Teachers snub plan by Guinn for state surplus

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 11:14 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A proposal by Gov. Kenny Guinn to reduce the size of kindergarten classes failed to receive support Wednesday from a group of educators and school officials considering how to spend state surplus funds.

The group of about 40 teachers, principals, school board members and administrators decided to recommend teacher training as a top priority for the estimated state surplus of $50 million.

Guinn had asked the group to consider cutting kindergarten class sizes in a few schools serving low-income areas. Such a pilot program could help educators assess whether reducing class size statewide would be worth the considerable expense, the governor said.

Guinn addressed the group before they broke away to come up with educational spending priorities for the surplus.

"All the research shows that early education pays off," the governor said, adding that kindergarten classes in Nevada are apt to have 65 to 70 children.

At the end of the day, however, the group came forward with an altogether different idea for its top priority -- professional development.

The group decided that the No. 1 priority for any extra money was more training for teachers so that they could learn how to teach to the higher standards now required by the Legislature.

Guinn had called the group together because estimates show there will be $150 million available in the next budget for "one shot" items that are not continuing programs. He plans to divide the money equally among education, health and construction.

Speaking to the group of educators Wednesday, Guinn asked them to recommend priority spending projects for their $50 million share.

Guinn said all of the money wouldn't have to be spent in the next two-year budget cycle, but he wanted the group to zero in on two or three recommendations rather than a multitude of projects that would make no major impact.

While he stressed the kindergarten class-cutting idea, Guinn also suggested forming a "grant writing" team to go after federal and private funds for education. Nevada, he said, missed out on a $100 million federal grant that went to California and Arizona because this state had no one to write a proposal to get the money.

But after their day-long meeting, the members forwarded other recommendations, ranking professional development as the top priority.

Rated as the second priority was money for at-risk students, with a plan that would involve remediation programs for those with low test scores and for those close to dropping out.

The group's third priority was money for technology.

Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno, said a legislative education committee wants $10 million to continue the four centers for training teachers. He said 10,000 of the 17,000 teachers in the state have received instruction on teaching to the new higher standards required of students.

"We still have work to do with existing teachers," Raggio said.

The education committee has identified the need for $7 million for continued remedial programs for students in low-achieving schools that don't measure up to the standards.

Raggio cited "significant" improvement in the schools since the program was started.

Jim Guthrie, a national figure in education from Vanderbilt University, also spoke to the group. He said a Rand Corp. study shows that establishing a statewide accountability system can be effective in helping schools, revealing where the weak spots are and allow improvements to be made not only systemwide but in the individual classrooms.

Another area, Guthrie suggested, was financing leadership training for school superintendents and principals. He said superintendents and principals are "clueless" about instruction. Improving their skills will result in elevating the capabilities of the teachers in the classroom, he said.