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House OKs bill expanding peer assistance and review program to help retain teachers
Summary
The House passed HB 312 to let other Utah school districts adopt a peer assistance and review (PAR) program used in Salt Lake City, aiming to mentor new and struggling teachers and reduce turnover; Representative Briscoe said Utah loses roughly 40% of new teachers within five years. The bill passed 64–0 and heads to the Senate.
Representative Briscoe presented House Bill 312 to expand a peer assistance and review program currently implemented in Salt Lake City to other districts. He described PAR as a system that frees experienced teachers to serve as consulting teachers who mentor new or struggling teachers, participate in co-teaching and classroom observation, and, when necessary, refer an educator to a PAR committee.
"We hired 3,000 teachers in 2008 and after five years only 60% of them were still teaching," Briscoe said, summarizing state data and arguing the state is "losing 40% of our teachers." He and supporters said PAR helps mentor new teachers and retain talent where salary increases alone are difficult.
Representative Fossum moved Amendment 1 to clarify that funding can be applied across multiple districts if others adopt the program; Briscoe called the amendment "friendly" and supported it. After brief discussion, the House adopted the amendment and passed HB 312 by voice vote tallying 64–0; the bill will be referred to the Senate for further consideration.
