Why Utah Republicans stand firm in their teacher bonus plan, leaving Salt Lake City out

House and Senate Republicans were briefed on upcoming bonuses during a closed caucus meeting on Tuesday. The plan to eliminate Salt Lake City from bonuses emerged from those conversations after members expressed frustration that the district was the only obstacle to returning to personal training.

House Speaker Brad Wilson, R-Kaysville, says what he heard from his members convinced him that using the bonus money as both a carrot and a stick was the right move.

“There is deep concern and frustration that the needs of students in the Salt Lake City school district are not being met,” Wilson said Thursday.

Legislative leaders on Wednesday voted to approve a $ 1,500 bonus for licensed educators in Utah as a thank you for their efforts during the pandemic. But they also added “intentional language” to the trait that excludes teachers and district staff who do not offer a personal class option until the legislature begins its January 19 general session. applies to Salt Lake City schools.

Wilson, along with many other lawmakers, believes the online-only approach does not work and may be to the detriment of students, and he is behind the decision.

“There are districts and teachers across the state who have found a way to make this work,” he said.

The bonus money is part of a massive $ 400 million increase in education spending, MPs added to next year’s budget. If, for some reason, parliamentarians are unable to finalize the overall budget by the end of the session or the governor vetoes the budget at the end of the session, the core budget remains in place to secure funding.

Unless the dynamics change, the issue will reach the office of elected Governor Spencer Cox shortly after taking office in January. Parliamentarians are required to pass basic budget bills by January 28.

So where does Cox come to hold the bonus hostages?

A Cox spokesman declined to comment Thursday, saying in an email that he would prefer to “sit on it.”

But Cox and his team did not raise any objections to the House leaders.

“I know his staff was aware of what we were doing and I felt like I was supporting what we’ve been doing here for the last 24 hours,” Wilson said. He added that he did not speak directly to Cox about the issue.

Cox’s public silence can be a strategic calculation. Parliamentarians still have to introduce, debate and pass basic budget bills before they head to his office and he may be working on one side or the other, which would save him from making a difficult decision. .

Much of the outrage online was caused by a simple question – is it fair to retain these bonuses for teachers who have not made the decision to take the courses rather than personally? This decision was made by the school board.

John Caywood, who works as a student support assistant at Wasatch Elementary in Salt Lake City, says teachers who teach courses work just as hard, maybe even harder, than they did before the pandemic.

“I see almost all the teachers every week at one time or another and they seem to lose a lot of hours, whether they’re here in the building or ready to do their homework,” he says. hours than they have done so far. ”

Caywood understands that there is a perception that these teachers somehow have an easier job without in-person classes, but he rejects this.

“It’s not like they could fly away from their responsibility as teachers,” he said. “It’s just untrue.”

“I’m getting a lot of emails right now from parents in the Salt Lake City school district, thanking us for listening in the end,” Wilson said. “It is said that their children pay a high price. I don’t make decisions based on how many emails I receive, but that only reinforces that we’re doing the right thing here. “

This controversial bonus could be debatable in January. The Salt Lake City School District issued a statement saying it was reconsidering the slow introduction of the class in person, in light of vaccine news. Teachers are expected to be able to get the vaccine in the middle by the end of January.

House Minority Leader Brian King of D-Salt Lake City was one of two Democrats to vote in favor of the measure, despite the added willingness to withhold bonuses.

“I think it’s wrong to punish the Salt Lake District because the administrators there made a different decision about their educational options,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. I can see this as the Legislature sending a message. “

However, King said the overall increase in funding for education is important to support.