September 5th, 2024

Knowing that a child’s brain develops more between birth and age five than any other stage in life urges us to create early learning experiences where children can thrive. Considering what is known about child development, the Legislature, the State Board and the Governor have been champions for early education. Specifically, they have both prioritized increasing access to full-day kindergarten and preschool.

Universal access to optional full day kindergarten is one of Utah’s most notable accomplishments. Until 2022, only about 40% of students had the choice to attend full day kindergarten. Fortunately, through advocates at USBE, the Governor’s office, and the Legislature, Utah’s families now have the choice of half- or full-day kindergarten.

Now, we should envision the great value of an increased investment in preschool opportunities. Too few young children are participating in preschool. And, that percentage is actually declining due to limited funding. With increased state funding, many more of our 3-5 year old children would be able to attend preschool. State data shows that only about 60% of incoming kindergartners are entering fully ready to learn. Again, given the fact that 90% of brain development occurs before children enter kindergarten, investing in early education is critical to the future success of Utah’s kids. The impact of early learning is vast and lasting. High quality early education increases a child’s likelihood for academic success, graduating from high school, as well as earning a post-secondary certificate or degree.

While the state continues to strategize how to expand its investment in early education, there are ways to support our youngest learners. Through a partnership with multiple organizations, the 5B45 campaign has created great resources for families to support building a strong early foundation. There is even a free app, called Vroom, that can send weekly texts for ideas of how to meaningfully engage with children ages 0 to 5 that makes it simple to provide foundational growth every day.

Let’s work together to increase the early education opportunities available to our young children to set them up for success!

It’s time to get involved:

• 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 policy!

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

September 12th, 2024

For nearly a century, Utah’s Constitution has mandated all income tax revenue must be used to fund education. This educational mandate has provided a stable and reliable funding source for K-16 schools, ensuring consistent investment in the state’s school system. Utah’s constitutional commitment has enabled state leaders to consistently engage in long-term planning, which has been critical to maintaining a world-class educational system.

Amendment A on the November ballot will eliminate the mandate for education and give the legislature much more leeway to make decisions on how income tax revenues are used. Legislative leaders are now considering how they could completely eliminate the income tax in future years.

As an incentive to vote for Amendment A the legislature is holding school funding harmless for five years in light of declining enrollment in many districts; and offering a 2% increase in education funding for one year. After that, the legislature can choose to continue them or not.

Utah is ranked 49th among the 50 states in funding education. The risks are large if Utah loses the mandate for the income tax for education.

Utah’s long-term commitment to funding public education through a dedicated income tax funding has contributed to Utah’s economic success by ensuring that its students graduate with the necessary skills to succeed in a rapidly evolving job market. This has created a cycle of success, enabling the state to attract businesses who are assured of an educated workforce. As the evidence shows, our highly skilled and educated workforce has helped to drive economic growth and created opportunities for future generations.

It’s time to get involved:

• 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 policy!

• Spread the word: Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates on educationfirstutah.org/join.

  
  

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

September 19th, 2024

The No. 1 school-related factor for student success is the classroom teacher. Teachers are estimated to have 2-3 times the effect on student performance in math and reading compared to any other school factor (Opper, 2019). Luckily, Utah has some of the best educators in the country. According to a recent report, Utah is ranked 6th in the nation for PreK-12 education—a key indicator that Utah’s educators are extremely effective in promoting student learning (U.S. News and World Report, 2024). The five states ranked higher than Utah invest significantly more resources as reflected in their higher per-pupil expenditure. An increase in the weighted pupil unit (WPU) would allow school districts to provide not only a higher living wage for our teachers, but also the additional classroom support that teachers desperately need and request.

For example, additional legislative funding would significantly help Utah teachers by providing them with the resources necessary to address the complex needs of students facing behavioral, learning, and other at-risk challenges. One of the key benefits of increased funding is the ability to hire more specialized staff, such as counselors, subject area specialists and behavioral interventionists. These professionals could collaborate with teachers to create personalized strategies that support students struggling with academic, emotional or behavioral issues, which in turn helps maintain a positive classroom environment conducive to learning for all students.

Providing classroom teachers with additional resources to support at-risk students and struggling learners will actually benefit all students by fostering a more positive and engaging learning environment in every classroom. Ultimately, this will lead to improved academic outcomes for every Utah student. Please call your legislators to continue investing in Utah’s future by providing teachers and students with the resources they need to succeed.

It’s time to get involved:

• 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 policy!

• Spread the word: Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates on educationfirstutah.org/join.

  
  

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

September 26, 2024

During the 2024 Legislative session, the Utah Legislature funded $82 million in vouchers for scholarships to pay for “educational opportunities” for home school and private school families.  Already, we have seen instances where requested “educational opportunities” have included the purchase of a trampoline, installation of a sprinkler system, season ski passes and private horseback riding lessons.  Additionally, according to the law, these funds were to be prioritized for low-income families, but with no income verification process in place, this is not occurring.

In May, the Utah Education Association filed a lawsuit against the state arguing that Utah’s voucher program violates the state’s constitution.  Sixteen states have introduced voucher programs and three states’ (KY, NV, and SC) court system found them unconstitutional.  Just this month, the South Carolina Supreme Court ruled that their voucher system violated the state’s constitution.  The South Carolina constitution clearly states that no money should come from public funds for the direct benefit of any religious or other private educational institutions.  

So, how might this impact the 3rd District Court’s decision here in Utah?  Similar to South Carolina, Utah’s constitution prohibits the appropriation of tax dollars for the direct support of any school controlled by a religious organization.  Given the similarities between the two scenarios, it seems quite plausible that Utah’s Supreme Court could reach a similar conclusion.

How you can help:

• Join us: Follow Education First on Facebook, X 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 policy!

• Spread the word: Forward this email to your family, friends and co-workers and invite them to subscribe to Education First’s weekly policy updates on educationfirstutah.org/join.

  
  

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