Public Education Paradox.

• Position: Brief Article

John Curtis, part-owner and COO of Action Target Inc.

YES Utah is growing at an unprecedented rate, and is brimming with school-aged children. With growth comes demand for more schools and teachers, more technology and resources to keep our children on the leading edge in our new global economy. In 1993, when Gov. Mike Leavitt took office, he promised to work hand-in-hand with the legislature to ensure that our children receive a "world-class" education. He promised to reduce class sizes, raise salaries to attract the "best and brightest teachers," and "invest every available dollar in education."

In the last eight years, Utah has dropped from No. 49 to No. 51 in per-pupil expenditures and class sizes, and rolled over budget surpluses into the state's General Fund all eight years. Further, there are businesses and international companies in this state that need qualified, highly skilled workers to fill technical jobs, and our schools are not able to provide the training needed to fill these jobs. Applied technology centers are few and far between. Several proposals have been made to build state-of-the art technology centers to teach students skills to fill these jobs...