profession. (1) (a) The Legislature acknowledges that education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments, recognizing that the future success of our state and nation depend in large part upon the existence of a responsible and educated citizenry. (b) The Legislature further acknowledges that the primary responsibility for the education of children within the state resides with their parents and that the role of state and local governments is to support and assist parents in fulfilling that responsibility. (2) (a) The Legislature finds that: (i) quality teaching is the basic building block of successful schools and, outside of home and family circumstances, the essential component of student achievement; (ii) the high quality of teachers is absolutely essential to enhance student achievement and to assure educational excellence in each classroom in the state's public schools; and (iii) the implementation of a comprehensive continuum of data-driven strategies regarding recruitment, preservice, licensure, induction, professional development, and evaluation is essential if the state and its citizens expect every classroom to be staffed by a skilled, caring, and effective teacher. (b) In providing for the safe and effective performance of the function of educating Utah's children, the Legislature further finds it to be of critical importance that education, including instruction, administrative, and supervisory services, be recognized as a profession, and that those who are licensed or seek to become licensed and to serve as educators: (i) meet high standards both as to qualifications and fitness for service as educators through quality recruitment and preservice programs designed to provide opportunities to demonstrate competency in a school classroom setting; (ii) maintain those standards in the performance of their duties while holding licenses, in large part through participating in induction and ongoing professional development programs focused on instructional improvement; (iii) receive fair, systematic evaluations of their performance at school for the purpose of enhancing the quality of public education and student achievement; and (iv) have access to a process for fair examination and review of allegations made against them and for the administration of appropriate sanctions against those found, in accordance with due process, to have failed to conduct themselves in a manner commensurate with their authority and responsibility to provide appropriate professional services to the children of the state.
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