Brett Garner

Education

The State Board is empowered to make standards, but we only achieve success by having respect for democratic processes and participatory improvement, a high regard for teachers, clear strategies with buy-in from all stake-holders, and accountability frameworks that include room to innovate. Board District 3 compromises some of the greatest diversity in any of the school board districts. We need to find solutions that work for teachers in West Valley and Wendover, in Callao and Tooele and everywhere in between. My visits with school teachers will help me make sure that they are given the resources to work with their communities so that their students can succeed. Learn more

School discipline should be handled in school, and not through law enforcement unless absolutely necessary. I am committed to ending the school-to-prison pipeline, transitioning funding for school resource officers to more effective disciplinary approaches, and helping youth in custody overcome mistakes to become productive members of our community. Learn more

I believe parents should be free to choose any school that they want to for their child. However, our neighborhood public schools educate the almost 90% of our students, and deserve our greatest investments, attention, and efforts to make them the best schools anywhere. That includes making targeted investments in schools to keep them open and strong in as many neighborhoods as possible. Learn more

As the husband of a special education teacher, I strongly believe the board needs a voice to speak out for those students.  The board needs to continue to emphasize their needs in strategic plans, ensure that legislation actually helps and doesn’t hurt, and give teachers the flexibility and resources to help these students. I support efforts to hire and fairly pay support staff and paraprofessionals to help teachers and students. Learn more