This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Real local issues are being pushed aside by the deafening chatter of national news, the latest scandal or the seemingly endless barrage of entertainment fluff that we absorb daily. Focus on Washington constantly deters and distracts more and more Americans from local issues that can be tackled when citizens come together in communities.
Utahns should not overlook Utah State Sen. Aaron Osmond's "Choice and Accountability in Public Education" proposal to return responsibility for education to parents.
Osmond's plan would allow home-schooling parents to teach their children the content they choose at the pace most fitting for the child. Current law forces parents to teach a state curriculum that parents may not agree with or believe out-of-date while forcing those home-schooled students who are excelling to slow down to the pace of a conventional school class.
Government should not propose cookie-cutter solutions for every problem in the hopes that all students will learn at the same pace in the same environment. Osmond's proposal would liberate and empower families to make their own decisions.
Chase Anderson
South Jordan