office during legislative sessions.
Holbrook said setting up an office and appointing an executive director are the next logical steps in advancing the purposes of the partnership. He said Moss was selected by unanimous vote by the partnership's board of trustees.
"We found in Jim an outstanding combination of experience, wisdom and the capacity to act. We're delighted he'll be executive director. He's just the right person for us," Holbrook said.
Gov. Norm Bangerter said Moss has served the state well in the past. Moss served in the Legislature before becoming superintendent."I wish him well and know he'll make a significant contribution wherever he goes."
Moss was named superintendent in late 1986 to succeed G. Leland Burningham, who resigned under pressure amid claims of misuse of funds and other self-serving practices.
Moss served two terms in the Utah Legislature and was running unopposed for a third term when he was tapped for the state school position. His experience as a legislator was seen as a plus in his new job.
Some critics felt his lack of experience in the public school system would be a detriment. He had been involved in education but in the private system operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The appointment raised the immediate concern of non-LDS groups. Before he was officially installed in the post, Central Salt Lake City Council of Churches voiced concerns about the superintendent's close ties with the LDS Church through his Brigham Young University faculty position.
Moss met with the group and promised to protect religious pluralism in the state's schools, placating their concerns. However, in December, he again was challenged by a Utah County clergymen's association that objected to comments he made about promoting the teaching of religious values in the classroom.
Moss said his reference, made in a talk at BYU, was to generally accepted moral values, not those associated with a particular religion. He suggested the church group was inappropriately questioning his qualifications as head of the state's public school system.
The board's selections process also was challenged by some members of the Utah media because the choice was made in closed session. The board held an unannounced meeting to interview Moss and two other finalists and announced two days later that Moss was their choice. The attorney general's office did not pursue the irregularity because the board subsequently corrected the process.
Evidence of friction within the board and among the board, Moss and local education groups began surfacing in late 1987. In July 1988, the board unanimously reconfirmed Moss' position, despite reported discontent among some board members. The pressures of a tax revolt and the need for a united front among those fighting the protest were credited for the show of unity.
In 1989, the Utah School Boards Association announced its decision to withdraw from the Education Coordinating Council, a consortium of education groups created by Moss. The Utah School Superintendents Association followed within a short time. With his support from local education leaders apparently at an all-time low, Moss regrouped and followed a board's dictum to mend fences. He said he believed he had met that directive and fulfilled other obligations outlined in a job description the board approved in late 1989.