Gov. Spencer Cox’s recent op-ed advocating for dismantling the U.S. Department of Education is framed as a push for local control.
Yet weeks ago, he signed HB267, severely limiting local school districts’ ability to negotiate with teacher unions and centralizing control at the state level. If local control is truly the goal, why strip power from districts, teachers and communities to advocate for their own needs?
Local control is championed when it aligns with a partisan agenda, but dismissed when it empowers teachers to negotiate better wages, working conditions and resources for their students. Cox asserts that the state takes care of its teachers, but many are underpaid, overworked and struggling to stay in the profession. Removing their ability to collectively bargain will only worsen teacher retention — directly impacting Utah students.
Leaders can’t cherry-pick when to apply policy. If Cox truly values local decision-making, he must apply it consistently — not just to limit federal oversight but also to empower those who educate our children. Utahns deserve more than selective governance that undermines schools under the guise of independence.
Gov. Cox can’t have it both ways. Does he support local decision-making, or does he support top-down control?
Mary Wade
Provo