Constituent Letter

Dear Neighbor,

This November you will have the opportunity to cast your vote to set the future course of education in Utah. In your hands will rest the power to determine whether parents or the government should determine what is best for Utah’s students. As your elected officials we urge you to support greater education freedom with the Parent Choice in Education scholarships.  These vouchers provide another tool for parents to secure the best education for each and every child in Utah.  We believe that is good education policy.

Strengthening families is good public policy. The Declaration of Independence states that there are self-evident truths. We believe one such truth is that the family is the fundamental unit of society.  Governments, community organizations, and private entities may come and go, but strengthening the family should to be at the core of all we do. Strong families result in a strong society.  Weakening families weakens society. Laws that strengthen families are good public policy.

Parents are responsible for their children’s education. Another second self-evident truth is that parents have the primary responsibility, and will ultimately be held accountable, for their children’s education. Taking that responsibility from parents weakens the family.

Schools should assist the parents, not replace them. It is entirely possible today for parents to be completely uninvolved with their children’s education. Our schools now feed, tend, and transport children, detracking from their educational mission.  This encourages greater parental irresponsibility.  Simultaneously, caring and involved parents are often rebuffed when attempting to participate in the education of their children. Consider what may happen when a parent raises concern about some aspect of the education system, such as the curriculum or a student’s academic achievement. Far too often parents raising legitimate concerns are dismissed or ignored. Out of frustration, many parents have simply stopped participating, yielding to the bureaucracy.

Parents must be empowered with genuine choice in their children’s education. The answer is simple: Empower parents with genuine decision making authority and the corresponding resources. Parents must have a real choice, and the final say, over who teaches their children and what their children are taught.

Vouchers empower parents. We believe that vouchers empower parents and strengthen Utah’s families.  As a society, we must recognize the right, and associated responsibility, of parents to direct their children’s education.  Vouchers will increase the educational opportunities for Utah’s families, allowing parents to select the educational opportunities that best meet the needs of each and every one of their children.

Sincerely,

Rep. Brad Daw
Rep. John Dougall

Comments

[Jeff Lewis]

As much as I hope that #1 passes, I'm wondering what happens if it fails. Are we going to see lawsuits due to the referendum not covering both bills? Will the legislature do anything in the next session to improve education by enabling parents to choose where to send their children to school? One thing that the legislature certainly needs to do is to remove the stranglehold that the UEA has on politics in Utah.