May 03, 2025(UtahPolicy.com) - Harvard political science professor Robert Putnam talks with Dan Bammes and Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard about the idea of social capital — the central idea of his groundbreaking book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community. He also talks about his more recent book, Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis, that looks at the growing gap between wealthy American families and others who’ve found education and social mobility much harder to … Continued
May 26, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - The problem with that is that all the figures from the other states also don’t count building and bonding. So if we still wanted to do an apples-to-apples comparison, we’d have to add in those costs in the other states’ spending as well. Which would almost certainly slide Utah right back down to the bottom of the heap. Herbert has long made it clear that he thinks Utah needs to do better by its public … Continued
May 23, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - Beyond that, the grim rankings go on. Utah got last place for teacher salaries, last place for revenue from the federal government and second to last place for total funding (much of which is spent on buildings — which is why it’s last place for pupil spending). “I think it’s up to policymakers to see how interested they are in getting out of last place,” said Shawn Teigen, vice president of the Utah Foundation, a … Continued
May 22, 2019(KUER) - As Utah faces an ongoing teacher shortage, a growing number of school districts are looking to bump up salaries as a way to recruit and retain educators. The latest is Ogden School District, whose board approved a 5.7% pay increase for its educators during a special session Monday afternoon. That will bring up the starting salary for new Ogden district teachers from $42,172 to $45,472. This recent pay bump for Utah teachers is part of … Continued
May 14, 2019(Daily Herald) - The Utah Foundation will honor Rio Tinto with the Civic Cornerstone Award at the foundation’s 2019 Annual Luncheon on May 21 at the Little America Hotel. The Civic Cornerstone award is an award given to companies and organizations to recognize their contributions to the Utah Foundation’s mission and the community. According to a press release, Rio Tinto has been a major supporter of the arts, education and community institutions in Utah, providing support to Utah … Continued
May 08, 2019(Deseret News) - As a Utah Foundation report said last year, these exemptions come with good arguments, but “exemptions can create economic distortions and unfairly benefit specific industries over others.” Would they undo the many earmarks, such as for roads and transportation, that eat away at the state’s general fund? That Utah Foundation report laid out the argument for why Utah may have a sales tax problem. Over the past 45 years, it said, only one other state … Continued
May 07, 2019(KTVX) - The most recent data from Utah Foundation ranks the state fifth in the nation for suicide rates. The governor’s suicide prevention fund awarded Reach4Hope a $7,500 grant, as staff aim to reduce suicide through education, awareness, collaboration, and hope. “It’s something that we can bring them out of if we show compassion and give them back the hope that they had,” National Alliance on Mental Illness community liaison Lynn Bjorkman said. “Hopelessness is the big … Continued
May 01, 2019(City Weekly) - We’re not sure why it was necessary, but Envision Utah conducted a study on statewide teacher pay. It’s not like we didn’t know education was underfunded, but you have to understand the common thinking—”we do more with less”—which keeps state dollars from the school system. This, of course, makes raising salaries a bit of a problem for school districts that have to penny-pinch. So, you have to hand it to the Canyons School District for … Continued
April 25, 2019(KNRS) - Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard joins the show to discuss the results of a new study on teacher pay that shows Utah’s growing economy may be making it harder to keep teachers in the classroom. (Note: Segment begins at 77:49 into the program.)
April 24, 2019(KSL Newsradio) - Utah Foundation Vice President and Research Director Shawn Teigen comments on the plan by Canyons School District to raise the base salary for starting teachers to $50,000 per year, along with providing a substantial raise for all teachers in the district. (Audio used by permission.)
April 23, 2019(San Juan Record) - San Juan School District teachers are some of the top earning teachers in the state. Surprised? That’s according to a report from the Utah Foundation, an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit research organization. The report, Apples to Apples: How Teacher Pay in Utah Stacks Up to the Competition, compares Utah teacher pay to that across the nation, with particular focus on how Utah teacher salaries compare with other teacher salaries in the Mountain States. The report also … Continued
April 21, 2019(Deseret News) - It’s usually a simple equation. If you want high-performing schools, you need high-performing teachers. The question — particularly for a fast-growing state like Utah — is how to attract and retain them. In its new report, “Apples to Apples? How Teacher Pay in Utah Stacks Up to the Competition,” Utah Foundation reveals that average teacher pay in our state is well below the national average and at the bottom of the eight Mountain States. But … Continued
April 16, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - Rio Tinto will be honored with the Civic Cornerstone Award at Utah Foundation’s 2019 Annual Luncheon on May 21st at the Little America Hotel. Utah Foundation’s supporters include companies and organizations that serve as true champions of the civic community. Through the Civic Cornerstone Award, Utah Foundation seeks to recognize these supporters’ remarkable contributions both to the organization’s mission and to the broader community. Rio Tinto has been a major supporter of the arts, education and … Continued
April 15, 2019(KTVX) - The clock is ticking to file your 2018 tax return, and federal tax law changes could have a significant impact on the tax returns of Utah families, according to experts. Tax data analyst Christopher Collard with Utah Foundation says Utahns filing may find state taxes are higher this year if they have more children; charitable giving may also not be as beneficial, from a tax perspective, as it was last year. That’s because changes in … Continued
April 14, 2019(KSL-TV) - Utah teachers are comparatively underpaid. What the research shows and what one group is doing about it. KSL-TV’s Doug Wright speaks with Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard and Envision Utah CEO Robert Grow.
April 10, 2019(KUTV) - According to a new study by the Utah Foundation, a nonpartisan policy research organization, Utah’s teachers are paid below the national average and less than their peers in our eight neighboring states. It’s an average of $47,000 a year, which is $13,000 less than the average U.S. teacher. They also earn about 3/4ths less than working adults in the private sector with similar levels of education. As a result, “[Utah] may not be getting the … Continued
April 10, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - The average salary of a teacher in Utah’s public schools is $47,604. That’s significantly lower than the national average, according to a new Utah Foundation research report Apples to Apples? How Teacher Pay in Utah Stacks Up to the Competition. It’s also the lowest average salary among the eight states in the Mountain West. However, as the new report explains, it’s important to look beyond averages. The report also details how some of Utah’s largest … Continued
April 10, 2019(KTVX) - The Utah Foundation released a report this week on the state of teacher pay here in Utah addressing retention rates, teaching licensing and cost of living. Shawn Teigen is the Director of Research at the Utah Foundation; he said, “They may not necessarily be leaving because of salary but it’s certainly not keeping them around.” Their report says that Utah teachers are paid about $47,000 per year, much lower than the national average of about … Continued
April 10, 2019(KSL Newsradio) - Utah Foundation Vice President and Research Director Shawn Teigen spoke to KSL Newsradio’s Jeff Caplan on Wednesday, April 10th about Utah Foundation’s new research report Apples to Apples: How Teacher Pay in Utah Stacks Up to the Competition. (audio used by permission)
April 04, 2019(UtahPolicy.com) - The 2019 legislative session ended without a significant restructuring of Utah’s sales tax system. There’s agreement on the general goals – broadening the base of goods and services subject to the sales tax – but the clock ran out on the session before the details could be negotiated. State Senator Luz Escamilla, a Democrat, and Representative Robert Spendlove, a Republican, presented their thoughts on where the process is going now when they spoke to the … Continued
March 26, 2019(KNRS) - 6:05 pm: Utah Foundation President Peter Reichard joins the show to discuss his recent op-ed piece in the Salt Lake Tribune about the progress being made to address suicide prevention in the state. (Interview begins at 78:35 into the program.)
March 26, 2019(KSL-TV) - In 2018, the Utah Foundation’s Community Quality of Life Index fell—for the first time—below its starting point from when the survey started in 2011. Based off of Utahns’ perceptions of their communities, the quality of life index dropped to 70 out of 100 points last year. That’s a “significant” decline of three points since 2013, according to the report’s authors. “Utah’s rapidly rising housing costs have made many Utahns feel like rents and ownership are … Continued
March 25, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - Springtime is now upon us. The bluer skies, brighter sun and singing birds offer a welcome relief from the long winter. But the joy of spring doesn’t touch everybody. In fact, suicide rates in the U.S. are highest this time of year. In recent months, suicide has received increasing attention in Utah. Higher education and K-12 officials are placing new emphasis on mental health. A recent report from the Utah Foundation, “Getting to Tomorrow: Addressing … Continued
March 11, 2019(KNRS) - 6:35 pm: Peter Reichard, President of the Utah Foundation, joins Rod to discuss the foundation’s recent study on the effectiveness of tax incentives for businesses in Utah (Interview begins at 83:42 into the program.)
March 03, 2019(Salt Lake Tribune) - The Utah Foundation published its list of the top 10 issues for 2016. Health care, air quality, public education and taxes topped the list. Yet, in 2016 and 2018 and for almost as long as I can remember, the voters voted on none of these issues. If they had, Utah would have a much different government than currently exists. This does not necessarily mean voters lie to pollsters, but rather pollsters may not ask the … Continued
