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
Striking the balance in educational involvement #utpol #studentsuccess
What should education instill in the next generation? #utpol #studentsuccess
Policies to help strengthen the parent-teacher partnership #utpol #studentsuccess
Rewarding teachers for going above and beyond #utpol #studentsuccess
The respective roles in different levels of government
Parent access begins in the classroom #utpol #studentsuccess #education
Striking the balance in educational involvement #utpol #studentsuccess
What should education instill in the next generation? #utpol #studentsuccess
Insights & Takeaways
InsightsPublic schools may fall off a spending cliff as pandemic school funds end
The federal government gave $190 billion to public school across the nation to mitigate the challenges of the pandemic and its aftermath. But the relief funds are soon ending.
InsightsToo little transparency or parent engagement?
One way to help parents get involved in their child’s education is to incentivize more teachers to create user-friendly curriculum transparency.
InsightsHow much does district spending impact student outcomes?
Looking at school districts with high graduation rates and low per pupil spending may reveal innovative ways to support graduation and help students complete the success sequence steps.
InsightsSchool choice case: Unpopular doesn’t mean unconstitutional
In a California case, the family of a boy with autism that chose a Jewish school is challenging state’s refusal of educational services it would offer if the child were in public or secular private school.
InsightsGen Z has been named the ‘Toolbelt Generation.’ Is that a good thing?
Many Gen Z young adults are choosing trades over the college track due in part to concerns about the value of college.
InsightsHow much money did the top ten ranking high schools spend per student?
Research suggests that the issue is complicated, that money does matter for school performance, and how it’s spent matters a great deal.
InsightsDo we need to care about the Utah State Board of Education?
For any Utah voters who also feel like K-12 public education is headed in the wrong direction, learning about the candidates running for a seat on the Utah State Board of Education (USBE) is a wise choice this election season.
InsightsEducation policy to consider during the 2024 election season
Here’s a look at what each presidential candidate is likely to focus on in education, given their track records and campaign platforms.
InsightsHow transparent are school districts about curriculum?
Utah districts don’t need to wait for legislation to be transparent – many have sought to be transparent on their own. District leaders interested in this reform can do several things right away.
CommentaryPassing Educational-Freedom Legislation Is Only the First Step
School-choice advocates face challenges beyond just implementation, even in friendly states.
InsightsUtah is a leader in open enrollment – but it could do more
Open enrollment, which Utah has had since 1990, is not nearly as controversial as other types of education choice policies, but it is a key education choice tool nonetheless.
InsightsSpending and performance: How do charter schools stack up?
In reviewing Utah’s charter schools, we see that there is not a clear trend between higher per student spending and better performance on metrics on school report cards.