Teachers begin protests to urge school funding

Terry Webster

Monday, May 14, 2001 | 10:30 a.m.

With about three weeks remaining in the legislative session, Clark County School District educators are turning up the heat on lawmakers.

The district is continuing its plea for more state funding with informational pickets targeted at parents.

This morning teachers at Greenspun Junior High School and White Middle School began picketing outside the schools. The demonstrations will continue daily from 7:15 to 7:30 a.m. and 2:41 to 2:56 p.m. through Friday.

Teachers say they will go out before and after the work day to ask parents to contact legislators and urge them to increase state funding for education, John Jasonek, executive director of the Clark County Education Association, said.

The teachers union plans to have similar demonstrations at all schools across the Las Vegas Valley during the last week of May.

It's all part of the union's push to attract, support and retain teachers, to obtain better teacher pay and to lobby for smaller classrooms.

A growing concern among teachers is large class sizes, Jasonek said.

At the secondary level, class sizes were increased by one student this year and will go up by an additional student next year.

For 2001-2002 the student to teacher ratio will average 1 to 32.

Many high school classes have 40 or more students, Jasonek said.

Superintendent Carlos Garcia has said Clark County has one of the largest class size averages in the country.

"Unfortunately, the programs that get cut first are often for specific kids with specific problems or interests," Jasonek said. "We don't have certain programs for no reason. For the kids with problems, they aren't going to change overnight, and that is going to impact teachers and other students in the classes."

Jasonek also said the effects of bigger classes will become more apparent over time.

"We know teachers have quit because of morale, and they just do not feel comfortable with the tools they are given to work with," he said.

The refrain that education is underfunded -- and that disadvantaged students suffer -- also is being voiced by educators at the national level.

In its analysis of the federal budget, the National Education Association last week stated that the final budget approved by the House negated legislation approved by the Senate that would have fully funded special education and Title 1. Funding for Title 1 primarily is used for programs for disadvantaged children.

Bob Chase, president of the National Education Association, called the move unconscionable. He said increasing demands on students without resources will not produce results.

Garcia began issuing warnings about an impending budget crisis in December.

"Some people have said this is something we fabricated," Garcia said. "We have not had fun doing this."

The district has axed more than $50 million from its $1.1 billion spending plan.

This week the district will place finishing touches on its tentative budget, which is expected to take an additional hit of some $16 million.

If more cuts are needed, it will affect additional student programs, Garcia said.