State Codes and Statutes
Statutes > Utah > Title-53a > Chapter-06 > 53a-6-10253A-6-102. Legislative findings on teacher quality -- Declaration of education as aprofession -- Annual report.
(1) (a) The Legislature acknowledges that education is perhaps the most importantfunction of state and local governments, recognizing that the future success of our state and nationdepend in large part upon the existence of a responsible and educated citizenry.
(b) The Legislature further acknowledges that the primary responsibility for the educationof children within the state resides with their parents or guardians and that the role of state andlocal governments is to support and assist parents in fulfilling that responsibility.
(2) (a) The Legislature finds that:
(i) quality teaching is the basic building block of successful schools and, outside of homeand family circumstances, the essential component of student achievement;
(ii) the high quality of teachers is absolutely essential to enhance student achievement andto assure educational excellence in each classroom in the state's public schools; and
(iii) the implementation of a comprehensive continuum of data-driven strategies regardingrecruitment, preservice, licensure, induction, professional development, and evaluation is essentialif the state and its citizens expect every classroom to be staffed by a skilled, caring, and effectiveteacher.
(b) In providing for the safe and effective performance of the function of educating Utah'schildren, the Legislature further finds it to be of critical importance that education, includinginstruction, administrative, and supervisory services, be recognized as a profession, and that thosewho are licensed or seek to become licensed and to serve as educators:
(i) meet high standards both as to qualifications and fitness for service as educatorsthrough quality recruitment and preservice programs before assuming their responsibilities in theschools;
(ii) maintain those standards in the performance of their duties while holding licenses, inlarge part through participating in induction and ongoing professional development programsfocused on instructional improvement;
(iii) receive fair, systematic evaluations of their performance at school for the purpose ofenhancing the quality of public education and student achievement; and
(iv) have access to a process for fair examination and review of allegations made againstthem and for the administration of appropriate sanctions against those found, in accordance withdue process, to have failed to conduct themselves in a manner commensurate with their authorityand responsibility to provide appropriate professional services to the children of the state.
(3) The State Board of Education and the State Board of Regents shall make an annualreport to the Legislature through the Education Interim Committee on the status of teacher qualityin the state based on the continuum referred to in Subsection (2)(a)(iii), to include adequate andreliable data on the state's supply of and demand for teachers.
Amended by Chapter 86, 2001 General Session
