NORTH LOGAN – The 2018 session of the Utah legislature will be opening on January 22nd and one local state representative, Val Potter (R)-District 3, is working on several different bills.
Potter says the one he has been working the hardest on so far is the Teacher Salary Supplement Bill. He says science and math were added to the supplement a few years ago and Potter would like to add Special Education teachers into the salary supplement now.
“We’re not able to retain them in the schools,” Potter laments. “We are also not able to recruit them. For example, Utah State used to bring 30 teachers per year for special education, now they can’t get more than eight or nine.
“So it’s dropping fast. Keeping them in the schools, longevity is difficult. We’re finding that it’s a tough major, there is additional work that is needed. There is a lot more work needed for the special education children and we feel like that supplement that is given to the math and science teachers should be included to special education.”
Potter says it is very important to be able to recruit and retain special education teachers.