Students hear tales from mayor

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2004 | 9:29 a.m.

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman taught English class Monday at Roy Martin Middle School, regaling eighth graders with tales of his career as a criminal defense attorney, why he's the "world's happiest mayor" and how a good education opens doors.

Goodman and his wife, Carolyn, had $87 between them when they arrived in town in 1962, he said. But they also both had college educations and in Goodman's case, a law degree.

"The opportunities available to you today are as good as the opportunities available to me 42 years ago," Goodman said. "If you study hard, if you get an education, then you can do anything you want. You can accomplish the American dream. You can buy a home, have a swimming pool, raise a family -- do all the things America is supposed to be about."

The mayor's guest appearance was part of Teach for America Week, an annual national event where high-profile professionals are invited to visit the nation's classrooms. Other participants this week include Las Vegas Councilmen Lawrence Weekly and Larry Brown as well as Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev. and Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev.

Now in its 14th year, Teach for America trains recent college graduates for two-year stints in some of the country's poorest -- and hard to staff -- schools. Goodman visited the classroom of Nicole Twardzik, who graduated in 2003 from Elmhurst College in Illinois and was placed at Martin Middle School by Teach for America.

"It's been incredible so far," said Twardzik. "I'm getting a lot of support."

In an interview prior to his classroom appearance, Goodman said attracting -- and keeping -- qualified teachers is essential to the overall success of Las Vegas. Goodman said he came away from last week's conference of the Council of Great City Schools in Summerlin with a renewed determination to encourage developers to set aside affordable housing for teachers.

"If they come here and they can't buy a house they'll go back where they came from," Goodman said.

Teach for America, which has nearly 60 teachers at 32 Las Vegas campuses, is a valuable resource, Goodman said.

"These are people who want to teach -- they're not people who go to college and just end up teaching," Goodman said. "There's a big difference."

After some initial shyness, Twardzik's students warmed up to the mayor, telling him of their plans to be veterinarians, professional athletes and -- in the case of Myiesha Bolden -- a transplant surgeon.

"Did you know there isn't one hospital in Las Vegas where you can get a transplant operation?" asked Goodman, who has been campaigning to bring a medical center to the downtown area. "That's a real shame. I hope you become a transplant surgeon and someday you can come back here and we'll have a hospital by then for you to practice your skills."

The students asked Goodman questions about his mayoral routine (14-hour days) the kind of car he drives (a Mercedes) and the hardest part of his job.

One of the toughest things about being mayor, Goodman said, is the red tape that surrounds other bureaucracies, something over which he has no control. He told the students he recently received a telephone call from the parents of Debbie Blinder, a 7-year-old girl killed last month when a motorist ran a stop sign and struck the car in which she was riding.

Goodman said the parents asked for his help in adding a temporary flashing red light at the intersection until permanent traffic lights could be installed. He had to tell them that he had no jurisdiction over a county road.

Too often government focuses on "silly" matters rather than the important issues at hand and that's what's blocking the path of the people who do have the authority to install the traffic signal immediately, Goodman said.

Martin Principal Regina Adams said she was "thrilled" to learn Goodman would be visiting her campus on East Stewart Avenue just off Eastern Avenue at U.S. 95.

"We're honored that our students are getting the opportunity to get up close and personal," she said.