Education - The Salt Lake Tribune

Experiment: Living Planet Aquarium sending students’ ‘heads’ into deep sea

Thu, 23 May 2013 21:48:11 MDT

Experiment: Living Planet Aquarium sending students’ ‘heads’ into deep sea

by Chris Mumford Special To The Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 09:48PM MDT

Sandy • The 4th graders of Castle Dale Elementary listened with rapt attention as Chris Barela, art director for the Living Planet Aquarium, described an eel-like creature called a hagfish that dwells in the deepest depths of the ocean. “When they get threatened by another animal that is trying to eat them, they produce slime, lots of slime,” said Barela. “Any idea why slime would be helpful for them?” The kids raised their hands to guess, with several suggesting that the slime might be a prot...

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Volcanos, hurricanes at Natural History Museum of Utah

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:55:22 MDT

Volcanos, hurricanes at Natural History Museum of Utah

by Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 06:55PM MDT

Ten-year-old Brennan Phifer switched a couple levers and pressed a button. Suddenly, an enormous gray cloud exploded on the screen in front of him in a virtual volcanic eruption. “It’s spraying some magma out of the earth,” he said about the virtual disaster. “This is so awesome.” The station at the Natural History Museum of Utah allowed him to control the amount of gas and silica brewing in the volcano, showing him how each material affected the eruption. It’s part of the newly built museum’s...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

First time ever, University of Utah student president impeached

Thu, 23 May 2013 18:40:28 MDT

First time ever, University of Utah student president impeached

by Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 06:40PM MDT

For the first time in its history, the University of Utah student government has impeached and replaced its president. Nick Ferre lost his position following a trial Wednesday because his grade-point average dropped below 2.5, a requirement to hold office. The graduate student in educational leadership and policy argued that some of his grades were in dispute and said an accelerated course he’s due to finish next month could increase his GPA. “One of the things we try and get away from is we ...

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Riverview Junior High cooks off Dutch oven style

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:44:49 MDT

Riverview Junior High cooks off Dutch oven style

by Rinna Waddhany Special To The Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 03:44PM MDT

If you can’t handle the heat, stay away from the Dutch oven. This year, Riverview Junior High completed another successful round of its annual Ninth Grade Dutch Oven Cook Off, a tradition that is certainly popular with taste buds. “I have kids come back and say this was the most fun thing they’ve done,” said Janet Wayman, foods teacher and founder of the event. Wayman has been teaching at Riverview Junior High for 28 years. Several years back, she decided it would be interesting for her student...

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Kearns seniors, students gather to build lasting relationships

Thu, 23 May 2013 13:14:35 MDT

Kearns seniors, students gather to build lasting relationships

by Jake Gordon Special To The Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 01:14PM MDT

Kearns • Bridging the gap between the younger and older generation, teens from two junior high schools in Kearns have been building relationships with the seniors at the Eddie P. Mayne Kearns Senior Center for a monthly after-school activity. To culminate the school year, students from Kearns and John F. Kennedy Junior High participated in the fifth annual Pirates of the West “Senior” Prom. The pirate-themed celebration Friday afternoon was full of dinner, pictures, a talent show and senior pro...

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Report: Nation’s kids need to get more physical

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:30:35 MDT

Report: Nation’s kids need to get more physical

by Jennifer C. Kerr The Associated Press

Published May 23, 2013 11:30AM MDT

Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE? The prestigious Institute of Medicine is recommending that schools provide opportunities for at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day for students and that PE become a core subject. The report, released Thursday, says only about half of the nation’s youngsters are getting at least an hour of vigorous or moderate-intensity physical activity every day. Another concern, the report says, is that 44 percent of school administrators report slashing big c...

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

SLCC has top veterans center for Utah student veterans

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:58:29 MDT

SLCC has top veterans center for Utah student veterans

by Kristen Moulton The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 23, 2013 10:58AM MDT

The applause was loud and sustained when Salt Lake Community College President Cynthia Bioteau announced, at the school’s May 9 commencement, that 169 veterans were among those graduating. The veterans, she said, enrich the college’s campuses. “You are heroes not just to your families, but to your country.” And at the community college, there is more than fancy talk about honoring the service of veterans: SLCC has an award-winning veterans center seen as a model for colleges in Utah and around ...

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To exit last place in per-pupil funding, Utah would need to spend $365M more a year

Wed, 22 May 2013 21:12:08 MDT

To exit last place in per-pupil funding, Utah would need to spend $365M more a year

by Lisa Schencker The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 22, 2013 09:12PM MDT

Utah would have to spend an additional $365 million a year to move out of last place for per-pupil funding, and $2.6 billion to reach the national average, legislative fiscal analysts told lawmakers Wednesday. Analysts presented the numbers, based on fiscal year 2010, as part of an exhaustive report on Utah education meant to help legislative leaders gathered for the first meeting of a new Education Task Force. The group, created under a law passed earlier this year, aims to come up with a plan ...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Finalists named for Utah deaf, blind schools leader

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:59:03 MDT

Finalists named for Utah deaf, blind schools leader

by Lisa Schencker The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 22, 2013 03:59PM MDT

Three men will vie for the job of superintendent of the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, the State Office of Education announced Wednesday. It’s a position that’s long been mired in controversy. The state school board has named as finalists for the position: Joel Coleman, a state school board member, chairman of the board’s committee on the school and a charter school founder and trustee; Larry S. Taub, executive director of the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf & Center for Community an...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

To fight childhood obesity: drop that bottle, baby!

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:56:26 MDT

To fight childhood obesity: drop that bottle, baby!

by Lindsay Whitehurst | The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 22, 2013 01:56PM MDT

Letting a baby decide when he or she is full — instead of urging longer feedings — could help prevent childhood obesity, according to a new study from Brigham Young University. Breast-feeding seems to help, perhaps because it allows babies to stop eating on their own more easily than with a bottle, according to the research published in Pediatric Obesity. The study found formula-fed children were 2 1/2 times more likely to become obese toddlers than babies who were breast-fed for the first six...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Tensions mount as Salt Lake school board talks tax hike

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:19:03 MDT

Tensions mount as Salt Lake school board talks tax hike

by Ray Parker The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 21, 2013 10:19PM MDT

Budget discussions got so contentious Tuesday night, one Salt Lake City School District board member left the meeting. Tiffany Sandberg asked to be excused after board member Michael Clara continued to ask questions about the budget, yet none of the other members seemed to understand his point. Clara said he wants greater transparency involving district business, especially as he considers a vote on whether to increase taxes. The disagreement during Tuesday’s board meeting was the latest in a ...

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Trib Talk: Is Common Core an upgrade or ‘cookie-cutter’ education?

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:40:34 MDT

Trib Talk: Is Common Core an upgrade or ‘cookie-cutter’ education?

the Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 21, 2013 04:40PM MDT

State Board of Education Chairwoman Debra Roberts on Tuesday urged opponents of Common Core educational standards and new computer testing to “let go of this political posturing and recognize what we can do to transform education here in Utah.” “This is great stuff. Let’s work together to meet the needs of our children,” Roberts said during a live video Trib Talk with Dalane England of the Utah Eagle Forum, moderator Jennifer Napier-Pearce of The Salt Lake Tribune and Tribune education reporter...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Utah duck stamp champ learned to paint in September

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:39:23 MDT

Utah duck stamp champ learned to paint in September

by Matthew Piper The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 21, 2013 04:39PM MDT

Oil painting came as naturally to Sandy’s Zachary Williams as — well, as a duck takes to water. The 18-year-old’s vibrant King Eider outshone 310 other entrants to win the 2013 Utah Junior Duck Stamp Contest in early April, roughly eight months after his introduction to the medium in an Olympus High School AP Studio Art class. “I’ve never painted a bird or even water,” said Williams, who for that matter hadn’t painted much of anything until he began his senior year in September. “I pretty much...

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Live video chat: Trib Talk on Utah schools and the Common Core

Tue, 21 May 2013 11:41:27 MDT

Live video chat: Trib Talk on Utah schools and the Common Core

by Jennifer Napier-pearce The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 21, 2013 11:41AM MDT

Utah Republicans voted Saturday to withdraw from the Common Core, a set of education standards conservatives believe are “un-American and inferior” and an attempt by Washington to control Utah’s education system. What does this opposition mean for Utah students and teachers? Join a live Trib Talk discussion today at 11 a.m. with State Board of Education Chairwoman Debra Roberts, Dalane England of the Utah Eagle Forum, Tribune education reporter Lisa Schencker and Trib Talk moderator Jennifer Na...

For Utah college presidents, raise in pay, ire?

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:43:24 MDT

For Utah college presidents, raise in pay, ire?

by Lindsay Whitehurst | The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 21, 2013 07:43AM MDT

Utah public college presidents would get raises of up to 24 percent in July under a plan approved by the Utah Board of Regents. The extra money is designed to bring relatively low Utah salaries closer to rates at similar schools, a move Utah Commissioner of Higher Education David Buhler said is necessary to attract the best leaders. “Decisions they make can have an effect not just on students and faculty, but their decisions can also save the state millions of dollars,” he said. “We understan...

Gun-toting Utah teachers to parents: Your kids safe with us

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:57:04 MDT

Gun-toting Utah teachers to parents: Your kids safe with us

by Lisa Schencker The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 20, 2013 11:57AM MDT

One Utah teacher’s worst nightmare goes something like this: A gunman slips into his school, draws weapons, aims and fires at his kids. “I can think of nothing worse than having to witness my students being killed or maimed without me being able to at least attempt some sort of intervention,” the teacher said. “I might even die in the process, but, in my opinion, going down shooting would be better than standing in front of them helplessly.” Every day, the Davis School District teacher carries a...

Q&A: Utah teachers and guns in schools

Sun, 19 May 2013 01:01:03 MDT

Q&A: Utah teachers and guns in schools

by Ray Parker the Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 19, 2013 01:01AM MDT

Here’s a look at questions about teachers and guns in Utah schools. Q: What laws govern how Utah teachers handle guns in schools? A: Utah school districts and charter schools must allow employees, including teachers, to carry firearms under state laws governing concealed weapon permit holders. Salt Lake City School District spokesman Jason Olsen said employees with permits can carry in schools, but their weapons, as state law says, must remain concealed and in their personal possession. Canyo...

Utah Valley University set to become largest school in the state

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:08 MDT

Utah Valley University set to become largest school in the state

by Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 18, 2013 01:00PM MDT

Utah Valley University is slated to overtake the University of Utah as the public institution with the largest enrollment in the state over the next decade. The head count of the school’s student body is projected to grow 48 percent by 2022, making it about 10,000 students bigger than the U., according to projections released Friday by the Utah System of Higher Education — a prediction that comes as the state’s flagship school raises its admissions standards. As a whole, the state’s public colle...

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert talks teen suicide at Cyprus High School

Fri, 17 May 2013 21:16:41 MDT

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert talks teen suicide at Cyprus High School

by Lisa Schencker The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 17, 2013 09:16PM MDT

Magna • A string of suicides at Cyprus High in recent years has taken a toll on students and the community, senior Jane Burns told Utah’s governor Friday. “Events like this greatly affect Cyprus High School and the Magna community,” Burns tearfully told Gov. Gary Herbert. Burns, senior class secretary, called the death of one of her friends earlier this school year “the worst day of my life.” Burns was one of a couple of dozen students who spoke to Herbert on Friday about teen suicide, offering...

Interim Southern Utah U. president named, public meetings set

Fri, 17 May 2013 18:40:02 MDT

Interim Southern Utah U. president named, public meetings set

by Lindsay Whitehurst The Salt Lake Tribune

Published May 17, 2013 06:40PM MDT

A former state higher education boss will serve as interim president at Southern Utah University during the search to replace Michael Benson, who is leaving to become president of Eastern Kentucky University. Richard Kendell, who takes over July 8, served as Utah’s commissioner of higher education for five years before retiring in 2007. Prior to that, he was deputy of public education under Gov. Michael Leavitt and superintendent of the Davis County school district. Kendell holds a bachelor’s d...