House debates SB 154 substitute on State Board nominations and competency-based teacher licensing

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah House of Representatives spent a lengthy floor session on March 4, 2003, debating the fifth substitute to Senate Bill 154, a sweeping package of public-education amendments that would reshape how State Board of Education members are nominated and create new competency-based teacher-licensing and student-assessment provisions.

Representative Thomas Urquhart, sponsor of the bill on the House floor, called the measure "a tremendous opportunity we have" to pursue "significant improvements and reforms to public education," and emphasized provisions on competency-based education and "progress based assessment" intended to measure students' year-to-year progress rather than promote them without demonstrated skill.

The most contentious policy fights centered on two structural questions: whether to replace the current system with a single statewide nominating and recruiting committee for the 15-member State Board, or to keep 15 local nominating committees; and whether to delete the phrase "advanced certification or credentialing," which several members said is undefined in the bill.

Representative…