Happy Saturday, and welcome to Inside Voices, a weekly newsletter that features a collection of ideas, perspectives and solutions from across Utah — without any of the vitriol or yelling that’s become all too common on other platforms. Subscribe here.
School is nearly back in session for families across the state, and Utah’s teachers and students are preparing for political divides, changes in policy and disruptions to their circadian rhythms.
A few Utahns shared their concerns — and solutions — in op-eds published this week.
First up: Three students at Springville Jr. High shared in an op-ed published this week that, even in their eighth grade classrooms, the political divide is leading to bullying and “dissolved friendships.”
“As youth, we face many challenges associated with political polarization — in the hallways, with our friends and sometimes even in class,” write Brooke, Audri and Margaret. “In 2021, after a contentious political race, students in a fourth grade class had heard of some of the conflicts between candidates and began debating over who should have won the election and who was ‘better.’ We saw that this eventually led to verbal bullying, hate and division between students. Friendships were dissolved, and the teacher had to be careful about who worked together in class.”
Read their call to action for Utahns of all ages.
Speaking of politics, you might remember when, back in March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order designating English as the official language of the United States. Two weeks ago, the U.S. Department of Justice released further guidance “to ensure compliance.”
Some educators — including 2024 Utah Teacher of the Year Carly Maloney — worry the move will “have harmful consequences and send a devastating message.”
The efforts “dramatically inhibit academic success and create a pivotal moment in our nation’s history for all,” Maloney writes. “Some might think this executive order is harmless, but it limits access to translation services as well as devalues multilingual learners and our entire history. Linguistic diversity is one of the many parts of what makes our nation great. To make us all mono-lingual again would be detrimental to what makes us unique and goes directly against what made us America in the first place.”
Read her argument for multilingualism in schools.
Finally, Wendy Troxel, a behavioral and social scientist in Utah, says the “dangerous mismatch” between school schedules and teen sleep cycles is creating a public health crisis.
“Teens are biologically wired to fall asleep later and wake up later, yet many Utah schools begin as early as 7:30 a.m., forcing students to wake before their bodies are biologically ready,” she writes. “This mismatch between school schedules and adolescent circadian rhythms has ripple effects, undermining their mental and physical health and their ability to learn — the primary task of school.”
Read her advice for beating the back-to-school sleep woes.
Want to share your own perspective? Take a look at our op-ed guidelines and reach out to voices@sltrib.com with any questions.
— Sara Weber, Voices editor
Share Your Perspective
(Clarissa Casper | The Salt Lake Tribune) Used baby onesies collected as part of erthaware’s 10,000 Onesies Project in Logan.
You’ve likely seen the news about Utah’s declining fertility rate — and next week I’ll be sharing an op-ed that examines why. I want to hear from you: Do you want to have kids? If so, is anything preventing you from having kids? If not, why not? Share your perspective.
From Bagley’s Desk
Revenge Redux | Pat Bagley
I’m always looking for unique perspectives, ideas and solutions that move our state forward. Learn more about our guidelines for an op-ed, guest essay, letter to the editor and more here, and drop me a note at voices@sltrib.com.