Plenty of support for computer education bill

By Brice Wallace 

With the 2019 general legislative session nearing an end, the Salt Lake Chamber and others are mounting a final push for passage of a bill aimed at fortifying Utah’s workforce pipeline.

The chamber last week held a news conference to back the passage of HB227, the Utah Computer Science Grant Act, which calls for grants for local school districts to help train teachers in computer science and bolster computer science curricula in Utah public schools.{mprestriction ids="1,3"} Mid-week last week, the bill had sailed through the House and in a Senate committee, advancing it to the full Senate.

“Looking across Utah’s economy, one common denominator between all industries is technology,” Derek Miller, president and CEO of the chamber, said last week. “No matter the industry, no matter the job, technology is and will continue to be the driving force of our economy.

“This is why computer science education is rightfully at the forefront of business leaders’ minds as they grapple with how to best prepare our future workforce. In order to compete in our ever-evolving technological world, Utah’s students must be equipped with the computing skills and digital knowledge to be successful in any future career.”

HB227 would allow professional development grants to be awarded to local school districts to help train teachers in computer science and implement recommendations from the Utah State Board of Education’s Computer Science Task Force into existing curricula — from advanced-placement computer science courses down to kindergarten and first-grade coding basics. The state Talent Ready Utah Board, in consultation with the state school board and the Talent Ready Utah Center, would develop a computer science education master plan. The Talent Ready Utah board would solicit applications from local education agency boards to receive grant funds and make recommendations to the state school board regarding the awarding of the funds.

The bill includes a $7.15 million appropriation for fiscal year 2020. The original version of the bill had the appropriation going to the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED), but a substitute version replaced GOED with the Utah State Board of Education. The first grant round could be awarded about a year from now, and ongoing grants could be awarded after July 1, 2020.

The bill is sponsored by Rep. John Knotwell, R-Herriman, and CEO of the Utah Technology Council (UTC); and Senate Assistant Majority Whip Ann Millner, R-Ogden, and former president of Weber State University. The legislation is UTC’s top legislative priority for the current session.

HB227 also has the support of representatives of a variety of industries and organizations. Among those speaking in favor of the bill in committee hearings were representatives from L3 Technologies, Pluralsight, Intermountain Healthcare and O.C. Tanner Co., as well as those from the Utah State Board of Education, GOED, the Utah School Boards Association and the Salt Lake Chamber.

“In order for our nation to maintain its technological superiority we must invest here at home in developing a highly skilled workforce, especially in STEM-related fields,” Dan Gelston, president of the broadband communications sector at L3 Technologies, said last week. “We have a strong network of universities here in the state, but our nation and our state can and should do more to provide youth greater access to computer science training, as early as elementary school, and certainly during their middle and high schools years.”

“The world of manufacturing is becoming increasingly focused on technology and automation, and our need for employees who have these skills will be critical to the future of our company and our entire state’s economy,” said Laura Bogusch, general manager of Boeing Salt Lake. “We are pleased to be joining with the Salt Lake Chamber and Utah’s business community in calling for computer science education for every Utah student and we applaud Rep. Knotwell and Sen. Millner for sponsoring this important piece of legislation.”

No one spoke in opposition of the bill during the Senate or House committee hearings. At press time, the bill had had unanimous support in both of those committees and the full House. The general session’s final day is March 14.

Details about HB 227 are at le.utah.gov.

Earlier this year at the Silicon Slopes Tech Summit in Salt Lake City, five leaders of Silicon Slopes committed to give $1 million each to match funding approved by the Legislature for the computer science initiative during the general session. They are Aaron Skonnard, CEO of Pluralsight; Josh James, CEO of Domo; Dave Elkington, CEO of InsideSales; Ryan Smith, CEO of Qualtrics; and Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint.{/mprestriction}