Kathleen Richards, a business teacher at Brighton High School for the last 18 years, has been named the outstanding business educator in high school by the Western Business Education Association, the first time regional awards have been given.
She received a plaque from Geor-gina Seals, Western Region awards director, during a recent meeting in Seattle. She will compete with winners from other states in national competition sponsored by the National Business Education Association.Richards, who has been teaching business classes for 22 years, received a bachelor's degree in business education from the University of Utah in 1968 and a master's degree in the same area from the U. in 1972. Last year, she took a one-year sabbatical from teaching to work on her Ph.D. at Utah State University, where she taught part time.
Since she started teaching, the personal computer was invented and that has really changed business education. Each Brighton High student must take a computer class for graduation and Richards also teaches spreadsheets, data base programs and other computer-related classes so graduating students are prepared for entry-level jobs.
The school also offers classes in accounting, business management, economics, business communications, office procedures, shorthand and keyboarding (typing).
Richards, who has has been president of the WBEA and a member of the executive committee of the NBEA for seven years, said it is important for business to aid education, mainly because education budgets don't allow purchase of much up-to-date equipment.
She several companies provide equipment and consultants and Junior Achievement also is important because of its business education program.