I thought it would be good to provide a summary of things I believe in.
Alpine School Board Campaign
Mark Clement
District #5
2024
Priorities
Student Achievement - The most important element here is quality teachers
Increased Teacher Salaries - Teachers work better when they are reasonably compensated
Smaller Classes - Studies have shown that smaller classes result in higher student achievement and better teacher satisfaction.
Qualifications
Listening to input from teachers, parents and students to understand the issues
Collaborating to find a data driven strategy
Persuading other board members to adopt a strategy
No board member can make a decision in isolation. A board member has no power individually, only through the majority of the board.
Ideas
New School Funding - We currently pay as much as 40% more for buildings if we bond and make payments. I would like to move towards having the district save up for building projects and avoid the interest.
Consolidation - As school age populations decline, I want to keep students and teachers together as they move to a new school.
Legislative Work - I want to help the legislature to catch the vision of increased educational achievement in Utah and then help to support them in getting there.
Principles
I am committed to moving decision making to the most local level. Empowering principles and classroom teachers to make decisions for their students results in better outcomes.
Make deliberate decisions based on data. I want to invite the public to contribute to a solution and this takes time.
Be transparent and honest with parents as to what is possible instead of just telling them what they want to hear.
Achievements
Helped select the best Superintendent and Business Manager in the state
Helped to create financial information that is easier for the public to understand.
Helped to keep elementary schools together when consolidation is necessary
Qualifications
Served as president of the Alpine School Board as we came out of COVID
President Elect for the Utah School Boards association, serving students throughout the state
Computer Science Professor at BYU and advocate for STEAM education
