VOUCHED FOR: Yup, this GOP Utah lobbyist just said the quiet part about public education out loud

A Utah lobbyist is exposed for saying the quiet parts out loud in regard to public education.

Allison Sorensen, the executive director of the state’s Education Opportunity for Every Child pro-voucher organization is facing backlash for a leaked audio clip made public by Utah Parents United activist, Lisa Logan, in which Sorensen asserts “we’ll change the way we fund the program,” when asked about plans if funding both school vouchers and the public school program becomes financially untenable.

Listen to the audio below. 

“Take money out of the public schools,” Sorensen replied.

“The bigger the program gets, the larger the army I have that’s going to be pissed off in the program. I can’t say this is a recall of public education, even though I want to destroy public education. I can’t say that,” Sorensen said.

Logan, a conservative activist, criticized the executive director’s intentions to gut a program that services over 600,000 students in Utah.

“Is it really the goal of the Utah legislature to recall & destroy public education? Logan tweeted. “Because that’s what the head of the Utah Fits All marketing campaign is telling parents.”

Is it really the goal of the Utah legislature to recall & destroy public education?

Because that's what the head of the Utah Fits All marketing campaign is telling parents.

Since 600K+ students use that system, I think your constituents deserve answers. #utpol #utleg #uted pic.twitter.com/oaRuAG7V8E

— Lisa Logan (@iamlisalogan) January 23, 2023

In an attempt to walk back her statements, Sorensen apologized for what she called “inappropriate” comments.

“I should not have made them,” she told the Salt Lake Tribune.

No, you shouldn’t have – but now Utah knows how you really feel.

The “Utah Fits All” initiative that Logan is referring to, is the voucher amendment HB215, which appropriates $42 million taxpayer dollars for private and homeschooling.

Sponsored by Rep. Candice Pierucci (R) and Sen. Kirk Cullimore (R), HB215 also sets funding for teacher salaries.

A mother of five, Sorensen was the marketing director of a campaign involving the UFA initiative.

The program’s scholarship reportedly has monies set aside for students entering the voucher program – unlike others that remove public school funding for a particular child when they leave for to be privately educated.

“We will change the way education is funded,” the lobbyist is heard saying on the audio.

Let’s actually take the money out of the public school system. Stop putting a line item.

State representative Pierucci, failed in a previous attempt to siphon money allocated to the public school system for the school voucher bill.

“We’ll change the way we fund the program so that it literally is pulling that money straight from the schools,” the GOP lawmaker stated.

Apparently, everyone in the state of Utah wasn’t convinced of the benefits.

Critics of school voucher programs have accused Republicans of undermining trust and faith in public schools and are designed to intentionally undermine the necessity and benefits of quality education for all the state’s students.

“This bill was horrible to begin with,” a teacher commented on the video. “Now it’s poisoned. Get rid of it and work with people who want to work in good faith.”

A senior policy advisor for the left-wing policy organization, Better Utah, released a statement on the leaked audio.

“HB215, as outlined by Allison Sorensen, takes money out of public schools and is only a first step to undermine our public education system,” according to Chase Thomas.

We call on lawmakers to do everything they can to strengthen our schools, support our teachers, and prepare our children for the future, not destroy public education. Chase Thomas, Senior Policy Advisor for Better Utah

A significant amount of pushback has been coming from within the party itself.

“I have never once heard a comment like that from any of my colleagues on Capitol Hill,” Utah Senate Education Committee member Mike McKell (R-Spanish Fork), said.

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Sen. McKell has called for the lobbyist’s resignation.

Even the State House sponsor of HB15 distanced herself from Sorensen’s declarations. “I believe in our public education system and am committed to continuing to invest and support our teachers and students,” Rep. Pierucci told The Tribune.

The Republican House member said that Sorensen was “misguided’, and “inaccurate,” in the school voucher advocate’s statements.

Despite her subsequent apology, Sorensen was clear and unambiguous in her mission – to dismantle the public school system. Utah knows it, and now so does the American public.

Original reporting by Courtney Tanner at The Salt Lake Tribune. 

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