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Category: High School Information

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From: Leeson Taylor

America 250 Speech Contest
Celebrating 250 Years of America
Presented by the Utah U.S. House of Representatives

Calling All High School Students (Grades 9–12)

As we prepare to commemorate 250 years of the United States in 2026, students across Utah's 2nd Congressional District are invited to participate in the America 250 Speech Contest by answering one powerful question:

"What Does America Mean to Me?"

This is your chance to reflect on our country’s values, history, and future — and have your voice heard in a meaningful way.

Important Dates & Deadlines

  • Contest Opens: August 18, 2025
  • Submission Deadline: By November 24, 2025
  • Final Judging: December 2025
  • U.S. House Floor Reading (District 2):
    Winning speech to be read by Rep. Maloy – January 2026 (Date TBD)
  • Utah State Capitol Presentation:
    Winner and runner-up will present their speeches in person – January 2026 (Date TBD)

Speech Guidelines

  • Length: 2-minute written speech
  • Theme: “What America Means to Me”
  • Format: Written submission (not audio or video)

How to Submit for District 2:

Email your written speech by November 24, 2025, to: America250CM@mail.house.gov
Please include:

  • Full Name
  • District 2 Location
  • Email Address
  • Contact Phone Number

Recognition & Awards

  • All Participants will receive a Letter of Participation signed by Representative Maloy.
  • District Winning Speech will be read aloud on the U.S. House Floor in January 2026 by Representative Maloy — a once-in-a-lifetime honor.
  • Winner & Runner-Up in the district will be invited to present their speeches at the Utah State Capitol in January 2026.

Eligibility

Open to all Utah high school students in grades 9–12 who reside in or attend school in any of Utah’s Congressional Districts.  Questions? America250CM@mail.house.gov

For details on how to participate in districts outside of District 2, please contact the respective Congressional office for your Representative.

Sponsored by Utah U.S. House of Representatives

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We are pleased to share that the school board has approved the creation of a Level Two Campus Safety Coordinator position. This new role offers a higher compensation and is designed to enhance our campus safety leadership structure.

  • Please note the following key details:
    • The Level Two position will count as one of the three existing Campus Safety Coordinator roles at each high school.
      • Each campus will continue to have a total of three Campus Safety Coordinators.
      • Human Resources Services (HRS) will post the position collectively for all high schools.
      • HRS will organize the interview process and form the selection committees. The committee will include one administrative representative from each high school.
      • The posting will be limited to current employees who are already serving as Campus Safety Coordinators.
      • We ask that you speak with your current Campus Safety Coordinators about this opportunity. HRS will also send a direct communication to all incumbents to ensure they are informed.
      • Thank you for your support in promoting this opportunity and helping us identify strong candidates for this important role.

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Dear High School Team,

Thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to creating positive, safe, and inclusive school environments. As we begin the new school year, I would like to reaffirm and formally document our shared expectations related to Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) implementation across our high schools.

These expectations have been reviewed and communicated previously through written correspondence and in multiple meetings. The following practices are essential components of our districtwide efforts to build a consistent and supportive culture across all secondary campuses:

  1. Hall Pass Protocols: Teachers will keep hall passes behind their desks so they are not immediately accessible to students.
  2. Classroom Dismissal: Teachers will not dismiss students early from class.
  3. Visual Expectations: Schools will hang visual behavior expectations in common areas to reinforce positive norms and support clarity for all students.
  4. Active Supervision: Teachers will be present in hallways during passing periods to promote school safety, foster positive interactions, and support a welcoming school climate. 

In addition, a small team comprised of school and district administrators will begin conducting PBIS walk-through observations to gather implementation data. These visits are intended to provide formative feedback and highlight areas of strength and opportunity. The observation tool is currently being finalized and will be shared with you in advance of any scheduled walk-throughs. Our collective goal is to ensure that expectations are being applied consistently and effectively, aligned with our district’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and student well-being.

Thank you once again for modeling the leadership and professionalism that make Salt Lake City School District a great place for students to learn and thrive. Should you have any questions or need support, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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Summary: The following information was provided to social studies teachers on 1.14.2025 to help them navigate topics that are, in Utah, deemed as “sensitive.” Our goal is to help teachers be able to navigate these topics in

classrooms if they are raised by students or encountered in classroom discussions.

Email

As social studies teachers, we know everything has a history. In learning social studies, part of our instructional practices call for teaching students to formulate and respond to compelling questions, conduct research, apply analytical thinking, and discern between valid and invalid sources as they seek to draw conclusions and formulate arguments about various current or historical topics. We know these are critical skills for an educated and civic ready citizenry, which is essential to sustaining our democracy.

We also recognize that today our students are savvy and care deeply about justice, and in response we provide students with valuable opportunities to explore topics compelling to them in an effort to help them better understand themselves and their communities. With

that said, as public school teachers, we are bound to follow Utah law. Our Board Policies are designed to capture the essence of the laws and inform what we must do to abide by Utah law.

This email is generated as a result of two laws: Utah Code Section 53G-10-402 and Utah Code Section 53G-10-403. I know you are not teaching health, sex ed, biology or the like, but since everything has a history, you may find that students choose to investigate a topic for a

history fair or civic action project that may be considered sensitive or unlawful according to Utah law.

What does this mean for you as social studies teachers? It means that if any instruction or information pertains to any of the sensitive topics listed in the law, I strongly encourage you to do the following:

  • Review our Board Policy I-7 regarding Curriculum and Instructional Materials

and Board Policy I-12 Human Sexuality Education to empower you with appropriate information.

$30/hour PD rate and receive 1 relicensure point for completing the course.

  • Confer with your school administrator letting them know what you are doing and

what, if any, topics might be deemed sensitive. Together, determine the parameters of the project so it stays within the boundaries of the law.

  • Keep parents informed and get appropriate parent permission prior to proceeding or allowing students to proceed with any topic deemed to be sensitive.
  • Plan accordingly. If student projects include any materials deemed sensitive under Utah law/Board policy, students are not allowed to share their projects with any other students. Students are not allowed to receive peer feedback or present their projects in any school or district venue. In these cases, what are your plans for student alternatives?
  • Please Note: Utah History Day (UHD) is aware of Utah Code and working to determine how that may affect student presentations during UHD contests.

Please be assured that this email is not meant to alarm you or stifle student learning or your instruction. It is merely meant to equip you with important information. If you have further questions, please refer to your administrator.

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Due to the change of USBE’s competency-based systems and at the direction of USBE leadership, the Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Fine Arts teams were tasked with identifying natural alignments between CTE arts-based courses and the Fine Arts courses, endorsements, and core standards.

A multi-month alignment review identified significant overlap between the CTE arts-based standards and the Fine Art state core standards. Based on these findings, the following CTE courses may now grant Fine Arts Credit on a case-by-case basis, depending on student needs:

  • Commercial Art 1/2/3
  • Commercial Photo 1/2/3
  • Digital Illustration, Digital Media 1/2/Advanced
  • Digital Media Capstone
  • Graphic Print Design 1/2/3

CTE educator requirements: to grant this credit, CTE educators must have a secondary license and one of the following CTE endorsements:

CTE endorsements will be updated on July 1, 2025. CTE will offer different options to fulfill the requirements for the Associate Level of each endorsement. Fine arts teachers cannot be scheduled to teach these courses until they have the appropriate endorsements.

Resulting changes for students: this change provides our students with greater flexibility in fulfilling their

graduation requirements and allows them to explore their interests in both Fine Arts and Career and Technical Education – for these courses, credit can be granted depending on the student’s needs.

No other CTE courses are eligible for Fine Arts graduation credit. 

Questions? Laura deShazo, CTE Director

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Dear Administrators,

I hope this finds you well. I’d like to kindly remind you of Board Policy G-10, which applies to all district facilities, and ask that this be communicated regularly to your staff to avoid any confusion or issues going forward.

Key Points of Board Policy G-10:

  1. Facilities Staff are the only district personnel authorized to perform maintenance, repairs, or alterations in and around school buildings.
  2. Teachers, staff, and administrators are explicitly prohibited from making any alterations, changes, or maintenance to rooms, spaces, or district facilities.
  3. Unauthorized Changes Will Be Restored:
    • If alterations or changes are discovered, the Facilities team will restore the affected area to its prior condition.
    • Costs for restoration (including materials, paint, and labor) will be charged back to the school.

It’s important to understand that repeated issues or further unauthorized alterations may result in additional costs to the school and responsible staff.

To avoid disruptions, please ensure all staff are aware of this policy and remind them that requests for any changes or maintenance must go through the proper channels by contacting the Facilities Department within Auxiliary Services. We appreciate your cooperation and support as we work together to maintain safe, efficient, and consistent learning environments across the district. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

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What: The Utah Code Annotated 53G-9-606 requires the state board to create a model policy on bullying, cyber-bullying, hazing, abusive conduct, and retaliation. Due to legislative and rule changes (H.B. 84 (2024) and R277-613) the current model policy requires updating. We are asking for volunteers to participate in a workgroup to provide feedback on the updated model policy. We are looking for a sample of 10 members throughout the state of Utah to represent LEAs. You can volunteer using this form. Volunteers will be notified whether or not they are selected to join this workgroup.

Who: Ideal candidates include superintendents, charter school directors, building administrators, and policy analysts.

When: Starting in January 2025

  • 2-3 virtual meetings (90 minutes each)
  • Exact dates will be determined based on participant availability

      

Action: Please complete the Model Policy Workgroup Volunteer Form if you would like to volunteer.

Information: For more information, please contact Becca Rae. 

Thank you, 

Ryan Bartlett, Ph.D.

Director of Strategic Communications

Utah State Board of Education

ryan.bartlett@schools.utah.gov

605.201.7950

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