Fire and Ice is happy to be today’s stop on the official Illusionarium Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar tours. The cover is gorgeous and we loved Entwined also by author Heather Dixon. Here what she has to say about her new book in our exclusive Q&A.
What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.
Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he’s a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own.
Exclusive Author Q&A
Tell us about your alternate London and how it’s different from modern day London
Ah! Well, the story takes place in an alternate 1882 London, called Nod’ol. {This is London backwards.} {Really.} The idea is, years ago, the Nod’olian world did something that separated them from our history of London. It could have been political; like rebelling and electing a new king. Or it could have been something else, like settling in the Americas before Spain. Whatever the reason, it split from our world and set them on a diagonal path, and now several hundred years later, it’s become drastically different; there are airships and carnivals and massive, falling-apart buildings. The entire city is encased in a giant glass structure. It’s unlike anything Jonathan—and the reader too, probably—has ever seen.
What books or movies influenced Illusionarium?
A lot of weird ones! Mirrormask was a big influence, as well as Labyrinth. {They both have that same entering-into-an-alternate-world plot, like Illusionarium.} This one will make you laugh, but the Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus was also one. The idea of going into someone’s head—I love that. Dr. Who was another big influence, particularly with the banter between the characters and twisty plot. So as you can see, a lot of bizarre, kind of “cult” movies & shows.
Another huge influence on the book was Terry Pratchett—hence the footnotes throughout the story! He had such a fantastic sense of humor. I would hope Illusionarium was able to channel some of that.
If you could travel to one scene in your plot what would it be?
The scene in Lord Glamwell’s giant library, when the characters are searching through piles and piles of books and simultaneously dodging bullets—that was a real kick to write! I wouldn’t mind seeing that in person. Minus the getting shot in the head part.
I can tell you what scene I wouldn’t want to visit—every scene that takes place in the Arctic aerial city, Fata Morgana. I hate being cold and it is sooooo cold there.
Favorite mad scientists?
I think Tesla is probably the rote answer here. Who doesn’t love that guy? But there are two other fellas who make the list. The first is my dad—he’s an inventor! No, really, he is. Patents hang all over his office wall. He does a lot of stuff with shortwave radio, but you might have an invention of his in your pocket right now. He invented a phosphorus patch for the zip drive {remember those?} to keep counterfeit discs from popping up. Well, the US Government called his company and bought the patent to use in currency & keep people from making fake dollars. We don’t know where, exactly, they’ve integrated it, which is too bad…I’ve always wanted a $5 printing press in my basement. Hahaha.
The other mad scientist of my heart is my dad’s dad—my grandpa. He developed LORAN—Long Range Navigation technology—for submarines during WW2. After that he was a nuclear scientist. He passed away while I was writing Illusionarium, and it still breaks my heart. He was one of the kindest, best people I ever knew. The book is dedicated to him.
Places in the world a time portal would most likely lie.
Ooo…that’s a good question. Automatically I think of places that have withstood the test of time—Prague, Pyramids of Egypt, Great Wall of China, Rome. If we were looking for gateways to alternate worlds—like what you would find in Illusionarium—you’d find doors that were ancient. Catacomb and graveyard entrances, Cathedral doors, arched Roman gateways in stone walls. That kind of thing.
What colors, smells, sites and sounds will we experience in your book?
Illusionarium is a kaleidoscope of sensory stuff, all experienced through Jonathan’s eyes. He visits the capitol city, and is overwhelmed by the smell of smoke and wet brick. Burning fuel. Early on in the book, his glasses break, and so everything he sees is cracked. And since he’s grown up in an aerial city, the first time he steps on the real ground, it surprises him—it’s not like the metal walkways he’s used to; it’s spongy and organic and strange.
Probably the most vivid sensation the reader will experience is breathing fantillium—even though the chemical is dispersed through steam, it’s cold and it freezes the throats and lungs. It’s like inhaling icy spurs. It heightens the senses too—it makes everything much brighter, and sounds louder and clearer, scents overwhelming–making for a pretty gnarly experience.
What Jonathan doesn’t notice with fantillium—at least at first—is that it also deadens the conscience. This becomes a big problem later on.
Top five all time favorite foods
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Bacon
Seriously, though…bacon 🙂
Book Trailer
About the Author
Heather Dixon grew up in a large family with four brothers and six sisters. She is a storyboard artist as well as a writer, and lives in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Viennese waltz is her dance of choice. She is the author of the novel Entwined.
LDS people generally identify strongly with the idea of being servants of the Lord. Yet, where the KJV of the Bible reads ‘servant of Jesus Christ’ the original Greek in which the New Testament was written invariably reads ‘slave of Jesus Christ’. Although latter-day saints believe the Bible as far as it is translated correctly, most fail to understand the servant/slave translational nuance. This significantly limits the understanding of the original message of these important passages. Since the early saints truly considered themselves slaves of Christ, we as latter-day saints have much to learn from this perspective.
This book teaches the New Testament message that men are transformed from being slaves of sin, to slaves of Christ as they are redeemed by His atonement. It illustrates how frequently the New Testament equates conversion to the gospel to becoming a slave of Christ. It chronicles the many instances in which the early apostles and gospel narrators referred to themselves in this way. It also reviews the extensive Hebraic tradition, which held that man was the slave of God, and numerous instances where theme of slavery is found in the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Anciently slavery was a condition that was worse than death, and associated with utter hopelessness and loss of control. Yet enslavement to Christ was paradoxically esteemed to be an essential element of conversion that brought joy, freedom and eternal life. By illustrating this metaphor from the context in which the New Testament was originally written, my book helps the reader gain new perspective into their relationship with their Redeemer, and more completely surrender their will to His.
About the Author
W. Reid Litchfield is an endocrinologist from Henderson, Nevada. He is a graduate of Brigham Young University (B.S.) and University of Calgary (M.D.) and completed his endocrinology fellowship at Harvard Medical School. In addition to a number of scientific publications he has published medical history papers entitled On The Physical Death Of Jesus Christ and The Bittersweet Demise of Herod the Great. He is the recipient of numerous Top Doctor awards as well as professional awards for leadership in his community and medical society. You can find more of his writings and his blog at www.reidlitchfield.com.
Moses has always felt like an outsider in his powerful Egyptian family, even though his close relationship with Ramses, the prince of Egypt, and their cousin Pentu keeps him entwined in the dealings of royalty. But when their youthful antics get them in trouble, the Pharaoh decides it’s time for all three of them to grow up and own their respective responsibilities. Now betrothed to a woman he cares nothing for, Moses wonders where his life is headed.
Miriam, a Hebrew slave, lives with a secret she cannot share with anyone. And though it has been eighteen years since she saved her baby brother, she is constantly getting in trouble for spying on him. In a desperate attempt to control Miriam, her older brother, Aaron, and her father look to find her a husband, something Miriam has never been interested in—until Caleb, a young, handsome man, confesses his feelings for her and asks her father for her hand in marriage.
When Libya advances on Egypt, Moses and Miriam are suddenly thrown together as the Egyptian royals and soldiers flee. Hebrew slaves are forced to defend the kingdom, and Miriam and Caleb are enlisted under Moses’s direction. Moses quickly sees there is more to this downtrodden people than what he’s been taught. When he witnesses the atrocities enacted against the slaves, he realizes he must leave—he must find out who he really is.
A gripping account of the events that lead to Moses’s flight into the wilderness, The Moses Chronicles: Bondage will take you back to a rich period of history replete with scandal, strife, love, and hope as God prepares a prophet to lead His chosen people.
Heather B. Moore knows how to take stories from the Bible and make them come alive. When I first picked up Bondage, I admit I was a bit intimidated by the list of characters in the first pages, and all of the Egyptian, Hebrew names. However, Ms. Moore did an excellent job with building each character in a way that you become connected and familiar with them. There is suspense and action, with the majority of the story focusing on relationships. Volume One taught us about Moses’ time and place as well as the women who were influential in his life. This is a book that will keep you up reading late into the night! The Moses Chronicles: Bondage is rich, well-written historical fiction at its best with messages about faith, prejudice and loyalty.
Content is for adults –violence, seduction, talk of harems and threat of assault.
About the Author
Heather B. Moore is the two-time Best of State and two-time Whitney Award winner for her historical fiction, the most recent being Esther the Queen. She is also the author of the nonfiction inspirational book Women of the Book of Mormon and the coauthor of Christ’s Gifts to Women with Angela Eschler. Heather is a columnist for Meridian Magazine on LDS topics.
Andy Kendrick has always dreamed of bigger things than tiny Eagle Bluff, Arizona. So when the opportunity arises to shake off the dust of his hometown and move to the tropical paradise of Hawaii, he grabs it. But he never imagined that apiece of his past would follow him to his new life . . .Kimberly Briggs has lived her life on the fringes of the crowd, timid and afraid since the death of her brother, but when she learns that Andy, her lifelong crush, is moving to Hawaii, she s finally ready to step out of the shadows and take a risk.
Kimberly is the last person Andy expected or wanted to see in Hawaii. But when fate incessantly throws the pair together, there s little to be done but make the best of the situation. As the awkwardness fades and Kimberly begins to emerge from her shell, Andy realizes there s much more to her than he realized. But even as they revel in the adventures of island life, drawn together by a growing attraction, an unforeseen peril threatens Kimberly's life. Can the once-timid young woman now draw upon the inner strength Andy has helped her discover so the two of them can build a life together? Will Andy grasp that love knows no geographical bounds?
Review
Trouble in Paradise allows reader to become fully immersed in the setting, culture and art of Hawaii. It’s a tale of unrequited love, self discovery and developing one’s own course. The main male character Andy is hard to love at first with his self-centered and immature dialogue. Kimberly, main female has to overcome her fears and recognize true love. Both are college student at BYU Hawaii immersed in internships, jobs & classes under the sun and surf of the beach.
I truly enjoy Karen Tuft’s writing. This book is a great summer diversion with clean romance and a tad bit of suspense. The pace and storyline were perfect. Recommended as a clean read for new adult or adult readers.
About the Author
Karen Tuft was born with a healthy dose of curiosity about pretty much everything, so as a child she taught herself to read and play the piano. She studied composition at BYU then graduated from the University of Utah in music theory as a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Kappa Lambda honor societies. In addition to being an author, Karen is a wife, mother, pianist, composer, and arranger. She has spent countless hours backstage and in orchestra pits for theater productions along the Wasatch Front. She also has a 75 percent success rate when it comes to matchmaking and is a big believer in happy endings. Among her varied interests, she likes to figure out what makes people tick, wander through museums, and travel—whether by car, plane, or paperback.
I am so excited that AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special introduction from Sabaa herself!
If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Sabaa Tahir, be sure to check out all the details below. This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copies of the book and some of those awesome sword letter openers we’ve seen around courtesy of Sabaa, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
A letter from Sabaa Tahir.
Dear Readers,
Today, my “baby” AN EMBER IN THE ASHES is finally out in the world! From inception to pub date, this journey took eight years. And what a journey it was: writing, rewriting, revising, editing, querying, submitting; Meeting other debuts, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, and hearing their thoughts on EMBER.
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the radness.
And now, the book is here! I am so excited to see it in the hands of readers. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. To celebrate release day, I’m giving away two signed, first-edition hardcovers of the book. Details below!
Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.
LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the
empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.
When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.
Sabaa Tahir grew up in California’s Mojave Desert at her family’s 18-room motel. There, she spent her time devouring fantasy novels, raiding her brother’s comic book stash and playing guitar badly. She began writing An Ember in the Ashes while working nights as a newspaper editor. She likes thunderous indie rock, garish socks and all things nerd. Sabaa currently lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.
A few weeks ago I opened my mail and this letter was enclosed. I was astounded. Could this be real?
It’s like a page ripped out of a dystopian futuristic novel.
Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld anyone?
Genetic modifications for thinness?
We need 100 thin people?
What concerned me most, however was how they got my information in the first place.
“We are contacting you for this study through a medical research organization at the University of Utah called the Resource for Genetic and Epidemioloic Research (RGE). The RGE helps medical researchers at the University of Utah to access information from State records. You are being contacted to participate in this study because it appears that from the recorded pre-pregnancy weights of one of your children’s birth certificates that you may meet our definition of being thin and that other members in your extended family are also thin.”
How do they know this?
From mining State records and medical information…
Yes, yes they are. By executive order. Since 1982.
“The Utah Resource for Genetic and Epidemiologic Research (RGE) was established by Executive Order of the Governor of Utah on July 14, 1982, as a “data resource for the collection, storage, study, and dissemination of medical and related information”…”RGE governs access to the Utah Population Database (UPDB), which includes family history records, vital records, cancer registry records, driver license records, and others. These records are linked together to form multi-generational pedigrees as well as longitudinal person-level data.”
This letter is where we are as a society. It’s like some creepy futuristic dystopian novel.
Unreal.
Genetically modified traits for “thinness” based on data mining and research. Datapalooza? Data mining?
Hard to believe….until it showed up in my mailbox.
People ask me all the time why I am concerned about data mining in our schools and elsewhere. Here is a prime example of just how Orwellian things have become.
Each time you register your child for public school you bring in a birth record, you offer up their social security number in some cases, the exact place to find them, their confidential medical info. Their personally identifiable information. This PII is now being shared and stored in a statewide logitudinal database system or SLDS. (See page 13-on of the UTREx data file specs to get a glimpse of just HOW MUCH info is being collected and stored)
The data is maintained by the Utah Data Alliance, and ultimately it gets served up from your local school nightly, via data portals UTREx and TIDE to the State, to Washington D.C., and is available to private corporate vendors with a “research interest.”
The Utah Data Alliance is a multi-agency collaborative partnership organized to:
Develop and maintain Utah’s only comprehensive statewide longitudinal data system (SLDS) to enable examination of educational progress and outcomes over time, from preschool, and K12 through postsecondary public education and into the workforce;
This is a national effort. A data mining goldmine where all states, systems align. If each state has an SLDS and they can collaborate, imagine how far reaching our data can spread.
“Better decisions require better information. This principle lies at the heart of the Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) Grant Program. Through grants and a growing range of services and resources, the program has helped propel the successful design, development, implementation, and expansion of K12 and P-20W (early learning through the workforce) longitudinal data systems. These systems are intended to enhance the ability of States to efficiently and accurately manage, analyze, and use education data, including individual student records. The SLDSs should help states, districts, schools, educators, and other stakeholders to make data-informed decisions to improve student learning and outcomes; “
“The long-term goal of the [SLDS] program is to enable all States to create comprehensive systems that permit the generation and use of accurate and timely data, support analysis and informed decision-making at all levels of the education system, increase the efficiency with which data may be analyzed to support the continuous improvement of education services and outcomes, facilitate research to improve student academic achievement and close achievement gaps, support education accountability systems, and simplify the processes used by State educational agencies to make education data transparent through Federal and public reporting.” – U.S. Department of Education, 2009
See the correlation between what is happening in my letter and what is happening in most schools across the nation?
Each time your child logs on to Utah Compose to practice writing or to take a SAGE (PARCC) exam, their data and response is being stored and shared.
So does The Department of Workforce Services, The Utah College of Applied Technology, Utah Education Network, the Utah Education Policy Center (at the University of Utah), and the Utah State Office of Education.
Our state has already pre-loaded all student information into the SLDS. Any time a student signs into the SAGE Portal for a formative assignment, practice session or any other testing mechanism, they are providing additional information to their files. The only way to stop the flow of information is to not have them participate at any level. There is no opt out of the statewide logitudinal data system allowed under current law.
AIR’s international work improves the quality of life in developing countries by using rigorous research and evaluation to enhance education and social development. With a wide variety of local partners and multinational organizations, we develop, pilot and implement field-based international development activities in lower- and middle-income countries. We provide governments and international aid agencies with the educational assessment tools and expertise they need to measure progress in student achievement and school effectiveness. Our international work is conducted by AIR’s International Development, Evaluation and Research program, as well as our Education and Health and Social Development programs.
Data being used, all without your knowledge, without informed consent. It’s legal under FERPA.
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) governs the protection and permissible uses by authorized representatives of student administrative data, including the disclosure and transfer of personally identifiable information (PII) in education records. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) released revised regulations December, 2011 to reconcile the statute with other federal laws that incented the development and use of state longitudinal data systems (SLDS):
We shared our concerns about computerized adaptive testing in Utah and data collection. As promised, here are some helpful links and articles about AIR (the company behind SAGE), parental rights code, and the opt out policy being proposed by the Utah State Office of Education.
Who Is Behind the SAGE Portal and Test?
AIR- American Institutes of Research
About (from their website) AIR is one of the world’s largest behavioral and social science research and evaluation organizations.
Mission: AIR’s mission is to conduct and apply the best behavioral and social science research and evaluation towards improving peoples’ lives, with a special emphasis on the disadvantaged.
Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Education Research Program Analyzing state longitudinal data that allows us to follow individuals from kindergarten through elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education and into the labor market, ALDER examines how education policies affect outcomes for students and teachers. We evaluate real policies in practice and answer the perennial question asked by educators, policymakers, and the public:
“AIR uses a single student data management system for the summative, interim and formative systems. This management system, TIDE, will be populated with LEA student data beginning in August, 2013.” source: USOE
“AIR’s international work improves the quality of life in developing countries by using rigorous research and evaluation to enhance education and social development. With a wide variety of local partners and multinational organizations, we develop, pilot and implement field-based international development activities in lower- and middle-income countries. We provide governments and international aid agencies with the educational assessment tools and expertise they need to measure progress in student achievement and school effectiveness. Our international work is conducted by AIR’s International Development, Evaluation and Research program, as well as our Education and Health and Social Development programs.”
AIR is behind Florida’s tests as well, which our Utah students field tested items for.
TALLAHASSEE — “Gov. Rick Scott on Tuesday signed a wide-ranging bill aimed at rolling back the number of tests given to public school students. The legislation (HB 7069) was the most closely-watched education bill of the 2015 session.It puts a hold on the use of student test data for school grades, teacher evaluations and student promotion to fourth grade until the new Florida Standards Assessments can be independently validated. It also scraps a law requiring school districts to come up with end-of-course tests in classes where the state doesn’t administer such exams; caps the amount of time students can spend on state and school district tests at 45 hours a year; and reduces the portion of a teacher’s evaluation tied to student performance from the current 50 percent to one-third.”- source: BRANDON LARRABEE, The News Service of Florida 12:45 p.m. CDT April 15, 2015
What Is Montana Doing?
“The decision this week by the head of Montana schools to allow school districts to opt out of glitch-prone Smarter Balanced exams has thrown Montana into the center of a national debate over standardized testing. …Glitches and crashes in the online tests that have affected Montana schools were beyond the state’s control, education officials have said. The SBAC testing system being used in Montana and two other states is built on an open-source version of the proprietary testing platform developed by the American Institutes for Research. 16 hours ago • DEREK BROUWER Billings Gazette
“MAHOPAC, N.Y. — Tens of thousands of parents expressed disapproval of New York’s reliance on standardized tests by having their children refuse to take the tests earlier this week.
Several districts in the New York City suburbs reported that at least 25% of students had refused to take the tests. In at least two, that number rose to 50%.
Mahopac Central School District’s interim superintendent, Brian Monahan, said 55% of his system’s middle school students and 45% of the elementary school students had refused the tests. At North Rockland Central School District in Garnerville, N.Y, 63% of middle school students refused the tests with the overall district refusal rate at 49%.” source: Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, The (Westchester County, N.Y.) Journal News 9:31 p.m. EDT April 16, 2015
Parents may opt out of testing in Utah according to Superintendent Smith. “The most important legal policy….by constitution, and by what I consider to be natural rights, parents have the right to opt out of anything! They don’t need permission. They don’t need to fill out a form. They don’t need to seek someone else’s response. And, that’s an inherent and integral right of parents.”..“Sage is one of the tests in all of its components that was unambiguously covered by the safe harbor provisions of Section1403 9a. And so that is one that unambiguously there is an opt out provision….But if there’s a question about SAGE, I believe there is unanimity and no ambiguity that SAGE is absolutely something that is subject to..the safe harbor provisions of 1403-9a.”
New Opt Out Policy
“In its April 10, 2015 meeting, the Utah State Board of Education:
Some notable excerpts with changes marked in red:
M. “State administered assessment[s]” means a formative, interim,
summative SAGE, Utah alternate assessment, benchmark reading assessment,
EXPLORE, PLAN [and]or the ACT.
R277-404-6. Student and Parent Participation in Student Assessments in Public Schools; Parental Exclusion from Testing and Safe Harbor Provisions. A. Parents are primarily responsible for their children’s education and have the constitutional right to determine which aspects of public education, including assessment systems, in which their children participate.[ Parental rights may be exercised without notice or permission.] Parents may further exercise their inherent rights to exempt their children from [certain]a state administered assessment[s] without further consequence by an LEA. [A]B. [All ]LEAs shall administer [the comprehensive]state administered assessments [system ]to all students unless: (1) the Utah alternat[ive]e assessment is approved for specific students consistent with federal law and as specified in a student’s IEP; or (2) [unless ]students are excused by a parent or guardian under Section 53A-15-1403(9) and as provided in this rule. C. A parent may exercise the right to exempt their child from a[ny] state administered assessment[ mandated by the Board or state statute]. Upon exercising the right to exempt a child from a state[-mandated] administered assessment under this provision, an LEA [shall]may not impose an[y] adverse consequence on a child as a result of the exercise of rights under this provision. In order to exercise the right to exempt a child from a state[-mandated testing] administered assessment under this provision and insure the protections of this 7 rovision, a parent shall annually complete [a written]the Board approved parent excuse form[ (on a form to be approved by the USOE),] a minimum of [five (5)]one (1) day[s] prior to the administration of the state administered assessment and provide the form to the responsible [LEA]school. D. School grading, teacher evaluations, and student progress reports or grades [will]may not be negatively impacted by students excused from taking a state administered assessment[s]. E. Any assessment not mandated by the Board as defined in R277-404-2M[ or state-statute], the administration of such assessments, and the consequence of taking or failing to take such assessments shall be governed by policies to be adopted by each LEA. [B]F. [An LEA educator]LEAs shall provide a student’s individual test results and scores to the student’s parent[/legal] or guardian[ consistent with FERPA] upon request and consistent with the protection of student privacy. G. An LEA may not reward a student for taking a state administered assessment.
216 (9) (a) At the request of a student’s parent or guardian, an LEA shall excuse a student
217 from taking an assessment that:
218 (i) is federally mandated;
219 (ii) is mandated by the state under this title; or
220 (iii) requires the use of:
221 (A) a state assessment system; or
222 (B) software that is provided or paid for by the state.
223 (b) In accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative Rulemaking Act, the
224 State Board of Education shall make rules:
225 (i) to establish a statewide procedure for excusing a student under Subsection (9)(a)
226 that:
227 (A) does not place an undue burden on a parent or guardian; and
228 (B) may be completed online; and
229 (ii) to prevent negative impact, to the extent authorized by state statute, to an LEA or
230 an LEA’s employees through school grading or employee evaluations due to a student not
231 taking a test under Subsection (9)(a).
232 (c) An LEA:
233 (i) shall follow the procedures outlined in rules made by the State Board of Education
234 under Subsection (9)(b) to excuse a student under Subsection (9)(a);
235 (ii) may not require procedures to excuse a student under Subsection (9)(a) in addition
236 to the procedures outlined in rules made by the State Board of Education under Subsection
237 (9)(b); and
238 (iii) may not reward a student for taking an assessment described in Subsection (9)(a).
239 (d) The State Board of Education shall:
240 (i) maintain and publish a list of state assessments, state assessment systems, and
241 software that qualify under Subsection (9)(a); and
242 (ii) audit and verify an LEA’s compliance with the requirements of this Subsection (9).
243 (10) (a) An LEA shall provide for:
244 (i) the distribution of a copy of a school’s discipline and conduct policy to each student
245 in accordance with Section 53A-11-903; and
246 (ii) a parent’s or guardian’s signature acknowledging receipt of the school’s discipline
247 and conduct policy.
248 (b) An LEA shall notify a parent or guardian of a student’s violation of a school’s
249 discipline and conduct policy and allow a parent or guardian to respond to the notice in
250 accordance with Chapter 11, Part 9, School Discipline and Conduct Plans.
It is cardinal with us that the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder. . . . It is in recognition of this that these decisions have respected the private realm of family life which the state cannot enter. – Prince v. Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 321 U.S. 158 (1944)
The history and culture of Western civilization reflect a strong tradition of parental concern for the nurture and upbringing of their children. This primary role of the parents in the upbringing of their children is now established beyond debate as an enduring American tradition. -(Yoder, 1972)
“Come join Joy Pullmann from the Federalist (and formerly of the Heritage Foundation), Rod Arquette, Senator Al Jackson and his wife Juleen, and many others speaking on empowering parents. Also, come to a special showing of Tim Ballard’s documentary, The Abolitionist.”
I will be teaching a workshop…
MORNING IN-DEPTH PARENT WORKSHOPS
9:00-12:00
Option 1
Option 2
Option 3
9:00-10:00
Common Core 101 –
Jenny Baker
The Next Frontiers: Data Collection from Birth to Death—
Joy Pullman
Principles of the Constitution-
Stacey Thornton
Laureen Simper
10:00-11:00
DATA-
Big Ocean Women
The Difference between Progressive and Effective Education –
Joy Pullman
Parental Rights-
Heather Gardner
11:00-12:00
Will national Science standards be coming to Utah?
Vince Newmeyer
SAGE Testing- Should I Opt-Out?
Wendy Hart
Getting Involved & Making a Difference- Jared Carmen
Cost to Participants- $5.00 to attend all of the workshops
9:00-12:00 UVU Classrooms in the Sorensen Student Center
Madilyn Paige has swiftly become a favorite in our home. She released a new video yesterday for Spotlight. Check it out here…
About the Artist
Madilyn lived in Japan as a young child and has taken up singing since moving back to the U.S. She loves making music videos and short films with her friends and has performed in various local competitions.
I received this book for free from Shadow Mountain in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Amber Marie Sterlington, the Rage of the Season in Regency-era London, has her pick of men and she knows what she wants most in a husband: a title and a fortune. Why would she ever marry for something as fickle as love? And why would she ever look twice at Thomas Richards, a third son of a country lord?
But Amber's social standing is shattered by a rare disorder which causes the loss of her hair. Publicly humiliated and estranged from her shamed family, she is exiled to Yorkshire, facing a future she never expected in a circumstance far below what she has known all her life. Humbled and lonely, Amber wonders if isolation is for the best and questions what real love means until she finds a romantic path to a man who offers unconditional love.
Author Josi S. Kilpack, who is best known for her culinary cozy mysteries, tackles the difficult condition of alopecia in her latest, novel A Heart Revealed. Set in Regency Era London, this clean romance explores how a rich debutante, who was once queen of the ball, falls from social graces in battling a life altering condition.
Miss Sterlington turns heads with her fiery red hair, sparkling eyes and strong personality. She enjoys her season, coming out among the ton with many suitors falling on her every word. But when life hands her a cruel twist of fate, she is exiled to a small cottage, and a simple life she never imagined in her wildest dreams. Suzanne, her lady in waiting, has the task of following Amber Sterlington, and helping to re-shape her bratty attitude. Successful in her service and her attempts to reform her boss, Suzanne is a strong and likeable character. Sterlington’s parents on the other hand, need to go.
Readers will see a full character arc in he main heroine, as well a tiny bit of romance. Thomas Richards, gentlemen, is sick of the extravagant balls, the small hearted women he meets and the frivolity. But Miss Sterlington captures his attention. When circumstances throw them back together, he sees a change in her heart and can’t help but be even more drawn to the woman behind the mysterious disguise.
I truly enjoyed the message and the ending of A Heart Revealed. My favorite character was Thomas and I wish we could have seen more into his thoughts and actions. The kiss seemed a bit wild considering how slowly and carefully this relationship unfolded in the dark, but in the last chapters, it all comes together. I highly recommend this and the entire Proper Romance series for fans of clean Regency novels!
About the Author
Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.
