The Chalkboard

The National Association of School Nurses recently announced new student-to-school nurse ratios and Utah's not last in the nation anymore! We're second to last. (horray?)  

In 2008, each Utah school nurse served on average about 4,893 students each. According to new 2009 data, each school nurse in Utah served about 4,003 students each, ranking Utah second to last, before Michigan, which ranked dead last.

Now, school nurses deal with a variety of ailments ranging from playground injuries to H1N1 swine flu to diabetes, asthma and seizures.

"School nursing is an investment in our children's future," said association President Sandi Delack. "School nurses are committed to keeping kids healthy, in school, and ready to learn.

Utah school nurses are funded through a variety of sources including a specific line item, Medicaid reimbursements, discretionary school money and in some cases, local health departments. Back in September Sen. Karen Mayne, D-West Valley City, made a push to raise awareness about Utah's lack of school nurses in hopes of ensuring future funding.

- Lisa Schencker

Happy National School Counseling Week! Here's some of what's been going on in Utah schools lately:   

— Students from Morningside Elementary went to the Captiol Wednesday morning to present to a legislative committee about HJR5, a clean air resolution. (See cut photo in today's Tribune).

— West High has been named one of 20 schools nationwide to try a new Chinese language curriculum as part of the Hanban-Asia Society Confucius Classrooms Network. West High will get $10,000 to enhance its Chinese language program and connect with other schools both here and in China.

— Monticello Academy in West Valley City will host 36 students and 5 adults from China starting early next week. They'll live with Monticello families, attend school and see the sights of Salt Lake City and Park City.

— The Davis School District is partnering with CHADD of Utah to present a workshop for parents and teachers tonight at 7 p.m. at the Kendall Building in Farmington on dealing with AD/HD. For more information call Linda Smith at 801‐292‐2816 or Carolyn Kocherhans at 801‐447‐3553.

- Lisa Schencker

Many schools send kids to recess after lunch, but maybe sending them before lunch would lead to heathier habits and better behavior?  

That's the question this recent New York Times article explores. And it's something happening in some Utah schools as well.

Months ago, I visited East Sandy Elementary school where the principal told me about how he had switched the order of lunch and recess. He raved about the effects. I'm no expert on school cafeteria behavior, but the kids there seemed pretty under control to me.

-- Lisa Schencker

It's Monday, and here's what happening in Utah schools today:

— Top art students in the Granite District will compete today in a live art competition today from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Taylorsville High School. They'll compete in drawing, painting, pottery and other media, and their work will be judged by professional artists. Prizes include scholarships. The event is free to the public.   

— Students at Lincoln Elementary School (Davis district) are collecting change to donate to Haiti. Administrators are keeping track of how much they collect with a model airplane that they move closer to Haiti on a map the more money the kids collect. The money will go to the Red Cross.

— Obert Skye, author of the Leven Thumps series, will visit Wasatch Elementary and Orchard Elementary today where he'll perfom and hold game shows.

— State Superintendent Larry Shumway and others from the State Office of Education will sign a memorandum of understanding with the French Ministry of Education and the Academy of Grenoble today to promote French language and culture education here and English and American culture education in France.

— Sen. Pat Jones, D-Salt Lake City, is working on a bill that would limit what could be sold in Utah school vending machines. But local school community councils would still get to make the ultimate decision about what snacks go in the machines.

- Lisa Schencker

Utah is one of 40 states (plus the District of Columbia) competing for $4.35 billion in federal Race to the Top money for school reform. Utah wants as much as $250 million.

Utah's plan includes goals such as lowering the number of students who don't graduate from high school by 5 percent a year and decreasing the number of students who don't test on-grade level in reading and math by 5 percent a year.    

What do other states want to do with the money? Edmoney.org, a project of the Education Writers Association (full disclosure, I'm a member of that group), has compiled a list of links to other states' full plans. To see the list and to check out other states' plans go here.

The feds will award money to states with the best reform plans and most support from districts and educators. (All of Utah's districts and, at the state level, the Utah Education Association are on board with the Utah's plan.)

Utah also wants to hire someone to help oversee early childhood education in Utah, keep full-day kindergarten programs going, create tools to measure teaching quality, revise the state's high school exit exam, improve training for math teachers and give the same type of help to troubled high schools that now goes only to troubled schools that receive federal funding.

- Lisa Schencker