Parent’s trust in school improves child’s education, Sutherland survey finds

SALT LAKE CITY — Prioritizing education is “of the utmost importance” to Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Cox’s senior adviser of education Rich Nye said Tuesday during a discussion hosted by the Sutherland Institute, on Utah’s education policy agenda.

The Sutherland Institute is a conservative think tank that produces research and data to aid public policy discussions. It featured Nye, Jim Moss, chairman of the Utah State School Board, and Rep. Candice Pierucci, R-Herriman.

“You’ve heard me say it before and I’ll say it again at the outset: That relationship between the parent and the educator is nearly second to none,” Nye said. “It comes with a great degree of trust when a parent brings a child to a school and says, ‘Please help educate my child.’ That priority is not lost on the governor.”

This sentiment was at the forefront of Tuesday’s discussion, especially on the day the Sutherland Institute released its latest issue brief finding parents and educators differ in their perception of parental engagement and access to curriculum.

The institute partnered with Salt Lake City-based Y2 Analytics, surveying 560 likely Utah voters and 610 teachers in the state.

Highlights of the brief include the finding that 17 states have passed legislation strengthening parent access policies, with Utah being one of them. Additionally, 41 Utah school districts have some parent access policy on the books, with 27 displaying information about curriculum directly on the district website.

Please read the complete story, and more from Logan Stefanich, at KSL.com.