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.
InsightsRight of conscience key to California and Michigan cases
Henry David Thoreau’s opposition to paying for a cause to which he conscientiously objected is widely shared. This is illustrated by recent cases in California and Michigan.
Takeaways3 things to know about Biden administration’s new guidance on prayer in school
The new guidance is not technically legally binding, but federal law requires schools to certify they are following the guidance. It serves as a suggestion to ensure proper adherence to the law.
InsightsPrayer in schools: Does federal guidance reflect Supreme Court rulings?
Updated letter from Department of Education stresses the ability of schools to limit employee prayer when they feel such prayer might be taken as an endorsement of religion.
InsightsHelping mental health and marriage
Mental health struggles take a toll on overall health and ability to perform and function in daily life. They impact family relationships, including marriage.
InsightsA success story: Overcoming dyslexia through home schooling
This family found great success in home-schooling a high school student using a school-like structured schedule, a program that helped with dyslexia, and a religious-based curriculum.
InsightsPolicymakers should meet families where they are
Policy approaches should empower families to pursue their own remedies to their own problems, instead of offering solutions to some families while doing little for families for whom the solutions are a bad fit.
InsightsCase shows how government interferes with religious groups’ homeless ministry
Department of Justice has sided with Micah's Way in its suit against the city of Santa Ana, California, for trying to shut down or limit its distribution of food and drink to homeless people.
TakeawaysParent-Driven Education: A Visual
Parent-driven models in education have become more popular and diverse in recent years. This chart helps parents understand their options.
InsightsA parent’s guide: A spectrum of parent-driven education
Broadly speaking, parent-driven schools fall into one of five categories: home schooling, home-schooling co-op, microschooling, public partnership, and hybrid schooling.
New law shows the triumph over zero-sum mentalities in education
With Gov. Spencer Cox’s signature on HB 215, students and educators in Utah are going to see historic reforms to Utah’s education system.
Cox’s State of the State elevates family and success sequence
The governor rightly cited the institutional role of families and the long-term benefits of life milestones anchored to education, work and family.
Accountability in HB 215 education bill
The legislation requires annual audits of individual families’ scholarship accounts, a suspension process for those who misuse scholarship funds, and academic accountability to parents and students.
FAQ on the proposed Utah Fits All Scholarship Program
Answers to questions such as: Why do we need this program? Are vouchers and education savings accounts the same thing? Didn’t Utah vote on this in 2007?
U.S. has long history of giving funding to religious schools
The Supreme Court has made clear that parents cannot be excluded from publicly funded scholarship programs solely because they send their children to religious schools.
How religious schools help tackle key higher education challenges
When the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching was launched in 1905, it specifically excluded religious schools from its benefits. Here’s why that was shortsighted.
New Utah legislation seeks compromise: teacher pay and education choice
HB 215 reflects the best of Utah’s policymaking ethic: avoid making a zero-sum game of two important education policy reforms – and seek changes that serve the common good.
Looking at accessibility of higher ed from a different angle
Religious schools are pursuing innovative ways of addressing the challenges facing universities and their students, including work-study and cost-saving programs.
Education pluralism: education choice legislation
Modern private education choice policies include education savings accounts, vouchers, tax credit scholarships, tax credit education savings accounts, tax credits and deductions.
