Authors: Ann Day, Shawn Coon
Mentors: Shawn Coon
Insitution: Westminster College
The decades long movement to discredit, defund, and de-professionalize public education has taken many forms. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, policymakers have increasingly attempted to undermine public education through state specific programs (Bacher-Hicks et tal., 2023; Peele & Riser-Kositsky, 2020; Friedman & Young, 2022; Perera, 2023; Vasallo, 2023; Walker, 2022). These policies have taken many forms and attempted to address multiple perceived problems. However, the one commonality between all of these policies is that they perpetuate a trend of educational policymaking that tacitly or actively attempts to de-professionalize teachers and teaching (Apple, 2004; Milner, 2013). The state of Utah, and it’s 2023 legislative session, offers a compelling case study into why this legislation continues to emerge, the rationale behind this movement, and the impact these policies have on educators.