Policy
Education
Human beings are magnificent. We were born with a God-given ability to learn and the capacity to grow. As Aristotle put it, “All men by nature desire to know.” Education is broader than any one school system. It’s a series of opportunities to learn, which should be delivered in ways that allow us to meet the unique needs of children. The growing diversity of our student population requires an equitable education for every child, which contemplates both productive citizenship and employment and which is delivered by the best teachers – whoever they are.
This vision for education requires humility and the pursuit of good ideas – wherever they come from. We can achieve this by empowering parents to create learning paths as unique as the student, rejecting approaches that undermine decision-making authority of those closest to the student, respecting taxpayers as owners of the public education system, and protecting the marketplace of options and the innovators who contribute to it. Education is necessary because each individual has the potential to accomplish great things. Education should reflect these truths, and we believe it can.
Education
Human beings are magnificent. We were born with a God-given ability to learn and the capacity to grow. As Aristotle put it, “All men by nature desire to know.” Education is broader than any one school system. It’s a series of opportunities to learn, which should be delivered in ways that allow us to meet the unique needs of children. The growing diversity of our student population requires an equitable education for every child, which contemplates both productive citizenship and employment and which is delivered by the best teachers – whoever they are.
This vision for education requires humility and the pursuit of good ideas – wherever they come from. We can achieve this by empowering parents to create learning paths as unique as the student, rejecting approaches that undermine decision-making authority of those closest to the student, respecting taxpayers as owners of the public education system, and protecting the marketplace of options and the innovators who contribute to it. Education is necessary because each individual has the potential to accomplish great things. Education should reflect these truths, and we believe it can.
Published Research
Conversations
Making up ground in education scores #utpol #education
How curriculum impacts civic decision-making #utpol
How school boards are the vestiges of true democracy #utpol #education
The burden of regulation on teachers' schedules #utpol
The need to end address discrimination
Adapting school districts to the new era of education
Will school districts overflow with open enrollment?
Making up ground in education scores #utpol #education
How curriculum impacts civic decision-making #utpol
How school boards are the vestiges of true democracy #utpol #education
Insights & Takeaways
InsightsHere’s how different states are approaching AI in education
About half of the states have released or endorsed guidance on AI in education; most were released in 2024.
InsightsNew research shows why religiously motivated colleges and universities offer far-reaching benefits
Religious schools created much of the infrastructure for education historically and continue to educate many students.
CommentaryUtah should prepare for changes to the U.S. Department of Education. Here’s how
States may have a unique opportunity to evaluate what state and local control really means without the same pressure from D.C. that has existed in the past.
InsightsWhy parent-friendly school district websites deserve more recognition
To further advance parent access to curriculum, Sutherland Institute is launching the Partners in Learning Certificate project.
InsightsTrump announces the U.S. Department of Education closure – what does it mean?
Many questions remain about this transition, like what it means for student loans, civil rights enforcement, and future federal education reforms.
InsightsHow to leverage local school district policy to improve education
District-level policy is an important avenue to education reform, especially in parent access to curriculum.
InsightsUtah’s path to leadership on Artificial Intelligence in education
Utah is positioned to be a leader in AI and should continue to find ways to lead in the area of AI in education as well.
CommentaryUtah advanced parent-driven education but left reforms on the table
Legislators should explore improvements to open enrollment transparency for parents and find innovative ways to increase parent access to classroom curriculum.
Impact AnalysisWhat Utahns think about transparency of school district open enrollment data
New Sutherland Institute/Y2 Analytics survey data – broken out into political groups and age ranges – provides insight into attitudes toward open enrollment data reform at the school district level.
InsightsHere’s how different states are approaching AI in education
About half of the states have released or endorsed guidance on AI in education; most were released in 2024.
InsightsNew research shows why religiously motivated colleges and universities offer far-reaching benefits
Religious schools created much of the infrastructure for education historically and continue to educate many students.
CommentaryUtah should prepare for changes to the U.S. Department of Education. Here’s how
States may have a unique opportunity to evaluate what state and local control really means without the same pressure from D.C. that has existed in the past.