Rally calls for more education funding

Terry Webster and Ed Koch

Monday, April 2, 2001 | 10:35 a.m.

Saying that state lawmakers have let teachers down by not passing measures that will increase salaries and make the state more competitive in bidding for quality educators, the local teachers' union is putting more heat on the Legislature.

The Clark County Education Association on Saturday sponsored its second rally -- again drawing more than 1,000 supporters, including Superintendent Carlos Garcia -- to encourage more funding for public education.

"The continued demise of proposed education bills holds little hope for our students," said John Jasonek, executive director of the school district's teachers' union.

There has been talk of cutbacks in arts, physical education and sports programs. Jasonek said such action is not an acceptable way to solve the district's funding crunch.

Clark County School District spokeswoman Mary Stanley Larsen said today the demonstration was not counter-productive in relation to the district's lobbying efforts before the Legislature.

"We are all working together in the efforts to get more money," Larsen said, noting that the district was not directly involved with organizing the march that included teachers, administrators, support staff, labor union members, parents and students.

"We are very sympathetic to what the teachers want -- to make us more competitive in hiring quality teachers."

Earlier this year the Nevada Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional the teachers' initiative that would have leveled an additional 4 percent tax on large business. The Legislature has no alternative funding mechanism in sight.

Dubbed "Save Our Schools, We Can't Wait," Saturday's rally began at 75 East Harmon Ave. and continued with a two-mile march on the Las Vegas Strip between the Aladdin and Venetian.

The union's first rally took place in February near the Nevada Chamber of Commerce building in the Howard Hughes center.