Christine Cooke Fairbanks
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U.S. History of Civics part 4: The U.S. Department of Education (as we know it) is born
The American Founders believed education was intended to help students understand their government and its limits and functions in their daily lives. This aspiration transcends partisan and ideological divides for public education, and its fulfillment should not be subject solely…
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‘Enormous challenge’ ahead for students returning to public ed this fall
With COVID-19 spiking again across the state, parents and other education leaders are asking: What’s next? Sutherland Institute connected with Rick Hess, a former high school teacher, current lecturer, and leading education policy scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI),…
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Should a civics engagement project be required for a high school diploma?
A civics engagement project could be many things, but the goal is to put knowledge into practice. A project might be proposing solutions for cleaning a park or helping students access public transportation.
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GOP candidates for Utah governor: Where do they stand on education?
While a governor does not have as direct a role in education policymaking as other entities such as the state legislature or the state board of education, governors can use the bully pulpit to champion ideas and publish budget recommendations,…
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State Board of Education candidates continue debates: What did your candidates say?
Debates for the Utah State Board of Education continued this week, this time for Districts 13 and 15, reaching Provo, Spanish Fork, Mapleton and Springville, and St. George, Cedar City, Hurricane, Parowan, Enoch, Springdale, Enterprise, Lund, Beryl and Modena, Utah.
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Q&A: From struggling student to education champion
As a young girl, Merriweather struggled in her Florida public school – failing third grade not once but twice, and getting into fistfights.
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State school board candidates for District 10 debate tests, budget cuts, online learning
This week, candidates for District 10 responded to questions about the future of assessments after the pandemic suspended this year’s tests.
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U.S. History of Civics part 3: The ‘birth certificate’ of social studies
It’s no wonder the Founders taught that for the nation to survive each generation’s turmoil, young Americans must be taught about their unique form of government, how to engage it, and how to preserve its limits and usefulness in their…
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Young activists need knowledge, tools to create lasting change
Protests-turned-rioting in Utah and across the country prompt two important questions: Do young Americans know our nation’s history of social change? And are they adequately equipped with knowledge about constructive, nonviolent activism available to them?
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Goodbye to ACT & SAT exams? COVID continues to propel change in higher ed
Part of that equation will be the budget, and part of it will be higher education’s ability to adapt to a new reality in upcoming years.