EDUCATION + SCHOOLS

State Board of Education adopts new rules for teaching of race and equity

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah State Board of Education has established a list of guidelines of what concepts of equity, inclusion and diversity can and cannot be taught in the classroom.

The Board voted 13-1 Thursday in favor of the change. Board member Natalie Cline was the lone vote in opposition.

In fact, Cline didn’t think the rule was strong enough. She proposed a 20-page amendment to it. She wanted 116 words, including anti-racism, racial justice, social justice and empathy to be left out of the classroom.

Board members spent weeks discussing the issue of equity and diversity in education. And when it came time to vote, they decided to pass the measure. 

State Board of Education member Cindy Davis told KSL-TV‘s Brittany Tait that they don’t need to be speaking for teachers.

“I don’t believe that the intent of the Board is to have this rule supersede standards,” she said to KSL-TV, “in a way that we lose large (sums) of the history and literature because it may have race as a component.”

Watch Brittany Tait’s story below. 

Read more:

• Critical Race Theory debate goes to Granite School Board meeting
• State School Board Committee OKs rule banning critical race theory

Follow @MarkJonesKSL