May 26, 2011: Trojan horse teacher
Teacher Justin Brecht of Mendoza Elementary School recently wrote an opinion piece for the Review-Journal, "Teacher of the year rewarded with pink slip" (May 15), decrying the injustice of "losing" his job next year due to budget cuts. Having come to Las Vegas seven years ago with the nebulous political group Teach for America, Brecht, by his own estimate, is a great teacher victimized by the "last-in, first-out" seniority-based protection of local teachers. To hear his sad tale, one would think he has been laid off to protect all the bad teachers in the district. (lasvegascitylife.com) Very interesting read ...
May 31, 2011: Nevada school reform measures cut union power, seniority
Last minute education reform measures passed by Nevada Legislature will dilute the power of unions, making it easier to fire underperforming teachers and end a "last in, first out" seniority policy. (rgj.com)
May 31, 2011: Students, teachers, parents let voices be heard on 'death' of public education
A coffin meant to symbolize the demise of public education under Gov. Brian Sandoval's proposed budget made it as far as the Capitol steps Tuesday before being turned away by police. (lvrj.com)
A leading Democratic lawmaker on Tuesday put the onus on GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval to rein in Republican lawmakers and close a deal to fund state government for the next two years. (lvrj.com)
May 31, 2011: State budget deal gains momentum with education reform votes
The Democrat-controlled state Senate late Monday used last-minute legislative maneuvers to pass education reform measures favored by Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval, signaling negotiations to approve a two-year budget deal are advancing. (lvrj.com)
May 31, 2011: Senate passes education reforms in sign that budget deal is near
In the final minutes before a key deadline Monday night, Senate Democrats passed large-scale changes to the education system, a compromise with Republicans and Gov. Brian Sandoval that brought the Nevada Legislature closer to an end. (lasvegassun.com)
May 29, 2011: Former D.C. chancellor Michelle Rhee pushing for big changes to schools
May 29, 2011: A different way to restore school budget cuts
How much would you pay to save your kid's school? If you thought state budget cuts would significantly decrease the quality of your child's education -- through program eliminations, educator layoffs or both -- would you be willing to write a check to help make up the difference? To keep the school's staff and resources intact? (lvrj.com)
May 29, 2011: Lawmakers scratching, clawing for budget deal
Leading lawmakers on Sunday scurried between the Capitol and the Legislative Building but didn't strike a budget deal with GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval, leaving the two sides just a few days to complete a two-year state funding plan before a June 7 deadline. (lvrj.com)
May 29, 2011: Budget negotiations affected by Supreme Court decision
The Nevada Supreme Court decision last week that picking among pots of local government money to pillage for the state budget is unconstitutional was a tectonic shift. The legislative landscape was instantly transformed. (lasvegassun.com)
May 28, 2011: Kids sell lemonade to try to save teachers’ jobs
Several youngsters recently walked up to Givens Elementary School Principal Rick Slater and handed him a small plastic bag that held $27 and change. They wanted to help, wanted to save teachers’ jobs at their Summerlin school. Slater was stunned. (lasvegassun.com)
May 28, 2011: Attorney General Declines To Petition High Court As Budget Negotiations Continue At Legislature
Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto will not follow through on Gov. Brian Sandoval’s request to ask the Nevada Supreme Court for clarification on Thursday’s ruling that the state cannot use $62 million it took from the Clean Water Coalition during the legislative special session in 2010. (nevadanewsbureau.com)
May 27, 2011: Gov. Sandoval Taking Two Pronged Approach To Addressing Potential $656 Million Budget Shortfall
The Sandoval administration is pursuing two paths in an effort to resolve a potentially massive budget shortfall, seeking clarification from the Nevada Supreme Court on the case that created the issue and working with lawmakers on potential additional revenues should they be necessary. (nevadanewsbureau.com)
May 26, 2011: Superintendent announces plan to boost student achievement
Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones unveiled a blueprint for improving student achievement by providing more resources to low-performing schools and holding educators more accountable. (lasvegassun.com)
May 26, 2011: Assembly OKs bill to make parents more involved in kids' education
A bill to create a state office that will work to increase the involvement of parents in the education of their children was approved Wednesday in the Assembly. (lvrj.com)
May 26, 2011: Bill gives borderline pupils bid at diploma
Liberty High School senior Spencer Hill-Hale dreams of playing college football this fall, but he needed to make the equivalent of a Hail Mary pass to graduate in June. (lvrj.com)
May 25, 2011: Casinos, Wal-Mart, mining big beneficiaries if taxes sunset
Major casinos, Wal-Mart and gold mining companies would get millions of dollars in tax cuts if the Legislature doesn’t extend taxes passed in 2009, according to a list presented to the Legislature today. (lasvegassun.com)
May 25, 2011: Teachers trying to educate public about budget crisis
Every Wednesday for the past month, a small group of mainly teachers from middle and high schools has gathered in front of The District in Green Valley to protest proposed state budget cuts. (lasvegassun.com)
May 24, 2011: Gov. Sandoval Rejects New Tax Revenue For Budget, Democrats Keep Hope Alive
Gov. Brian Sandoval emerged from a meeting with Republican lawmakers today saying he is not willing to consider extending taxes set to sunset June 30 to provide more money for the two-year state budget. (nevadanewsbureau.com)
May 23, 2011: Walls come down as class sizes grow amid budget cuts
Wiener Elementary School Principal Krista Yarberry said the "best decor decision" she ever made was turning her office into a Green Bay Packers shrine. (lvrj.com)
May 23, 2011: Performance-Based Budgeting Bill Wins Approval In Legislature, Heads To Governor
A bill implementing “performance-based” budgeting, including requirements for agencies to set benchmarks and goals and be held accountable for their spending priorities using quantifiable measurements, passed the Senate today and now heads to Gov. Brian Sandoval. (nevadanewsbureau.com)
May 22, 2011: Legislators pursue new tax on business services in Nevada
With Nevada educators and some lawmakers seeking new revenue to fund public education, Democratic legislators have proposed a new 1 percent tax on a wide range of services, from hair salons to plumbing repairs, landscaping and diaper services. (lvrj.com)
May 21, 2011: Teacher tenure reform bills advance to Senate vote
Republicans gained ground in their battle to reform public education Friday, but not much. A proposal by GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval that teacher evaluations be based at least 50 percent on student achievement data was approved by the Senate Education Committee, as was a proposal requiring schools to set up performance pay programs for teachers by 2014. (lvrj.com)
May 20, 2011: Teachers union fights off efforts for tougher education bills
The state teachers union successfully fought efforts to toughen education bills, with reforms passing the Senate Education Committee without changes that critics of the current system say are needed. (lasvegassun.com)
May 18, 2011: School Board OKs budget with at least 1,834 layoffs
The Clark County School District Board unanimously approved its fiscal 2012 budget on Wednesday, bridging a $407.4 million shortfall by laying off 1,834 school district employees. (lasvegassun.com)
May 19, 2011: Deadline on budget worries educators
The budgeting impasse paralyzing the Legislature has Clark County School District officials worrying about the worst-case scenario. (lvrj.com)
May 18, 2011: Bill creates new policies about teacher conduct
A teacher arrested on child pornography charges should not be able to return to the classroom without the school being notified of the arrest, a Reno state senator insisted Wednesday during a debate on proposed education reforms.(lvrj.com)
May 18, 2011: Sandoval meets with protesters camping outside Nevada Legislature
Gov. Brian Sandoval on Wednesday morning met with students and activists in "Sandoville," a tent encampment on the lawn of the Legislative Building they're using to protest the governor's policies. (lvrj.com)
May 18, 2011: Governor tries to win over ‘Sandoville’ critics with doughnuts, calm responses
Gov. Brian Sandoval brought doughnuts and coffee to his critics in “Sandoville” this morning, demonstrating how formidable he is in advocating for his budget. (lasvegassun.com)
May 18, 2011: Lawmakers advance measure calling for 13 percent tuition hike
Students at Nevada’s colleges and universities would get hit with a 13 percent tuition increase in the next school year, but they won’t face an additional 13 percent hike the following year under a proposal approved today. (lasvegassun.com)
May 18, 2011: Horsford proposes legislation to close mining tax loopholes
Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, today proposed legislation aimed at ending the ability of the mining industry to convince state regulators to expand its tax deductions beyond what is allowed in state law. (lasvegassun.com)
May 17th, 2011: Senators Sit On Floor In Impromptu Debate With Camping Activists
Senate Republicans gave new meaning to the legislative jargon “floor debate” today. Several lawmakers sat on the floor outside their offices today as they talked to activists who have been camping on the Capitol lawn since yesterday night in support of new revenue.
May 17, 2011: 'Sandoville' protesters lobby against education spending plans
While she shivered in 35-degree temperatures after dealing with a sleeping bag soaked from rainwater that fell through a hole in her tent, College of Southern Nevada student Sarah Christensen insisted that her trip to "Sandoville" was worth the inconvenience. (lvrj.com)
May 17, 2011: Clark County's New Teachers of the Year among first to be laid off
The Clark County School District faces layoffs unprecedented since its inception in 1956. These firings have thrust the issue of seniority-based decisions to the forefront. (lvrj.com)
May 16, 2011: "Sandoville" tax campaign launches at Legislature
Tents are sprouting up on the grounds of the Nevada Legislature for a three-day event by advocates who support a Democratic tax package.
May 16, 2011: Sandoval vetoes Democratic education spending bill
Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval on Monday vetoed a Democratic spending bill that would have pushed the state's K-12 education spending for 2011-13 about $700 million higher than the governor originally proposed. (lvrj.com)
May 16, 2011: Sandoval vetoes school bill
Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval vetoed a school funding bill Monday, saying the measure is a "circuitous attempt to secure a tax increase" and would increase state funding by $660 million above his budget proposal. (lasvegassun.com)
Nevada's 17 school districts could cut the instructional year by as many as 10 days to reduce spending and avoid teacher layoffs under a bill approved Monday by a Senate panel. (lvrj.com)
May 16, 2011: As Democrats decry governor’s veto of K-12 budget, Sandoval aide says no special session in early June
Less than an hour after Gov. Brian Sandoval announced his veto of the Legislature's lower education funding bill, which was $660 million above the governor's budget, a gubernatorial aide tried to turn up the pressure cooker by taking a special session right after June 6 off the table. "Three weeks from today, the Legislature will go home. Period," said senior aide Dale Erquiaga. (lasvegassun.com)
May 16, 2011: Assembly passes school bills for free breakfasts, more parental involvement
Despite Republican opposition, the Assembly approved bills Monday to provide free breakfasts for all students in some schools and to force the Nevada State Board of Education to make changes to guarantee more parental involvement in schools. (lvrj.com)
May 16, 2011: Lawmakers keep focus on $1.2 Billion Tax Proposal
Nevada lawmakers are expected to remain focused this week, after working over the weekend, on a $1.2 billion tax proposal that supporters say will save local school kids from drastic cuts in the classroom. The measure would help offset $714 million in K-12 funding cuts proposed by Governor Brian Sandoval, and has the support of gaming, the mining industry and educators, among others. (publicnewsservice.org)
May 16, 2011: Educators Launch New Campaign Against Cuts
Right now nearly $407 million in education stands to be cut. Hundreds of educators were in Las Vegas Sunday, saying no way by launching a new campaign. (8newsnow.com - video)
May 15, 2011: Appreciation Week Brings Little Cheer To Teachers
May is the month when teachers win awards and have their appreciation week, but tight budgets and campaigns against public employees have lots of teachers feeling anything but appreciated. (npr.org)
May 15, 2011: Nonlicensed workers still not ready to give up fighting cuts
Clark County School District's support staff aren't in a giving mood. Last year, the Education Support Employees Association agreed to give up longevity-based pay raises to save the financially pressed district about $10 million. (lvrj.com)
May 15, 201: Amid crowds, some students are left behind
Arthur Gamboa is working hard to engage his flock of high school seniors, but that’s difficult in this class of 40 Palo Verde High School seniors. The room is cramped. The aisles are narrow. There’s no space to walk behind teens seated in the back rows. (lasvegassun.com)
May 15, 2011: Administrators support layoffs based on merit, not seniority
Collective bargaining doesn't preclude recognizing merit over seniority in public schools. (lvrj.com)
May 14, 2011: Education rally starts strong through social media
Hoping to save their budgets parents and teachers took to the pavement to rally against the massive cuts being proposed for Nevada schools. (kntv.com)
May 13, 2011: Leaders target collective bargaining for public employees
Democratic and Republican lawmakers lurched in the direction of compromise Friday, reviving several proposals seeking major changes to collective bargaining rules for government workers in Nevada. (lvrj.com)
May 13, 2011: Despite huge stakes, Nevadans ho-hum about budget
Successful politics are often about the ability of lawmakers to sell a story that illustrates what they're pushing. Legislative Democrats are convinced they've done just that as they paint pictures of the potential fallout from Gov. Brian Sandoval's budget cuts. Yet those messages aren't convincing Nevadans. (lasvegassun.com)
May 13, 2011: Plan would alter diploma rules for high school seniors
Over the protests of Republicans, the Senate Education Committee approved a bill Friday to allow high school seniors to secure full-fledged diplomas even if they fall a couple of points short of the standards on one section of the proficiency exam. (lvrj.com)
May 10, 2011: School spending bill gets Assembly approval, moves to Senate
Legislative Democrats worked Tuesday to advance a major public schools spending bill despite opposition from Republicans who say money won't be available to pay for it. (lvrj.com)
May 10, 2011: Democrats on path to force Sandoval to veto education funding
In continuing to portray Gov. Brian Sandoval as severely underfunding education, Democratic lawmakers today are forcing through a public schools budget that is more than $700 million higher than what Sandoval proposed. (lasvegassun.com)
May 10, 2011: Lawmakers reject Sandoval plan in favor of Oceguera proposal
A joint Senate-Assembly budget committee on a party-line vote Tuesday rejected Gov. Brian Sandoval's plan to cut pay of state workers and college and university employees by 5% (lvrj.com)
May 10, 2011: Clark County School District braces for Nevada education cuts
At 2:40 the grounds were quiet at Cadwallader Middle School. At 2:41, teachers and students marched out of the building to the sidewalk holding signs and chanting "Save our schools!" (lvrj.com)
May 9, 2011: Schools want to decide layoffs on attendance, evaluations, criminal record
The Clark County School District wants to consider more that just seniority when it decides who to lay off - including whether teachers or administrators have a criminal record, something not currently allowed by state law. (lasvegassun.com)
Democratic lawmakers will bargain on numbers but won't buckle on principle as they seek to break the state budget stalemate. (lvrj.com)
May 9, 2011: Inside the Classroom at Burkholder Middle School
Many people, even parents, don't know what happens inside the classroom of Clark County schools. So this week you'll hear from the teachers themselves about how the proposed budget cuts would affect them. (8newsnow.com - with video!)
May 9, 2011: Union lobbyists try to temper teacher firing bills
Nevada State Education Association lobbyists sought to temper two Democrat-sponsored bills that would make it easier to fire under-performing, probationary employees. (lvrj.com)
State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, stood on the steps of the Legislature and shouted a promise to a screaming crowd of teachers, union members and students last month. “The governor’s budget will not pass on my watch,” he said. (lasvegassun.com)
May 8, 2011: Time to set politics, ideology aside
In legislative testimony from every region of Nevada, fellow citizens have offered stories of their personal economic struggles, and those of family members, friends and neighbors. The loss of a job, foreclosure on a home, the struggle to meet a payroll, the challenge of rising tuition, the inability to make ends meet at home — these situations are all too familiar to Nevada families. (lasvegassun.com)
Democratic lawmakers on Saturday thwarted Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval's efforts to divert $120 million in property taxes from Clark and Washoe counties to help fund the state's universities. (lvrj.com)
If the state doesn’t take money from rural Nevada counties, then it shouldn’t pick on Clark and Washoe counties, Democrats voted Saturday in a committee meeting. (lasvegassun.com)
May 5, 2011: Teacher tax relief
U.S. Representatives Shelley Berkley (NV-01) and Dave Reichert (WA-08) introduced the Teacher Tax Relief Act, on May 5. This proposal would increase and make permanent the tax deduction available for teachers purchasing classroom supplies with their personal income and expand the deduction to include expenses associated with professional development pursuits. (ccea-nv.org)
May 5, 2011: Nevada Democrats release plan to extend taxes
Democratic legislative leaders on Thursday rolled out a tax proposal they said is needed to avoid deep cuts to education and social services and would put Nevada's tax structure on more solid footing for the future. (lasvegassun.com)
May 4, 2011: Nevada State College to focus on focused students
Realizing it can no longer try to be all things to all students in an economy still in free-fall, Nevada State College will place a greater priority on students who have declared a major and have mapped out a "clear academic path" to a degree. (lvrj.com)
May 4, 2011: Sandoval staff member says school layoffs not needed
Brian Sandoval's top staff member said Wednesday school districts shouldn't need to do layoffs because the governor's new budget plan restored all but $15 million of the state cut made to education during a special session last year. (lvrj.com)
Have no worries because all is well! That was the message Tuesday night from Gov. Brian Sandoval as he announced that glimmers of economic recovery are on the horizon, which has made our fiscal crisis slightly less dire and allowed him to put $267 million back into education. (lasvegassun.com)
May 4, 2011; Nevada Teacher of Year has some advice for D.C.
Since being named Nevada’s Teacher of the Year in December, Cheryl Macy has been thrust into the spotlight on education policy. (lasvegassun.com)
Legislative Democrats went ahead today with their own funding plan for public education, establishing a level of spending that puts the budget at significant odds with GOP Gov. Brian Sandoval and his opposition to new taxes. (nevadanewsbureau.com)
Although he would welcome additional state revenue to ease a substantial revenue shortfall, Washoe County School District Superintendent Heath Morrison said Tuesday that district officials likely still would have to find ways to close the remaining gap. (rgj.com)
Gov. Brian Sandoval pledged Tuesday evening to put an additional $270 million in newly found tax funds into the state's public education budget, but reiterated he will not support any tax increases. (lvrj.com)
Increased class sizes, a 50 percent cut in its textbook budget and thousands of job cuts still appear to be in the Clark County School District's future, but officials for the state's largest school system probably won't have to plan for any additional cuts in fiscal year 2011-12. (lvrj.com)
The Clark County School District will receive $160 million from the state general fund as a result of revised revenue estimates by the state Economic Forum, potentially preventing the layoff of an estimated 1,800 district employees, said Dale Erquiaga, senior adviser to Gov. Brian Sandoval. [Starring the Valley's Best Middle School!] (lasvegassun.com)
May 3, 2011: Democrats reject Sandoval proposals to cut K-12 spending
Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday rejected proposals from Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval that would have cut more than $700 million in state K-12 spending from 2011-13. (lvrj.com)
May 3, 2011 Putting Ads on School Buses?
Should the Clark County School District look to fill the budget hole by putting ads on their school buses? (8newsnow.com – video)
Democrats say they will close K-12 budgets and fund schools at a level much higher than the governor recommends. (ktnv.com/)
May 3, 2011: School Cuts May Not Be As Harsh
Budget cuts to public education might not be as bad as once predicted thanks to the $274 million in increased state revenues mostly from sales tax. The governor says much of it will go to public education. But CCSD officials thinks their portion of that new money will be much smaller. (8newsnow.com)
Scott Ginger is the John Wooden of Nevada high school speech and debate. The late Wooden was the great UCLA basketball coach who won 10 championships but was equally celebrated for the way he inspired and shaped the lives of young men. Ginger teaches English and speech and debate — it’s called “forensics” by its practitioners — at Green Valley High School, and his forensics team recently won a 10th state championship under his direction. This year, the team will send 15 kids to the national competition in Dallas to face off against 3,000 students. (lasvegassun.com)
It resembles the grounds of any small college, a cluster of brick buildings arrayed around a fountain and a clock tower. But this campus doesn't stop at the dorms or the ball fields. It stretches south to Pahrump and north to Oregon and Idaho, taking in a swath of mountains and sagebrush larger than the state of Georgia. (lvjr.com)
April 30, 2011: The High Cost of Low Teacher Salaries
When we don’t get the results we want in our military endeavors, we don’t blame the soldiers. We don’t say, “It’s these lazy soldiers and their bloated benefits plans! That’s why we haven’t done better in Afghanistan!” No, if the results aren’t there, we blame the planners. We blame the generals, the secretary of defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff. No one contemplates blaming the men and women fighting every day in the trenches for little pay and scant recognition. (nytimes.com)
