Utah State Board of Education Considers Repealing Equity Rule in 2024

The Utah State Board of Education is moving to possibly repeal the educational equity rule in 2024.  

A last-minute addition to the USBE was requested by three board members, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. The USBE’s Standards and Assessment Committee convened Friday to discuss this matter and the only board member against the idea was Sarah Reale. 

Reale told the SLT that this possible repeal is due to culture wars being waged in schools and political agendas being met.  

The equity rule serves many purposes in the classroom including providing equal opportunities for all students regardless of background, protecting students and educators of diverse backgrounds, creating environments that make students feel safe, and taking steps to teach counterpoints to material impartially.  

The rule also states that educators and staff must have equity training.  

“It’s an irresponsible use of time prioritizing this request,” Reale said Friday, adding that she has no time for conversations “clearly driven by the culture wars and political theater we are seeing impacting education nationwide.” 

One big concept that many Utahns have been against is the teaching of Critical Race Theory. The equity rule prohibits the teaching of CRT and highlights that no race, religion, or group of people can be responsible for past atrocities and that racism isn’t inherent.  

“[The repeal’s] intent isn’t to help our students’ educational experience,” Reale said. “It is to create fear, play into conspiracies about our classrooms and create divisions. And to teach our students to create divisions among themselves.” 

The USBE’s next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 11 at 9 a.m. with the agenda still not released. To read the full SLT article, click here.