First lady Abby Cox to Utah teachers, parents: 'We have to protect our children'

SOUTH JORDAN — "Grateful" was a word Utah first lady Abby Cox used often Tuesday as she stood in front of a vast ballroom filled with many of the state's most dedicated teachers and education advocates.

"I am so grateful again for the teachers in my life — for the educators that I see here tonight, for the educators that I speak to every single day who inspire me, and for the educators that inspired my own children," said Cox at the conclusion of the fourth annual Honors in Education Gala at The Grand America.

Educating Utah's children, she added, goes beyond simply instruction happening inside classrooms. Teaching kids occurs when all in the community "are willing to pull together and make sure that our children have the best possible future."

Hosted by the Deseret News and its presenting sponsor, Ken Garff for Good and the Robert H. and Katharine B. Garff Foundation, the gala celebrates the state's outstanding educators and the businesses that support them.

Twenty Utah educators from a variety of professional disciplines and regions were honored Tuesday, including Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Nadine Ruth Curtis, a drama teacher and director at Roy High School.

The Deseret News also awarded civic and community leader C. Hope Eccles with its Educator Advocate Award.

Meanwhile, six businesses were honored Tuesday for their support of Utah education.

Deseret News Publisher Burke Olsen said in his welcome remarks that the Honors in Education Gala prompts personal memories of the many believing teachers who placed him on an ongoing quest for a life of learning.

"Tonight, we're thrilled to express our collective gratitude for Utah's outstanding educators," Olsen said.

"And from the nominations for today's award recipients, we've learned even more about the work you do and the challenges you face. We appreciate you and we thank you for your commitment to educating Utah's youth."

First lady Abby Cox: 'As a community, let's come together'

A former special education teacher, Cox was influenced by a family legacy of educators, including her mother and grandmother. Now, as part of her civic service, she prioritizes teachers, literacy and inclusion for the state's children.

It's a busy week for the first lady. On Thursday, she will be hosting the annual Show Up For Teachers Education Conference as part of her Show Up service initiative.

Given the commitment and capacity of the state's teachers and education administrators, it's a hopeful time for Utah's children, said Cox.

But, she added, there are also grave concerns. Today's children are witnessing "the worst things in the world every day in front of their face."

Many are facing trauma they are not equipped to manage.

"In my generation, we didn't have to see everything happening in the world in our faces and internalize that," she said.

"You, as educators, are now getting those students with all that stuff going on in them and all the horrible trauma that they're seeing around the world every single day, and you're having to now teach those children in a way that is powerful."

Parents and communities have a shared duty to remove such danger from our children's lives, said Cox.

"We have to protect our children, " she said. "We have to protect our communities from the horrible things that they're seeing every single day.

"We have to get social media out of their heads and out of their hands. We have to get it out of our schools," said Cox. "We have to make sure that our children are coming to school full of anticipation of the good, wonderful things that are in the world."

Literacy and reading a book daily, she added, must be part of every Utah child's life to help protect them from the trauma the world sends them.

"As a community, let's come together and make sure that our children have what they need to succeed. To be readers. To be the next leaders," she said.

Gov. Cox calls for 'lifelong readers'

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox joined his wife Tuesday, thanking teachers for "making Utah a better place."

In his remarks, the governor recalled his own school teachers who taught lessons that serve him well today, including lessons of resilience and unity.

The country's founders, Cox noted, understood that an educated public was essential for the survival of America's experiment in self-government.

"We needed an educated public — people who understood government and learned about history. And, of course, at the base of all of that was literacy. The founders were incredibly well-read, and they expected that the American people would be well-read, as well."

But reading is becoming something of a lost art across the country, even among well-educated Americans, observed Cox.

"That's not good for us. Science and research will tell you that we need readers. We need lifelong readers. And, of course, we know that we need readers at a young age. Especially by third grade."

The governor thanked the first lady, Utah lawmakers and policymakers and local businesses for prioritizing early literacy.

"We have passed some of the most forward-looking legislation anywhere in the country," said Cox. "We are doing everything possible, (including) new resources and tens of millions of dollars that the Legislature is going to invest in reading coaches in our schools to make sure that every single child can read on grade level and they have the tools they need."

Read the full story at Deseret News.

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