The Diversity We Need in Education
Coach Kennedy knelt at midfield to offer a quick prayer after a win. The prayer lasted just a few seconds, but it changed the direction of his career.
Standardized Tests Are Failing Students. What Can We Do About It?
End of level testing is wrapping up around the state. The tests are supposed to provide accountability and incentive for schools to improve. But do they?
Families Are Leaving the Public Schools in Droves
A recent report from the Associated Press (AP) stated that the Houston Independent School District lost 22,000 students in 2020, with only half of those students returning in 2021.
Utah’s Top Public Schools Are Charters. Why?
Money isn’t the difference — they both spend just over $10,500 per student. But how they spend the money is.
Public Comments for Proposed National Charter School Guidelines
The following was submitted to the US Department of Education during its public comment window for the proposed update to the national charter school guidelines. Dear Secretary of Education Cardona, The people of Utah are tired...
Education Innovation: Good for Students, Good for Teachers
In my 14-year career, I had never witnessed this amount of innovation and change in education. It was a change that responded to what parents and teachers and the dollars they represent wanted.
Education Gets the Sandbox Treatment in Utah
Many education funds come with restrictions on how they can or cannot be spent. The programs mean well, but the money comes with heavy bureaucratic rules. They limit schools’ and teachers' creativity and inhibit innovation.
Special Needs Opportunity Scholarship Program Expanded in Utah
The bill continues to emphasize special needs students and that will always be a priority, but families no longer have to choose between sibling support and educational opportunities for their children.
Support the Hope Scholarship bill
As a sixth-grade teacher in a low-income school, I did what I could in the system to support parents, but the system has limits. Sometimes, the best fit for students wasn’t a public school at all.