Insights & Takeaways is Sutherland Institute’s official blog that informs the public and policymakers alike. The blog addresses important issues through the two distinct yet complementary lenses of the seasoned policy professional and the engaged citizen.
Insights: analysis, research, and informed commentary from Sutherland experts. For elected officials and public policy professionals.
Takeaways: the most important things voters need to know. For civically engaged citizens.
TakeawaysLocalized education is best for students
In education policy, Congress should let the states and local districts lead.
InsightsReligious people shouldn’t avoid the public square
Some of the most prominent conflicts created by the COVID pandemic response involved worship.
InsightsWhy Congress can’t deliver on education policy
Congress was never intended to implement sweeping policies on education minutiae involving person-centric, one-on-one interaction between students, teachers, parents and school boards.
CommentaryWhy Utah students would benefit from the ‘success sequence’
As Utah leaders seek ways to improve upward mobility for our state’s youth, recent data sheds light on the importance of the family.
TakeawaysPregnant Workers Fairness Act: What expectant mothers need to know
The new act increases accommodations for pregnant women in the workplace.
InsightsHow the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act could help this Utah nurse
Shalayna’s story as a working nurse sheds light on a common problem for Utah’s pregnant and postpartum healthcare workers.
InsightsHistory of parent-driven education: Part 5 – Charter schools and pre-pandemic public-school choice
Education choice is now available to more parents of all backgrounds, which reflects public school choice’s early bipartisan beginnings.
InsightsThe Pregnant Workers Fairness Act helps support families
We take a deeper look into how the bill came to be, its benefits and possible unintended consequences, and its implications for employers.
TakeawaysHome schooling is a growing option for families of many backgrounds
As parents seek the option that suits their children and family the best, the home-schooling movement is becoming less ideological.
Supreme Court hears oral arguments on religious accommodations
The standard sought in this case is the same as the current rule for employers asked to accommodate pregnant or disabled employees.
Why education choice matters for liberty
Education choice releases the pressure of fighting over what schools should teach and allows people to find an education that fits their needs and values.
1983 floods showed powerful force of religion, community
As Pastor Corey Hodges has noted, faith helps promote community. In 1983, local churches helped with massive relief efforts to keep floodwaters under some control and to minimize damage.
What do Apple’s expansion into India and family outcomes have in common? Process
Family processes are the functions that organize the family, including communication, coping, problem-solving, planning, leadership and perspective-taking.
How to bring the success sequence to Utah students
Utah has been a leader in education, priding itself on its focus on parents’ rights in education and strong families generally. But there’s always room for improvement.
Why we need the success sequence in Utah schools
By keeping celebrations and traditions grounded in specific values, like religion and patriotism, we share and pass on those values to others. Sadly, a decreasing number of Americans today see the importance of those values. Here’s how the success sequence can help.
A key to community success: putting family data at the center
Families are directly tied to community wellbeing. To protect that wellbeing, we need to harness family-focused data.
Religious schools need freedom to hire and retain staff that support organizational mission
Supporting the mission of an organization is one of the basic tests for employment with it. The principle should rightly extend to hiring decisions of religious schools.
Biden’s education secretary should look to inclusive approach advocated in Utah
Everyone is different, and a variety of careers and educational paths ought to be considered legitimate without cutting against each other.
