In an article printed on Aug. 31, 2023, titled “Solution to Utah’s teacher shortage? Group says raise salaries” Nichole Whiteley reported on Envision Utah’s ideas to address the teacher shortage.

I take issue with the attitude of Jason Brown, vice president of education and communication for Envision Utah when he said that increasing teacher salaries “would encourage teachers to work hard….as they would be competing with other teachers.”

I am stunned. I should focus on my students and their learning, not competition with other teachers. I can’t work harder. I work a minimum of 10 hours a day doing everything I can to help my students. I have taken multiple, multiple professional development courses, most on my own time and dime, to improve my practices so I can be more effective in teaching students.

Mr. Brown also said that teacher funding is a ‘public issue’. Such attitudes are fueling this public problem. A good place to start in addressing the teacher shortage is to stop treating teachers like we’re not enough, stop trying to manage the education of human beings like a business, and reduce class sizes.

Lisa Jolley, Eagle Mountain

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