Parents and staff representatives raise teacher morale and special‑education concerns during public comment

Multiple speakers used the board’s public comment period to urge the school board to address declines in teacher morale and to reconsider special‑education resourcing and practices.

Mandy Larson, speaking on behalf of the Tooele Education Association (TEA), thanked the district for recent facility work but urged board members to spend time in classrooms, participate in faculty meetings and learn from teachers about workload and implementation burdens. Larson said teachers are overwhelmed by new initiatives being added without removing older requirements and recommended prioritizing and pausing lower‑priority initiatives so teachers can focus on higher‑impact work.

A parent identified as Travis Provett described difficulties obtaining services for his 6‑year‑old son with level‑2 autism. Provett said his son received an unsatisfactory citizenship grade for behavior he described as tied to the child’s disability, and that the family had previously encountered resistance from district administrators when requesting a resource the parent believes the child is entitled to under federal guidelines. Following a recent meeting, Provett said the district reversed course and agreed to provide the resource. He also described concerns about a crisis intervention plan for his son that included elopement (leaving the classroom or property) and said his son’s teacher recommended a one‑on‑one aide but the family had previously met administrative refusal.

Mitzi Belverston, speaking for SPOT (classified employees’ association), asked the board to value and support classified staff and said many full‑time roles are being shifted to part‑time. Belverston urged the board to partner with building representatives, spotlight staff and use association activities to boost morale and stability.

What the board said: Board members responded by encouraging dialogue between teachers and the board, acknowledging workload concerns and saying they want to better understand how to balance improvement efforts with staff capacity. District leaders present said they are seeking staff feedback and trying to limit duplicative requirements while supporting improvement work.

Ending: Commenters asked that the board prioritize visits to classrooms and direct engagement with teachers and classified staff to better understand day‑to‑day needs; the board said it would take that request under consideration and continue discussion in future meetings.