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Guest opinion: A grim forecast for public education

By Kevin Korous - | Dec 20, 2024

The impending collapse of our public education system, as we know it, is unmistakably near.

Overcrowded, underfunded and far apart, our public schools and universities will no longer be a place for academic curiosity, intellectual growth, critical thinking and social mobility. Instead, students will be taught unthinking nationalism and trained for low-skilled jobs while students with alternative educational opportunities will be rewarded favorably with unregulated tax dollars to fast-track themselves into the best careers irrespective of their merit.

Yes, this is a grim forecast, but the path is already paved.

Political and religious ideologies are being prioritized in educational policy and curriculum decisions nationwide, replacing the focus on student success. Florida lawmakers politicized their local school boards through a constitutional amendment, which failed to pass in the general election. Texas approved public school curriculum with Bible-infused lessons. Louisiana mandated a display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, a law currently blocked by a federal judge. The incoming presidential administration has targeted the Department of Education, threatening national oversight on how funding, opportunity and educational quality is distributed across states.

The goal of these measures is the collapse of public education, and Utah is leading the way with some of the most extreme measures.

Utah is following the same path, encouraged by the majority of our Legislature.

Private school vouchers and income tax cuts are defunding public education, books are being bannedcurriculum censored, transgender students bullied and voices of protest are being silenced. Utah representatives have attempted to ban all immigrants from public schools, permit denominational chaplains in our schools and mandate the display of the Ten Commandments. As a result of Utah’s political rampage, educators are leaving, cultural centers are being closed, student clubs are fleeing and educational programs are being eliminated to make way for general curriculum solely focused on Western and European epistemology.

The majority of Utah’s policymakers will continue to undermine our public education. Our universities are expected to cut their budgets, leaving them to do more with less, ultimately threatening their competitiveness. Our Legislature may soon have the power to attach strings to federal education funding, hold it hostage to other legislation and divert more taxpayer dollars to private schools.

Many Utah families will be left to decide whether public schools are safe and adequate. They may also choose to send their kids out of state for college or encourage online classes. Families with the least will suffer the most.

Change is possible, but we must work together and demand quality public education for all Utahns.

Start with your local school district. Local school boards choose the superintendent who leads your school district’s decisions, influence how state policies impact your community and decide how money is spent on your students. Join your school community council and have a say in allocating funds where they are needed.

Pay attention to the State Board of Education as they are making decisions about statewide curriculum standards and abandoning long-held principles of transparency. Write your board representative with your concerns or present public comment. Irrespective of how they receive your comments, the more they hear from the people, the more powerful we are.

Follow state legislation during the annual legislative session in January. The House and Senate Education Committee webpages at le.utah.gov are good places to watch, giving you the information you need to monitor committee hearings, provide public comment, and to email, text or call your state senators and House representatives. Keep it simple, tell them your personal experiences and thoughts. Local school districts, teacher unions, social media groups, and several podcasts and news sources are also places to find summaries of legislation under consideration.

Out of a dark future, together we can champion light back into public education.

Kevin M. Korous, Millcreek, is a researcher, writer and statistician, and received his Ph.D. in family and human development.

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