Letter: Better funding is key to improving education in state

Monday, May 23, 2005 | 9:26 a.m.

Education in Nevada continues to suffer from poor financial support as the Legislature has yet to enact any legislation increasing per-student funding for supplies, textbooks, modern equipment and technology support. Nevada ranks low in this type of funding, yet there seems to be little urgency to increase funding in these areas.

If the citizens of this state expect the quality of education to improve in the near future, then increasing per-pupil funding must be a priority. Despite the antiquated idea advanced by head-in-the-sand conservatives that large class sizes do not influence education, there is a definite need to reduce class sizes across the curriculum. Even the most outstanding teacher can do little to give individual attention when classes approach 40 or more students.

Those who oppose increasing teacher salaries beyond the laughable 2 percent proposed by our governor are dreaming when they think that teachers will flock to Nevada. The current salaries are too low and the cost of living here is too high. We now find it necessary to send recruiters to Europe, the Philippines and Japan to find teachers willing to work for current salaries.

Recent increases in required teacher testing and reduction of licensure requirements, including elimination of some pedagogy courses, has not produced the abundance of teachers envisioned.

The taxpayers of Nevada must face the reality of increasing funding and making quality education a serious priority, or continue to suffer the obvious results in graduation rates, student achievement and overall quality of education in our state.

VIRGIL A. SESTINI Editor's note: The writer, a retired biology teacher, taught for thee decades in the Clark County School District.