
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.
Conversations
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Find the right education option for your child
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Find the right education option for your child
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Utah Schools Navigator: Helping families find the right educational fit
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Parents know their children best
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The education debate that's changing America
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Should every child go to the same type of school?
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Who decides where kids go to school?
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The growing demand for school choice
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Why one education system cannot work for every child
Insights & Takeaways
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Learning about America through primary sources: The Declaration of Independence
Read More: Learning about America through primary sources: The Declaration of IndependenceThis is part 1 in Sutherland’s new series highlighting primary sources from American history in the hopes of enriching civics education.
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The hard work on critical race theory is just beginning
Read More: The hard work on critical race theory is just beginningThose 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…
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Mask mandates. Instruction on race. Utah’s civic education is under debate. It’s time to seize the moment
Read More: Mask mandates. Instruction on race. Utah’s civic education is under debate. It’s time to seize the momentRight 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…
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Sutherland on KUER: Discussing new civics education data
Read More: Sutherland on KUER: Discussing new civics education dataChristine 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…
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Sutherland Institute releases part 1 from major study on civics ed in Utah
Read More: Sutherland Institute releases part 1 from major study on civics ed in UtahIn 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…
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What is Utah’s Portrait of a Graduate and how can it help parents?
Read More: What is Utah’s Portrait of a Graduate and how can it help parents?With so much work to be done in Utah civics education, it can be overwhelming for parents to know what to do.
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Intro to new series: Putting primary sources into civics ed
Read More: Intro to new series: Putting primary sources into civics edSutherland Institute is launching a new research series that highlights key historical references – primary sources from American history – that are valuable inclusions for any history or civics education.
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Cox and legislators make wise move on critical race theory
Read More: Cox and legislators make wise move on critical race theoryBecause we as a people – policymakers and the public alike – share desired outcomes, we can be optimistic in our ability to create good policy around controversial issues like…
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Sutherland submits public comment on Biden administration’s proposed rule on civics ed
Read More: Sutherland submits public comment on Biden administration’s proposed rule on civics edThe following is a public comment given by Sutherland Institute on May 19, 2021, regarding a proposed rule from the U.S. Department of Education.











