Monday, Dec. 6, 1999 | 11:35 a.m.
Henry Marockie has taken on state lawmakers in West Virginia and would like to do the same in Nevada.
The reason is clear to him.
Increasing student enrollment in the Clark County School District -- now the nation's eighth largest with 217,000 students -- should result in more student aid.
That isn't happening.
But Marockie, state superintendent of West Virginia schools, says his experience at the state level could help make it happen.
Like the other candidates, Marockie said he wouldn't come to Clark County making too many assumptions. He would take time to study the school district, he said.
"One of the first things I would do is become oriented with the various groups and constituencies and make a trip to Carson City to make as many contacts as I can," he said. "I would make presentations to the governor's office and the local legislators in order to familiarize myself with them and what they see as the mission in the state of Nevada."
Next he would reach out to business leaders.
"It's very clear to me that the business community is interested in the success of public schools," Marockie said. "I'd really like to find out how we could work with the development council and the business community and to find out what they desire of public schools."
Marockie even takes the importance of community leaders a step further.
"I'd be prepared to offer the business people in Nevada a guarantee that if they will hire graduates who are competent in math and language skills, we will insure their competence," he said. "If not, we will take the youngsters back and refurbish their skills in order for them to be successful employees, if they want to go directly to work after high school. Likewise, we want to ensure students are competent before their go into higher education institutions."
The admission of students without strong skills into college is a national problem, Marockie said.
Here it is happening at the Community College of Southern Nevada, where students can be admitted before completing their high school requirements.
"Too many youngsters are going into remedial education and then drop out with a horrible record," said Marockie, who added that colleges continue to allow such enrollment, because they benefit from increased enrollment figures that boost their state aid.
Some of the concerns about Marockie's background raised by the School Board and the Superintendent Selection Process Committee were his ability to move from working at the state level to the local level and a lack of experience with a large, diverse population.
Another issue was whether Marockie could translate the success he has had in rural West Virginia to Las Vegas.
In West Virginia Marockie has managed school districts with populations of 13,000 and 20,000 -- both significantly smaller than Clark County, which has 217,000 students.
As state superintendent in West Virginia, however, he oversees about 300,000 students.
Marockie said he wants the Clark County position because it offers the chance to guide the children who will become the future leaders of Nevada.
A lack of advancement opportunities is the main reason Marockie is leaving his West Virginia position. There is no higher position the state superintendent can advance to, he said.
Marockie's responsibilities as state superintendent include overseeing a $1.6 billion budget, 45,000 school employees and 500 Department of Education employees.
Before becoming state superintendent, Marockie played a variety of other roles in West Virginia. He was an assistant superintendent of Ohio County Schools in Wheeling, an assistant superintendent at Wood County Schools in Parkersburg and an assistant dean at West Virginia University in Morgantown.
Marockie also served as director of federal programs, guidance, testing and measurement services for Wood County schools. He began his education career as a teacher at Mannington High School.
He received his bachelor's degree from West Liberty State College, earning master's and doctorate degrees from West Virginia University.
Marockie and his wife, Mary, have a grown daughter, Felicia.
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