Dear UMEA Membership: The Utah State Legislature is currently discussing House Bill 203, the Teacher Salary Supplement Program Amendments. This bill provides supplemental pay of up to $10,000 for secondary science, engineering, math, and technology (STEM) and special education teachers. The bill passed the House on February 23, 2015. On March 5, 2015, the Senate Education committee approved the bill for consideration on the Senate floor. Click on this link to read the bill and follow its progress: http://le.utah.gov/~2015/bills/static/HB0203.html For concerned educators to affect this bill, immediate action is needed. Please contact your senator voicing your concerns about HB 203 as soon as possible. The UMEA Executive Committee is inviting members to contact their state senator to share your opposition to HB 203. To contact your senator go to http://senate.utah.gov/contact/index.html, select your senator and leave your message. Thank you for your support. Sincerely, Sam Tsugawa President, Utah Music Educators’ Association The following statement is UMEA’s position on HB 203: HB 203 only compensates secondary teachers who teach science, engineering, math, and technology (STEM) courses, as well as special education teachers. These designated salary increases would create stark pay discrepancies between secondary STEM teachers and all other teachers, including all elementary, and secondary language arts, world languages, social science, physical education, and fine arts teachers. Additionally, the bill is unclear regarding how STEM teachers may become eligible for their supplemental pay. According HB 203, eligibility requirements for salary increases are primarily based upon a STEM teacher’s degrees earned and teaching assignment. The bill does not mandate State and district school boards to require STEM teachers to submit Student Learning Objectives (SLOs) and account for student learning and improvement as a condition to receive supplemental pay (a procedure required by law for all teachers to receive merit pay). Given the exclusionary nature of the bill, as well as the lack of accountability, we are concerned about the unintended consequences that may result if the current bill is enacted into law, including a marginalization of subject areas not included in the bill. Such distinctions fostered in HB 203 may affect teacher recruiting and retention, student enrollment and participation, force districts to reallocate time and money away from non-STEM courses, and create an unhealthy competitive environment between teachers. It is our hope that any action taken by the Legislature to improve education is done with the utmost care and awareness of the effects that proposed laws have on all students and teachers. We believe that HB 203 is exclusionary and will eventually disenfranchise and devalue the teaching efforts of teachers not included in the bill. We propose that any effort to improve education, even STEM education, include all subject areas, even the fine arts. Research affirms music’s efficacy in overall learning, creative and critical thinking, and collaborative skills; in other words, the traits or “soft skills” students need for professional success. As music educators, we are eager to share with decision makers the demonstrable positive impact music has on learning, and its lifelong benefits music students take from our classes into the workplace. An equitable and inclusionary professional environment would value the efforts of all teachers and keep open continued dialogue between decision makers and the entire education community. -- sharee jorgensen Canyons District Arts Specialist UMEA Executive Director