Gov. Mike Leavitt's education initiatives shine brighter than all others in the minds of Utahns.
But has he really helped schools?Most school officials believe the public dialogue on education is a plus and Leavitt is to thank. His political weight gives credibility to issues, educators see him as genuinely concerned about schools and his PR skills are "the best," said Susan Kuziak, executive director of the Utah Education Association.
But some lament that Leavitt's programs fizzle when the spotlight shifts to a new initiative and that public education's basic funding has not risen from rock bottom in the nation since he took office.
"I think the Legislature and the whole state system are partly responsible for that -- and the governor's included," said Laura Black, executive director of the Jordan Education Association.
Leavitt is the most popular governor in the state's history. But 54 percent of Utah residents surveyed could not name even one of the initiatives he has launched (see main story and chart). Those who could remember a Leavitt accomplishment most often mentioned education, cited by 16 percent of the 400 people surveyed.
The statewide Dan Jones & Associates survey was conducted April 28; its error margin is plus or minus 5 percent.
School officials like the fact that education stands out in the public eye and especially applaud Leavitt's push for child literacy, for which lawmakers earmarked $5.4 million last session.
"The literacy program I think is very important -- probably the greatest thing he's done. Just by emphasizing the importance of this has drawn attention to it," said Barbara Lewis, coordinator of gifted student programs in the Park City School District, who works with fourth- and fifth-graders.
Public education for decades has strived to ensure all kids read by third grade's end. But having Leavitt touch on literacy in his budget, the State of the State address, and pushing for programs last Legislature gave the initiative new strength.
Lawmakers earmarked $5 million for schools to develop literacy plans, $250,000 for parent resources for early childhood literacy and $150,000 to train community volunteers. All were Leavitt initiatives, and mostly remained intact despite legislative wrangling and some nips and tucks.
"I certainly think anyone with his profile, of that visibility, certainly adds (impetus) to any initiative . . . and has some persuasiveness with bodies that make decisions," said Steve Laing, state superintendent of public instruction.
Previous legislative sessions approved such Leavitt initiatives as Centennial Schools, which offered grants for schools to meet goals, and Schools for the 21st Century, which expanded the program to include funds for goal-achieving.
Teachers applauded such grant money, and many tell of anecdotal success. But the programs have come and gone, as planned, in three years, leaving some wishing they weren't just pilots.
"I don't think it's possible in those short time frames to know if they work," Kuziak said. "I don't think it's a waste of time; I think you need to give things more of a chance."
But Leavitt also has cut other programs in favor of new ones, some of which education officials never saw coming. And despite his popularity, he has not always swayed lawmakers.
Leavitt has made class-size reduction an issue, but the Legislature has not come on board. While lawmakers committed $9 million in ongoing funds to cut middle school class sizes, they rejected spending an additional $7 million the governor requested for it.
Last year, the governor's budget recommended cutting by nearly 21 percent the popular Highly Impacted Schools program, which gives extra funds to inner-city schools with large numbers of low-income students, to help fund other initiatives. That's although Highly Impacted Schools was viewed by the Salt Lake City School District and others as key to educational success in those schools.
Leavitt also upset teachers when he recommended a 2.5 percent increase in the weighted pupil unit, the state's basic per-pupil funding formula.
But UEA president Phyllis Sorensen was horrified by the governor's benchmark, rarely surpassed by lawmakers, and called it a slap in the face to teachers struggling to make do in sorely underfunded schools.
Which raises the question: How much can the governor really do in the way of education funding?
Well, he works away at it. "I have personally been in more than 200 schools -- individual visits where I sit in classrooms and visit with students, walk the hallways and talk to teachers," Leavitt said. "That is a long-term commitment that I've made, both to understand and to emphasis with my presence" in the schools.
But in trying to juggle funding needs, Leavitt has actually left himself open to criticism.
For example, Leavitt said he specifically cut funding for his Highly Impacted School program -- "a very effective program" -- so he could put more money into the literacy initiatives.
Leavitt said much of the Highly Impacted funds were used for reading. To help more kids read better, he made "a deliberate policy decision . . . "to get the money into more schools."
Leavitt also earns kudos for his willingness to listen to concerns in public education circles. But sometimes educators want to weigh in on which issues his political weight could most benefit.
"I'm looking to be more involved with the governor in initial stages of developing some of his education policies," Laing said. "I hope those steps would be more aggressive in resources to (accomplish) what research shows is effective."
Overall, though, Leavitt is touted as pro-education, likeable and genuine. Still, some teachers give him an average grade, while high education officials won't grade him at all, calling the gesture too simplistic.
"I think the jury's still out," Kuziak said. "He's got a long way to go and we hope he's willing to continue the focus on schools."