Utah teachers will be free to display LGBTQ+ Pride flags and other social, political or religious imagery after the state House blocked a bill on Monday that would have banned teachers from using their position to promote or disparage certain beliefs. Both Democrats and Republicans criticized the bill’s vague language and warned that it could stymie important lessons in critical thinking. Educators would have been prohibited under the bill from encouraging a student to reconsider their sexual orientation or gender, and they could have faced punishment for affirming or refusing to affirm a student's identity.
Utah’s teacher retention rate is better than most other states across the country. But the state still struggles with keeping people who are just starting out.