Prioritized Academic Excellence
Promoted Fiscal Responsibility
Advocated for Common Sense Policies
PRIORITIES
Revised USBE Vision and Mission to align with Utah code and emphasize academic and organizational excellence
Revised and strengthened Standards in K-5 Social Studies and started on Mathematics
Raising Expectations
Promoted ULEAD (Utah Leading through Effective, Actionable, and Dynamic Education) to analyze and share outstanding practices in Utah schools.
Promoting Best Practices
Fully-funded all-day Kindergarten, while preserving the option for half-day Kindergarten.
All-Day Kindergarten
Obtained funding for immigrant bridge program for English learner students
Translation services for USBE website to serve all students and families
English Learner Support
Emerging as the #1 State for Minimizing Learning Loss During COVID
Increasing Access to Early College Learning
Prioritized Academic Excellence
Opening doors of opportunity for ALL Utah children
Reducing Burdensome Reporting Requirements
In conjunction with Utah Legislature, USBE has engaged and will continue to engage in a multi-year project to reduce reporting requirements for districts and charters to both the USBE and the legislature. The Reports and Requirements Taskforce has eliminated reports, prevented additional reports by identifying currently available data elements, and restructured the Assurances each district and charter is required to submit annually. This also returns accountability to the local school board and community level, when appropriate.
Supporting Teacher and School Innovation
Provided funds directly to teachers during COVID using the Donor's Choose platform to provide needed materials quickly and transparently.
Established Innovation Grants through ULEAD to promote teacher- or school-based solutions to local issues.
Supported waivers from rule for school districts and charters to meet the unique needs of their communities.
Streamlining Teacher Licensure
Revised USBE rule to allow competency rather than coursework. Developed proposal to establish Master Teacher role with merit-based responsibility and pay. Approved by the Utah Legislature and in development now.
Condensed the Utah Effective Educator Standards to focus on the most important elements of teaching.
Streamlined teacher re-licensure, removing elements that were redundant and unneccesary and adjusting timelines to preserve teacher time.
Saving Administrative Costs for Local Schools
By reducing reporting requirements, streamlining and eliminating redundant teacher trainings, offering training statewide, embracing remote meetings, and securing statewide purchasing contracts, USBE has focused on saving local districts funds. Many of these items are optional for districts, preserving local control whenever possible.
Reducing School Fees
Reducing school fees is a gradual process that USBE and the Utah Legislature has been working on for several years. By Fall 2025, school fees should be nearly, if not completely removed. This is similar to a significant tax cut on families.
Finding win-win solutions without wasting taxpayer funds.
Promoted Fiscal Responsibility
Teachers deserve clear guidance on the parameters of teaching expectations. USBE Rule R277-217 re-affirms the neutrality of teachers on several elements in the classroom.
Classroom Neutrality
Created a parent engagement specialist to coordinate efforts to engage parents, assist parents directly with problem-solving and seeking supports.
Created a Parent Portal for centralized resources
Expanded access to Hotline for reporting concerns
Parent Engagement
Revised English Language Arts standards to include seminal U.S. documents while streamlining the standards.
Revised Social Studies standards to include Constitutional principles, while making standards more succinct.
Passed resolution recognizing September 17 as Constitution Day.
Civic Responsibility
Provided additional paid time for teacher preparation
Provided wraparound resources to support early literacy instruction
Revamped and simplified teacher evaluation, removed district reporting requirements
Consolidating and simplifying educator trainings
Modernized Teacher Expectations & Evaluations
USBE requested the legislature appropriate funds to ensure all schools are safe and secure. This work is ongoing. Highlights include: required panic buttons, improved reporting of threats, thorough safety audits of all school buildings, and comprehensive communication between state agencies.
School Safety
Advocated for Common Sense Policies
Fiscal Responsibility
Finding win-win solutions without wasting
taxpayer funds.