The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. This founding document – created on Sept. 17, 1787 – lays out the rules, organization and operations of our government. This is part 2 in Sutherland’s new series highlighting primary sources from American history in the hopes of enriching civics education.

In-depth discussion with Utah teachers and parents (over a five-day period) revealed how K-12 educators, as well as parents of K-12 students, feel about the state of social studies and civics education today.

It is time to restore civics education – both the current coursework and the broader mission of our schools. The successful navigation of the next controversial or perplexing moment depends upon it.

Both the State Board of Education and the Utah Legislature recently took initial steps to address public concerns over the possibility of the ideas of critical race theory (CRT) showing up in K-12 classrooms. But is the debate actually focusing on solutions to the problem, or symptoms of it?

This is part 1 in Sutherland’s new series highlighting primary sources from American history in the hopes of enriching civics education.

Those who genuinely prioritize the improvement of Utahns’ lives (including the next generation’s education) through good public policy – as opposed to those who prioritize a personal, political, ideological or policy agenda – should strive to accomplish it. If we don’t, we will fail Utah’s students and its citizens.

Right now, Utah is experiencing challenging — even combative — debates over social issues and appropriate K-12 education curriculum. At its core, this challenging moment has to do with parents feeling a loss of control over the education and well-being of their children.

Christine Cooke Fairbanks, Sutherland Institute’s education policy fellow, chatted with Jon Reed at KUER to talk about the key takeaways from the data, including the fact that parents generally have a high opinion of their schools, Utah parents want more transparency in what’s being taught, and that capstone projects or portfolios are preferred over standardized testing.

In an effort to understand more about the state of civics education in Utah – its connection to societal distress and to other relevant education topics – Sutherland commissioned a multi-part study conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies in March and April 2021.

With so much work to be done in Utah civics education, it can be overwhelming for parents to know what to do.