Rational dialog in our community would be greatly improved if decision-making bodies like the Salt Lake City school board would prepare written explanations of controversial decisions, analogous to the written opinions of judges and the written committee reports of legislators.

Among their benefit, written explanations would require the decision-maker to articulate its assumptions, evidence and reasoning, thereby clarifying its own thinking. Written explanations would also better enable the public to understand decisions. In the case of the school board's recent decision on gay/lesbian clubs, for example, there have been several reported grounds for it, including the desire to send a signal to Washington and concern about teachers' extracurricular workloads. That the decision was anti-gay, however, which is the most obvious basis for it, has been denied by some board members. Obviously, the board's decision needs to be clarified.

At least one board member has asked for public understanding. In an effort to be understood, some members met with students from East, West and Highland high schools to explain their decision. But the board could increase everyone's understanding by preparing a written explanation now, even though it would be after the fact.

--Earl Wunderli
Letter to the Editor
Published in The Salt Lake Tribune
March 12, 1996