This week at the USBE Board meeting Utah’s “Blue Ribbon Schools” were highlighted. What was oddly left out of the presentation was the individual school’s performance on Utah Statewide assessments.

Let’s begin with Emerson Elementary, Salt Lake City School District. How is it that (at the end of 2018-19) just barely 70% of Emerson students are proficient on the Utah Assessment?

It causes one to wonder: #SomethingIsWrongWithRISE! During the 2018-19 year, Emerson was NOT a SPED hub (this was installed in 2019), but was a “GIFTED-education hub” that SLCSD calls MELP. Yet, still, in 2021 barely 1/2 of the students attained proficiency at Emerson.

The reality is:  something smells fishy in all this.