January 2nd, 2024

Utah should exercise caution before any expansion of the “Utah Fits All Scholarship.”

In 2023, House Bill 215 established the Utah Fits All Scholarship, a voucher program which makes school choice “scholarships” of $8,000 per student available. These scholarships are public tax dollars and can be used by parents to support homeschooling or private and religious school education.

Proponents see vouchers as an opportunity to enhance school choice, improve competition, and give parents more control. Critics worry about the bill’s absence of accountability and transparency safeguards, particularly when it comes to the use of taxpayer dollars and the education of our children. The scholarships haven’t gone into effect yet, and before any expansion is considered, Utah should ensure that this program results in better outcomes for students.

Many argue that public funds should not be sent to private schools. Certainly, if Utah adopts such a practice in limited form, state policy must ensure that funds are used responsibly and with clear accountability measures in place.

• Lack of accountability? Many in the education community worry that the Utah Fits All program lacks the essential accountability mechanisms usually inherent in initiatives funded with public money. Unlike public schools, Under HB 215 private institutions and homeschooling programs are not subject to state oversight, end-of-year testing, or reporting student achievement outcomes.
  

• Lack of transparency? The early results from other states raise concerns – budgetary shortfalls, layoffs, school closures, declining student outcomes and fraud. The public benefits from proper safeguards and financial transparency which Utah needs to build in as this program matures.
  

Utah has entered into a bold new experiment for education. The legislature should carefully watch how new Utah Fits All Scholarships roll out and before considering expansion or modification.

Help us build a strong political base for public education! Reach out to your friends, family and networks and ask them to SUBSCRIBE to this update!

• Join us: Follow Education First on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can join the movement to empower Utah’s education system!

• Use your voice: Share our social media posts with your followers. Use your influence to inform others – including your legislator!

• Spread the word: Be a force for positive change. Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates through the legislative session.

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

January 10th, 2024

Did you know that over 80% of Utah elections are decided by as little as .16% of eligible voters in the state?

Why is that? Well, Utah uses a caucus/convention electoral model, meaning that elected delegates select party candidates, rather than the general voting population. In a supermajority state like Utah, this also means that Republican nominees selected by delegates are all but certain to win their general election. And, with 38% of state legislative races going uncontested in Utah in the 2022 general election, the delegates’ ability to determine statewide leadership is extraordinary.

However, just because delegates are elected does not mean that they necessarily represent the larger constituency in their area. For starters, The Hinckley Institute of Politics at the University of Utah estimates that delegates constitute less than 2/10 of 1% of Utah’s population, and that 99.8% of the population was unengaged during the most determinative elections.

What’s more, survey data show that delegates of both parties tend to be more politically extreme than the general party population, creating a perfect storm for political misalignment. For instance, while Utahns of one party might rank education funding as a top priority, that doesn’t mean it is the top priority of their delegates who have an outsized effect on who gets elected. We need public school advocates at every phase of Utah elections.

It is no wonder that advocating for change can feel discouraging. But your voice matters! We need strong public school advocates at every step of Utah’s electoral process. Here’s how you can get involved:

• Find your neighborhood caucus and attend your party’s 2024 caucus meeting to help elect delegates that represent your values.

• Consider becoming a delegate for future elections and play an active role in selecting candidates.

• Vote in local, statewide, and school board elections

The filing deadline has now closed for Utah 2024 elections. Across the state, 26% of the House races are essentially over – these races have either no challengers or minor party challengers.

43% of House incumbents have no in-party challenger so they will go straight to the general election. There are very few competitive districts in Utah, so these incumbents are pretty safe.

31% of House incumbents will have a challenger in their own party. These are the 23 races that will largely determine the tenor of the Utah House of Representatives next year. In the last election, 17 new House members were elected that made the body swing far to the right. Those who care about education need to get involved in caucuses, conventions and primaries! These races will determine the tenor of Utah’s government - and education!

Utah Senate races will bring less volatility since only half its members are up for election, and most of the incumbents will likely get re-elected. But watch those races with in-party challengers.

Join our movement to build a strong base of support for public education by sharing this message!

• Join us: Follow Education First on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can join the movement to empower Utah’s education system!

• Use your voice: Share our message on your platforms and within your networks. Use your influence to inform others about the crucial role they can play in determining our state legislators and representatives.

• Spread the word: Be a force for positive change. Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy through the legislative session

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

January 16th, 2024

Did you know that the Utah State Board of Education created a "Portrait of a Graduate," outlining the ideal academic and personal characteristics of a graduate of Utah's K-12 system?

Five years ago, education leaders, parents, students, and community members came together to discuss the future of education in Utah. Out of these community-led conversations came an aspirational framework outlining what we should expect Utah high school graduates to know and be able to do. This framework, a triumph of community collaboration and vision, is now Utah's Portrait of a Graduate.

However, the portrait is more than a simple list of qualifications and academic benchmarks. It elevates our sights beyond a litany of skills and paints a picture of who we want our graduates to be as they leave our schoolhouses. The portrait emphasizes three categories for Utah high school graduates:

• Mastery: a student's ability to demonstrate knowledge and skill proficiency in subject areas;

• Autonomy: a student's self-confidence, motivation, and ability to act and think independently.

• Purpose: a student's preparation to guide life decisions, shape goals, and foster a sense of direction and meaning.

  
  

The Portrait of a Graduate is not only a guide for schools and communities. It also exemplifies so much of what makes smart education policy: far from a top-down mandate, the framework amplifies the voices of local education stakeholders, emphasizes common ground and collective vision, and empowers local schools to adapt its contents to ensure its relevancy for diverse populations.

With nearly 200 education bills already filed for the January 2024 legislative session, we encourage legislators and constituents to use The Portrait of a Graduate to discern which proposals will empower Utah's students to greet their futures with character, knowledge, and purpose. When we choose to invest in our children's future, the results are positive.

Help us build a strong base of support for public education and elevate the work of Utah's education leaders by sharing this message!

• Joining us: Follow Education First on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can join the movement to empower Utah's education system!

• Using your voice: Share the Portrait of a Graduate and our message on your platforms and within your networks. Use your influence to inform others–including your legislator!--about using the Portrait of a Graduate as a guide towards smart education policy.

• Spreading the word: Be a force for positive change. Forward this email to your family, friends, and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First's weekly policy updates through the legislative session.

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

January 23rd, 2024

Did you know that Utah is currently ranked second-to-last in the nation for per-student education spending?

According to the most recent data released in May of 2023, Utah spent $9,095 per pupil–a third of what New York, the top-spending state, spent on each student in the same period. While education spending is not the only factor in strong student outcomes, fully funding public education is crucial to retaining teachers, ensuring educational excellence, and building flourishing schools at every level.

In advance of the 2024 legislative session, Governor Cox recently proposed a 5% increase in per-pupil funding, also known as the Weighted Pupil Unit (WPU). 3.8% of this increase is mandatory to account for inflation, leaving just 1.2% for discretionary, new funding.

On the other hand, the Joint Legislative Committee – comprised of members of the Utah School Boards Association, the Utah School Superintendents Association, and the Utah Association of School Business Officials – has proposed an 8% increase to address teacher recruitment and retention, employee compensation, as well as an additional 5.5% for program expansion, school fees and other critical operational needs.

Our state legislators are ultimately responsible for ensuring Utah’s education funding. The legislature has given education significant increases in recent years. However, since 2021 legislators have reduced income taxes by nearly $1 billion dollars–dollars that could have been invested in Utah’s education system.

Truly prioritizing public education means making a bold commitment to increasing the WPU and channeling ample, flexible dollars to local public education leaders, who are the experts in the needs of their students. Truly prioritizing public education means refusing to fan the flames of education-culture war issues or siphoning much-needed dollars away from public schools through scholarship voucher programs.

Public education is the heartbeat of our society, and robust education funding is a tangible acknowledgement that our children deserve the best. This legislative session, we urge legislators to maintain a singular focus on flexible, decisive public education funding that centers students and empowers educators. We urge them to resist the pressure to advance extreme education bills that divide, deflect, and distract from this crucial responsibility.

ACTION ALERT: Contact your legislators today. Funding for public education is critical. Please urge them to prioritize an ambitious investment in the WPU and allow local school districts to allocate the funding in each district to the different local priorities as they know best. The link here will take you directly to a message to send to your representative and senator.

Join our movement and help ensure a thriving public education system!

• Plan to attend your neighborhood caucus on March 5: The biggest opportunity to impact Utah elections is that evening!

• Join us: Follow Education First on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can empower Utah’s education system!

• Use your voice: Share our message on your platforms and within your networks. Use your influence to inform others about education funding!

• Spread the word: Be a force for positive change. Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates through the legislative session.

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

January 31st, 2024

Did you know that despite growing skepticism of the value of a college education, research continues to demonstrate the crucial nature of higher education in an individual’s economic life? A recent report published by Georgetown’s Center on Education and the Workforce noted that in 2021, workers with bachelor’s degrees earned $1.2 million more than high school graduates over a lifetime.

Today, Utah is at the forefront of higher education excellence! From 2019 to 2022, Utah was one of only three states where college enrollments increased, thanks in part to the state’s variety of low-cost, high-value educational options. In fact, Utah ranks number 5 in the US News & World Report Best States’ education category, due to metrics assessing college graduates’ debt at graduation. Utah is also ranked 13th in the nation for having the highest share of the population 25 years of age and older who’ve earned an associate degree or higher–an important goal that Utah has been pursuing for years! Much of that success can be attributed to Utah fostering an environment that encourages and supports all members of our communities as they attain higher education.

It’s no wonder, then, that Utah boasts the #1 state economy in the nation, according to US New & World Report, who also named Utah #1 in “Best States Overall” based on categories including health care, education, economy, infrastructure, opportunity, fiscal stability, natural environment, and crime and corrections. Such dramatic economic and social resilience would not be possible without the continuous drive and ingenuity of Utah-educated college graduates.

Utah’s most valuable resource is people! We know that when we invest in the future of young people, the results are always positive. Therefore, investments in our higher education institutions are not only an investments in our state, but also the future of every college student seeking to attain their life’s work.

However, our institutions of higher learning are not just economic engines. They are beacons of innovation and catalysts for open dialogue, the fostering of critical thinking and the empowerment of an increasingly diverse group of young people striving to reach their full potential. Any effort to curtail support for them risks undermining the historic economic prosperity and cultural abundance that we enjoy today.

ACTION ALERT: Contact your legislators today. Funding for public education is critical. Please urge them to prioritize an ambitious investment in the WPU and allow local school districts to allocate the funding in each district to the different local priorities as they know best. The link here will take you directly to a message to send to your representative and senator.

Join our movement and help ensure a thriving public education system!

• Plan to attend your neighborhood caucus on March 5: The biggest opportunity to impact Utah elections is that evening!

• Join us: Follow Education First on Facebook and Instagram to learn how you can empower Utah’s education system!

• Use your voice: Share our message on your platforms and within your networks. Use your influence to inform others about education funding!

• Spread the word: Be a force for positive change. Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates through the legislative session.

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!

Join us as we make education Utah’s top priority!