Today’s Top Picks:

Trib follows up on Common Core.
http://goo.gl/LLLMb (SLT)

Alpine School District holds summer classes for visually-impaired students.
http://goo.gl/LvQRT (PDH)

ENR loves a good baseball-education analogy. Here’s a link to one if you promise not to remind him that the Cubs are on track to be the worst Cubs team ever … and that’s no small feat for a team that lost 103 games in both ’62 and ’66.
http://goo.gl/Jd1kn (Rutgers Education Professor Bruce D. Baker)

AP looks at the debate over year-round school.
http://goo.gl/mE3tt (AP)

ACLU sues Michigan for failing to teach kids to read.
http://goo.gl/hehMD (Detroit Free Press)
and http://goo.gl/xSHdL (WaPo)

Will the Supreme Court ruling on the Affordable Care Act lead to lawsuits over federal education funds?
http://goo.gl/cCn7L (Ed Week)

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TODAY’S HEADLINES
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UTAH

Common Core battle continues in Utah with dueling documents
Schools » The 2 sides are debating whether Utah is losing control over its classrooms.

ASD holding summer school for visually impaired students

Bridger Elementary principal promoted to new position, other changes happening in Logan district

Juan Diego student-athlete Adam Colosimo dies after accident

Plain City honors crossing guard for 20 years of service

High school students learn to fight sex trafficking at summit

Utah School Board To Review Play Selection Policy After Bingham High’s Production Of ‘Dead Man Walking’ Sparks Complaints

Utah credit union to co-sponsor student recognition program

Rowland Hall lauded for sustainability

Glass artists, Guadalupe students team up to create artwork

Student presentation of “Peter Pan”

OPINION & COMMENTARY

Jordan School District should stand by Bingham High

Flipping the classroom – and the results

A response to the USOE statement published Jul 10, 2012 by Brenda Hales

In their shoes

Bill Gates Talks Teacher Evaluation, Common Core at ECS Forum

Next Up in Teacher Evaluations: Student Surveys

Private schools leader vs. me

Moneyball, Superman, Angry Royals Fans and Education Reform?

NATION

Arne Duncan to governors: Control college costs

Debate over year-round versus traditional schools

ACLU sues state, EM for failing to teach Highland Park schoolchildren to read

Ed. Law Challenges Loom After Health-Care Ruling

LAUSD fights court order to give more space to charter schools
Traditional L.A. Unified schools may have to give up computer labs, parent centers and other rooms to charters under a court order.

Florida school grades fall with tough new standards

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UTAH NEWS
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Common Core battle continues in Utah with dueling documents
Schools » The 2 sides are debating whether Utah is losing control over its classrooms.

The battle between Common Core opponents and supporters continued Wednesday with dueling releases about the academic standards.
The conservative Salt Lake City-based Sutherland Institute released a paper Wednesday in which the think tank argues that Utah should drop the Core standards because they are too specific, as have been most standards used in Utah in recent decades; they’re not the best standards possible; and because Core standards are not truly independent.
Meanwhile, the State Office of Education posted on its blog Tuesday a response to a press release from another conservative group, the Utah Education Coalition, which met with the governor, lawmakers and the public to discuss its objections Monday and Tuesday. In that blog post, State Associate Superintendent Brenda Hales reiterated that the Core is not a federal or national program in any way, and that Utah retains sole control over its standards and assessments.
http://goo.gl/LLLMb (SLT)

ASD holding summer school for visually impaired students

Jalayne Engberg talks to 8-year-old Alma Everett while he happily munches on a peanut butter and honey sandwich. The Alpine School District teacher watches intently as the young boy answers her.
Everett is adamant about going bowling next week for the school field trip and he wants to run the washing machine today before he goes home. Welcome to summer school at Lehi High School. Oh, and not that it matters, but Everett is legally blind.
http://goo.gl/LvQRT (PDH)

Bridger Elementary principal promoted to new position, other changes happening in Logan district

Following the sudden retirement of two key employees, the Logan City School District announced a restructuring of its administration Wednesday.
Data and Students Services Director Clark Ballard and district accountant Ted Downs both recently announced their intentions to retire, prompting the district to reassign some personnel.
The director positions at the Logan City School District office will now be: Susanne Kuresa, human resources; Robin Williams, learning and assessment; David Long, educational and technical services; and Marci Belnap, special services.
http://goo.gl/vg870 (LHJ)

Juan Diego student-athlete Adam Colosimo dies after accident

A Juan Diego Catholic High School student died Tuesday after 10 days in the hospital.
Adam Colosimo, 16, a junior who played football and basketball, died after an electric shock accident on June 30, when he and two cousins were on the roof of a building, school spokeswoman Molly Dumas said.
http://goo.gl/yw0wS (SLT)

http://goo.gl/rKXBZ (DN)

Plain City honors crossing guard for 20 years of service

PLAIN CITY — Sometimes guardian angels wear cowboy boots.
That’s the case of Arnie Williams who recently received a plaque from the city honoring his 20 years of service to the community and the school children of Plain City.
The plaque reads “In honor of twenty years of dedicated service”, and those who know Arnie say that is exactly the kind of service he has given.
http://goo.gl/6Tjj9 (OSE)

High school students learn to fight sex trafficking at summit

SALT LAKE CITY — For years, child sex traffickers have targeted teens at malls and schools. Now they’re doing it on social media. It’s so disturbing to a group of Utah kids that they’ve volunteered to become the next-generation’s weapon against human traffickers.
This week, the teens are learning the warning signs and skills to alert the community to the underdog child sex trafficking industry.
http://goo.gl/wfczP (KSL)

Utah School Board To Review Play Selection Policy After Bingham High’s Production Of ‘Dead Man Walking’ Sparks Complaints

The Jordan Board of Education will review the district’s policy on selecting school plays after Bingham High School’s production of the drama “Dead Man Walking” last spring elicited outrage from parents and the Eagle Forum, a pro-family conservative activist group.
District spokesperson Steve Dunham told the Salt Lake Tribune that the board isn’t planning any major changes, but wants to ensure proper rules enforcement.
http://goo.gl/pX1xS (HuffPo)

Utah credit union to co-sponsor student recognition program

Mountain America Credit Union has joined the Ken Garff Automotive Group as a co-sponsor of the Success in Education Foundation’s “Keys to Success” program.
The program recognizes Utah high school students for improving academically or setting and reaching goals with their teachers.
http://goo.gl/sEFZ4 (SLT)

Rowland Hall lauded for sustainability

The Utah Society for Environmental Education has given Rowland Hall its Platinum Award for sustainability initiatives. It is the highest award granted by the USEE and is part of the Green Schools Program, a collaboration among the USEE, the Salt Lake City Mayor’s Office and the Utah State Office of Education. The initiative recognizes and promotes sustainable practices in the facility and curriculum of Utah schools.
http://goo.gl/Ig9uH (SLT)

Glass artists, Guadalupe students team up to create artwork

SALT LAKE CITY — Professional glass artists from the Glass Art Guild of Utah shared their artistic talents on Wednesday with the 60 students enrolled in Guadalupe School’s summer program.
Students used glass donated from Red Butte Garden to create unique art pieces and created an additional group piece of art for the school to auction off at a later date.
http://goo.gl/xssHJ (DN)

Student presentation of “Peter Pan”

The Ogden School District will present “Peter Pan” at 7 p.m. Wednesday July 11, 2012 through Saturday July 14, 2012 at Ogden High School, 2828 Harrison Blvd. Noon matinees will be Friday July 13, 2012 and Saturday, July 14, 2012. Tickets are $5, at the door.
http://goo.gl/zfdxS (OSE)

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OPINION & COMMENTARY
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Jordan School District should stand by Bingham High
Salt Lake Tribune commentary by columnist Peg McEntee

Don’t do it, Jordan Board of Education. Don’t cave to the Eagle Forum and “shocked” parents who, months after the fact, complained piteously about Bingham High School’s production of the play, “Dead Man Walking.”
Spurred by suspicious allegations made by the Utah Eagle Forum and those in its thrall, the board talked it over in a study session Tuesday. (The Eagle Forum earlier claimed to have heard from five parents, but never produced them or their names.)
http://goo.gl/RJRhy

Flipping the classroom – and the results
Sutherland Institute commentary by Matthew Piccolo, policy analyst

Imagine a classroom where one teacher is able to give every student individual instruction to help meet academic needs and build on each student’s interests. Imagine a school where students don’t fall through the cracks and parents actively participate in their children’s education. Imagine homes and classrooms where children learn material at their own pace instead of the pace of the “average” student in their class.
All of this is happening in ClintonTownship, Mich.– a suburb of Detroit– thanks to innovative leaders at Clintondale High School. What are the results? Since 2010, the school has reduced failure rates for a class of 140 students by a third in both math and language arts.
How is the school achieving these results? By flipping classrooms upside down – not literally, of course, but flipping how they traditionally work.
http://goo.gl/VGgyX

A response to the USOE statement published Jul 10, 2012 by Brenda Hales
Commentary by Christel Swasey of Heber City

To Whom It May Concern:
The following information directly conflicts with this week’s statement about Common Core and national educational reforms as published by the USOE at http://utahpubliceducation.org/2012/07/10/utahs-core-standards-assessments-and-privacy-regulations/.
The following information has links to references so that you can verify what is claimed, unlike the unreferenced information given by the USOE.
http://goo.gl/Bfp9D

In their shoes
Salt Lake Tribune letter from Lester Liebschutz

Re “Mia Love’s budget plan: Do her deep cuts go too far?” (Tribune, July 5):
I challenge Republican congressional candidate Mia Love to volunteer at a Title I school for six weeks and then restate her proposed funding cuts for education. Title I federal funds are distributed to schools with a high percentage of students from low-income families, of children from families that have migrated to the United States and youth from intervention programs who are neglected or at risk of abuse.
http://goo.gl/X7LLo

Bill Gates Talks Teacher Evaluation, Common Core at ECS Forum
Education Week commentary by columnist Andrew Ujifusa

Among the elements of a good teacher evaluation system, some of the “most surprising” results can come from what students say about their teachers on surveys, said Microsoft founder Bill Gates, speaking at the Education Commission of the States’ National Forum on Education Policy in Atlanta today.
Delivering the keynote speech on support for high-quality teachers, Gates said, “Asking the students the right question is very, very diagnostic.” He cited surveys as among the three components that can go into a good teacher evaluation system, along with supervisor observations and test scores.
And he stressed the importance of identifying and replicating the practices of excellent teaching, saying that if he had to pick one thing that would give the United States the best chance of a strong future, “I would pick great teaching in America’s classroom.”
http://goo.gl/3V4Oa

A copy of the speech
http://goo.gl/vVxiI (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

Next Up in Teacher Evaluations: Student Surveys
Education Week commentary by columnist Liana Heitin

The search for reliable methods of gauging teacher effectiveness—a dominant education policy issue over the last several years—has centered on classroom observation tools and value-added measures. But another potential indicator has emerged and is starting to pick up momentum: student surveys.
Yesterday, a roomful of teachers, administrators, representatives from education organizations, and policy wonks gathered in Washington to discuss the use of student feedback in improving teacher practice. The Center for American Progress event coincided with the release of a report finding that many U.S. students perceive their schoolwork as too easy.
http://goo.gl/7F3BL

Private schools leader vs. me
Washington Post commentary by columnist Jay Mathews

After I accused American private schools of hiding vital data, a practice that makes it hard for me to compare them to other schools, National Association of Independent Schools President Patrick F. Bassett agreed to a chat. His organization represents many well-known private schools:
Mathews: You have said you don’t like my way of comparing schools. Okay, what way of comparing schools would you prefer?
Bassett: When parents ask us, “What’s the best school,” we say, “The school that best meets your child’s needs.”
http://goo.gl/0rFGu

Moneyball, Superman, Angry Royals Fans and Education Reform?
Commentary by Bruce D. Baker, Professor in the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers

These past few days have been interesting, as I’ve followed more than usual, the festivities around the Major League Baseball All Star Game. I’ve followed the festivities in part because the game was in Kansas City this year and I lived in the Kansas City ‘burbs for 11 years up until 2008. I’m an east coast guy – born & raised Vermonter, livin’ in Jersey – college in PA, masters in CT, Doc in NYC … also taught in NH. I love east coast cities, and I probably fit the typical east coast snob profile. But some of the events that went down this week at the ASG left me feeling a bit uneasy. Now, even as a kid, I kind of like the Royals. They were pretty damn good when I was growing up, and had that cool stadium with the fountains. While we lived in KC, we went to quite a few games … ‘cuz tickets were cheap and accessible.
As I sat down to watch the Home Run Derby, I happened to be checking twitter – where I still follow some Kansas City media folks. I starting seeing tweets with the hashtag #boocano … along with links to explanations as to why KC fans should boo when Yankee Robinson Cano comes to bat. Even as the booing actually happened … and it was quite impressive … the story I was getting from ESPN was strangely disconnected from the story I was getting from my KC tweets.
In case you missed it here’s some video from the stands at the K:
http://goo.gl/Jd1kn

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NATIONAL NEWS
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Arne Duncan to governors: Control college costs
Politico

Education Secretary Arne Duncan will on Friday urge governors to step up their efforts to control college costs and improve graduation rates, as the Education Department releases data showing the country far behind President Barack Obama’s goal to lead the world in college graduates by 2020.
“We’ve made some progress, but the combination of deep state budget cuts and rising tuition prices is pushing an affordable college education out of reach for middle-class families,” Duncan is set to say Friday at the National Governors Association summer meeting in Williamsburg, Va.
According to data released Thursday ahead of the meeting, the United States making slow progress toward the target Obama set in 2009 — for about 60 percent of 25- to 34-year-olds to have college degrees by 2020.
Nationwide in 2010, 39.3 percent in that age range — 5.9 million people — had earned college degrees, according to the Education Department’s figures. That’s up from 38.8 percent in 2009, but still far short of the president’s goal.
http://goo.gl/E1TNY

http://goo.gl/MIKrb (ED)

Debate over year-round versus traditional schools
Associated Press

NEW YORK — By the time summer’s over, many families can’t wait for school to start. Working parents have struggled to find camps or babysitting, kids are bored and teachers fret over “summer slide” – the academic losses that research shows hits kids from poor families hardest.
Year-round schooling might seem like the antidote, and in some parts of the country, schools with just a few weeks off are not uncommon. In Raleigh, N.C. and other parts of Wake County, for instance, July 9 was the first day of school for 26,000 students on a year-round calendar.
But year-round schools, which once seemed like a panacea for everything from low test scores to overcrowding, have proven to be a mixed bag. And some places that once embraced them – including Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and parts of California – have returned to traditional calendars.
Research on whether learning improves in year-round schools is mixed, with some year-round schools reporting gains and others finding that kids on traditional schedules do better.
http://goo.gl/mE3tt

ACLU sues state, EM for failing to teach Highland Park schoolchildren to read
Detroit Free Press

The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan filed a class-action lawsuit this morning asserting a child’s fundamental right to read.
The lawsuit alleges that agencies charged with overseeing Highland Park Schools failed to take the effective steps to ensure students are reading at grade level as set forth by state law.
The lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court names the State of Michigan, the state Board of Education, state Superintendent Michael Flanagan, Highland Park Schools and its Emergency Manager Joyce Parker.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of eight Highland Park Schools students who represent nearly 1,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade who are served by the district.
http://goo.gl/hehMD

http://goo.gl/xSHdL (WaPo)

Ed. Law Challenges Loom After Health-Care Ruling
Education Week

Legal analysts say that part of the U.S. Supreme Court decision on the federal health-care law will encourage states to challenge education laws and other federal aid programs and legislation passed under Congress’ spending power, a pivotal aspect of the historic ruling.
The justices ruled 5-4 to uphold a key provision of the Affordable Care Act—the requirement that individuals purchase a health-insurance policy with at least a minimum level of coverage—as a valid exercise under Congress’ taxing power. But the court effectively ruled 7-2 that the states could not be threatened with the loss of their existing Medicaid funding if they refused to participate in the law’s expansion of the federal health-care program for the poor.
That portion of the June 28 decision in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius (Case No. 11-393) could open the door to lawsuits over the spending strings attached to federal programs—or even the conditions for securing federal waivers under the No Child Left Behind Act, some commentators say.
http://goo.gl/cCn7L

LAUSD fights court order to give more space to charter schools
Traditional L.A. Unified schools may have to give up computer labs, parent centers and other rooms to charters under a court order.
Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles school officials are fighting a court order, which took effect Wednesday, that would set aside more classroom seats for charter schools — even if that means traditional schools will lose space for parent centers, computer labs, academic intervention and other services.
Under state law, school districts must offer space to charters that is “reasonably equivalent” to that provided for students in traditional schools. Charters are independently run and are exempt from union contracts and many rules that apply to regular campuses.
L.A. Superior Court Judge Terry A. Green required the school district to make new offers based on a different formula than one it had been using.
Charter advocates see the ruling as ensuring long-overdue compliance with the law — with the potential to provide huge cost savings as well as hard-to-find, quality classrooms.
http://goo.gl/JGD6D

Florida school grades fall with tough new standards
Orlando (FL) Sentinel

Letter grades for many of Florida’s public elementary and middle schools have fallen this year as tough, new standards took effect that made getting an A, B or even a C more difficult than in years past.
Grades released today by the Florida Department of Education confirmed what had been projected: The number of D and F schools rose sharply, and many other schools slipped a grade from last year as well.
Amid the lower scores, state officials tried to allay concerns of parents, local school officials and the public that student performance had declined. They emphasized that students may have demonstrated the same level of knowledge as last year on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Tests in reading and math — major ingredients in determining elementary and middle-school letter grades, but tougher new tests and higher standards for student and school scores resulted in lower grades.
“This has been a year of tremendous change for Florida’s students, teachers and schools,” Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson said in announcing the grades. “The high standards we have in place today will help our students prepare for college, the workforce and life.”
Robinson added that he was “confident we are on the right path.”
http://goo.gl/E56DW

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