Editorial: State, parents can do better

Thursday, Jan. 6, 2005 | 9:13 a.m.

The national magazine Education Week released its annual "Quality Counts" report Wednesday and the comparison of Nevada's schools with those elsewhere in the nation shows that we have a lot of soul-searching to do when it comes to our level of financial support. The magazine found that Nevada is 48th in the nation in overall education spending. The numbers show we spend about $1,400 less on each student than the nationwide average.

Clark County School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia has been critical of the state's education spending since he came aboard in mid-2000. In responding to the Education Week report, he showed that his frustration remains. "I remember when I first got here everyone was talking about how we ranked 40th in education funding," Garcia told Sun reporter Emily Richmond. "We've dropped eight spots in four years. People are under the illusion that we've put a whole lot more into public education in this state, when the truth is we keep falling further and further behind."

Garcia is right. Nevada's education budget may show increases for every year, but they are never enough to compensate for growth, especially here in Southern Nevada. We understand and agree with the oft-heard criticism that "throwing money" at education is not the answer. But no one, including Garcia, is suggesting such a simplistic act. What is needed is a thoughtful education funding commitment, one that will see Nevada rise in the national standings instead of plunging headlong toward the bottom.

The report was not all bad news. The state's high school graduation rate climbed to 68 percent (the national average is about 70 percent) in 2002 from 60 percent in 2000. The state's academic standards received good marks. These findings were offset, however, by standardized math and reading tests showing our fourth graders achieving at levels far below the national averages.

Ideally, our state legislators will recognize our education funding gap and begin closing it. Parents can also help. The 2000 census showed educational levels among Nevada adults had risen considerably. As reported by Richmond, studies show that student achievement rises with the level of parental education, and in proportion to the involvement parents have in their children's studies. As we see it, the state, through its funding, and parents, through their involvement, are the keys to providing better education for our children.