By Kyle Monson
Student artists from around Utah gathered Wednesday, July 16, on the steps of the capitol building to protest the amendments to Senate Bill 154, saying the amendments endanger extra-curricular and elective programs in public high schools.
The crowd included the Kennedy Junior High School marching band, a jazz combo from Taylorsville High School, drama troupes, a madrigal choir, and painters.
The amendments are aimed at stepping up the emphasis on “core curriculum” classes; specifically, English, science, and math. The bill, if passed, will increase graduation requirements in these areas, cutting the number of elective courses a student may enroll in.
“The bill is saying we need more core classes for kids, but the bill takes away electives,” said Dyann Smith, a member of the Granite District Parent Teacher Association in West Valley City. “No driver”s ed, no woodworking, no drama, no seminary.”
Senator Howard Stephenson, R-Salt Lake City/Utah, said the protest was based on misinformation.
“That protest today is the epitome of the phrase, ”A little knowledge is a dangerous thing,”” he said. “Of all the things we”re protecting is arts in schools. The people protesting don”t know what they”re talking about. It”s ”the sky is falling” kind of mentality.”
Stephenson, co-chair of the Public Education Appropriations Committee, defended the amendment by pointing to a clause that defines “core academic subjects” as “English, reading or language arts, mathematics, science, foreign languages, civics and government, economics, arts, history, and geography.” Elsewhere in the document, however, definitions include only math, English, and science.
The dual definitions in the amendment have led to several attacks on the proposed legislation. Don Gale, opinion writer for the Deseret Morning News, expressed his concern about the amendment in his column and was countered by a response in the same paper from Stephenson.
Protestors, holding signs with slogans like “Save our marching band,” were heated in opposition to the amendment, and the crowd was made up of students, faculty, parents and administrators.
“I read about the bill in the paper and wanted to be here to express my concern,” said Jillana Butler, a Salt Lake City art teacher.
The amendment text can be found at www.utah.gov.
