Education, literacy, and public schools

Education is the single most important investment a society can make. Literacy is the foundation everything else depends on— economic mobility, civic participation, workforce readiness, and the ability to think critically in a world full of noise, manipulation, and bad faith.

Utah’s real education crisis is not what books exist in libraries. It is that far too many of our students are still not reading at grade level. That reality should reshape our priorities. If lawmakers claim they are acting “for the kids,” then literacy outcomes— not censorship, not culture war theater, and not moral panic— should be where the focus begins.

I support fully funding public schools, expanding early literacy efforts that actually move the needle, empowering teachers and librarians as the professionals they are, and measuring success by whether students are learning— not by how many symbolic fights politicians can manufacture for social media and campaign mailers.

I’m honored to have earned the endorsement of UEA-PAC, because I take public education seriously. I believe in supporting the people doing the work, respecting professional expertise, and building schools that prepare students not just to pass tests, but to understand the world they are inheriting and fully participate in public life.

A society that believes infinite diversity in infinite combinations is our strength must invest in education systems that give every child the tools to read, reason, and thrive. A state that cannot read cannot compete, cannot innovate, and cannot govern itself effectively.