Elections are always exciting, but personally, I’m glad the drama is over so our policymakers can turn to solving the problems facing our state and country.
I recognize that the results of our local, state and national elections have produced both a lot of euphoria and a lot of disappointment. But despite the disagreements, our country and state will move forward and we will do just fine.
Winning an election is one thing; governing is another. With the election dust settling, what do Utahns want their leaders to focus on in the next year? It’s not really a surprise. The priorities of Utahns haven’t changed much in the last few years except, of course, the more recent universal desire to get the COVID-19 pandemic under control.
But other than the pandemic, survey research over months and years has shown that citizens want excellent education, a strong economy, clean air and good health care. Plenty of other issues are important, as well, but those four are consistently at the top.
A recent poll confirms those priorities. When asked to rank several issues on a 1-5 scale, increasing education funding drew the strongest support, with promoting economic development and job creation second, followed by addressing air quality and dealing with homelessness.
It is noteworthy that even in an economic downturn, with a lot of job loss and uncertainty, a top priority for Utahns is increasing funding for education. Our citizens understand the importance of excellent education, and our policymakers should take note.
Those four top issues are, of course, interrelated. We can’t have a strong economy without preparing our young people for the jobs of the future. And we can’t adequately fund education without a strong economy and good jobs that produce revenue for schools.
And while air quality is first a health issue, it is also very important for economic development. Quality of life, including clean air, is a critical factor in attracting businesses and jobs to Utah, and retaining a great workforce.
Similarly, homelessness touches on a variety of other sectors, including housing, mental health, poverty and jobs creation. A strong economy and great education will help us lift Utahns out of poverty and homelessness.
One of the important takeaways for me in the citizen prioritization of these issues is the key role of quality education. I believe that great education and workforce development are in the center of it all.
Money isn’t everything in education. But I don’t believe Utah will ever catch the nation’s top states in public education performance while spending half as much per pupil.
If we have an excellent, well-trained workforce, we are almost guaranteed to have a strong economy. Businesses of the future, including those needing employees with advanced degrees and those needing technical skills requiring shorter training periods, will literally flock to Utah if we have people ready to fill those positions.
If we help our students prepare to be creative, innovative, problem-solvers, who have developed a love for lifelong learning, our economy will thrive and our families will prosper.
Certainly, despite low education spending on a per-pupil basis, Utah does quite well with education. We have smart young people, dedicated teachers and involved parents.
But Utah does not perform at the levels of the best education states in America, and we should aspire to be the nation’s No. 1 education state.
When I look at the difference between Utah and Massachusetts in education performance, it isn’t that Massachusetts young people are smarter. It isn’t that Massachusetts parents and teachers are more dedicated and caring. It isn’t that their administrators are more accomplished and innovative.
The difference, in my opinion, is funding. Massachusetts spends twice as much per pupil as Utah does. That absolutely makes a difference in teacher salaries, available resources, counseling and so forth.
Money isn’t everything in education. But I don’t believe Utah will ever catch the nation’s top states in public education performance while spending half as much per pupil.
With exceptional education, we can take Utah to the next level. Without it, we will be good, but not great.
A. Scott Anderson is CEO and president of Zions Bank.