The need to reform Utah's public education system only now is beginning to catch on. State lawmakers have convened a task force to study it. The public, although anxious to pay teachers more, admits it is losing confidence in the current system. And so, at this critical juncture, this page has decided to make education its top goal for 2000, just as it did for 1999.
Last year, judging by the vitriol heaped on us at various school board meetings, some people misunderstood our intentions. We do not want to abolish public education. We want to make it better. We do not discount the contributions or the dedication of the many fine public school teachers in the state. They struggle with limited resources and do incredible work. However, we believe they could do even more under a system that allowed them more freedom to innovate, reward and punish.We also believe competition, under the right conditions, would foster improvement, just as it does in other fields. Whether this is best accomplished through vouchers, tuition tax credits or a liberal charter system is a matter that deserves more study and debate, but the system will respond fully only when parents have a legitimate choice. Teachers and, particularly, administrators should be held accountable for their performance. Public education should feel threatened by none of this. Our goal is the same as the education's establishment. It is to teach all children effectively.
As we did last year, we intend to continue addressing every aspect of education from curriculum to parental involvement to the need to be rid of incompetent personnel, and we intend to continue fostering a lively debate on this crucial subject.
In addition, the editorial board has chosen two other goals. One is to encourage a more comprehensive planning effort to handle the state's unprecedented growth. The other is to encourage Utahns and other Americans to focus on producing a successful 2002 Winter Olympics, rather than obsessing about the bribery scandal.
Growth is the single largest issue facing Utahns as they enter the 2000s. Of course, growth has been a constant in this state for 150 years, but this is a turning point, particularly along the Wasatch Front. Transportation, the availability of open space, the quality of air, the stock of affordable housing and the availability of schools all contribute to the general quality of life. Each is straining under the current load of newcomers, and each could be set on a course today that determines a successful future.
But, while planning and zoning are inherently local issues, only a regional solution will settle the big picture in an area marked by dozens of cities that share boundaries. We will focus on solutions that begin at the state level.
The Olympics present a unique challenge. The 2002 Games have, unfortunately, been branded. Comedians and popular media have found an easy target. Add to that the distinct possibility that a federal criminal probe will bring indictments in 2000, and the task of focusing on the Games themselves becomes enormous.
Yet it is vitally important that people do so. Time is running out, and Utahns have a heavy stake in making the Olympics successful and memorable as an event. They have a financial interest, and they have an interest in their own reputation, as well. We will closely monitor the work of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee, urging changes where needed and trying to keep everyone in the state focused on the task.
Naturally, Utah has many more needs than these three goals. We will continue to speak out on all matters of concern throughout the year. But these represent the most important and pressing issues of the day. We intend to keep them in the forefront of public discussion in 2000.