Education reform turns icy

Tuesday, April 4, 2006 | 7:13 a.m.

The relationship between Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes and the executive director of the Council for a Better Nevada is verging on Cold War-icy.

In a two-page letter sent to council Executive Director Maureen Peckman, Rulffes has outlined strict conditions she will have to meet if the School District is to continue working with a community group known as CARE.

The council formed CARE specifically to give advice about schools, but just three days after the group's first meeting with the district, Rulffes has drawn a line.

At that debut meeting, Peckman outlined ground rules that included designating her as the only participant to speak with the media.

In his March 30 letter, which he shared with the School Board, Rulffes wrote: "You must rescind your request for all media dialogue be restricted to you. I have a responsibility to be open and honest with the media at all times, and I believe that the meetings should not only be open but that all committee members should be able to talk with anyone regarding CCSD's issues."

In another sign of the chilly state of affairs, his letter requests that a "neutral, mutually agreed upon facilitator" be used for future meetings.

Relations between Rulffes and Peckman have been less than ideal since public disclosure of an e-mail Peckman sent to the council earlier this year criticizing the School Board for hiring Rulffes.

Despite the memo, Rulffes vowed to work with the council and build on his collegial relationship with university system Chancellor Jim Rogers, one of the more recognizable members of the council, which is made up of business executives.

But in an interview with the Sun on Monday, Rulffes said he believes Peckman and the group's core organizers have already decided what they believe is wrong with public education as well as how to fix it.

The first CARE meeting consisted largely of a presentation by Bill Ouchi, a management professor at UCLA and consultant to the council, about the benefits of decentralizing schools and giving principals more authority to control budgets, hiring and instruction.

Ouchi's views are in line with those of Eric Nadelstern, a veteran New York City educator recruited by the council to apply for the Clark County superintendent position. Nadelstern and Rulffes were the two finalists out of a field of more than 30 applicants. The School Board hired Rulffes after Nadelstern withdrew from consideration.

Rulffes said that while he has great respect for Ouchi and his research, "to focus just on autonomy is much too narrow. His work is all on high schools. We have serious K-8 problems to deal with."

Peckman asked that the School District contribute $50,000 to Ouchi's consulting fees for his work with CARE, Rulffes said.

"I declined," Rulffes said.

If CARE is serious about helping schools, the next two meetings should be devoted to presentations by district staff on the challenges the district faces, Rulffes said.

"If the whole mission of these meetings is to hear about the New York City-Ouchi autonomy models, then it's superfluous," Rulffes said. "We have much bigger challenges to focus on - ELL (English Language Learners), reading issues, dropout issues."

The School District is already moving ahead with its own reform initiative in which four campuses will operate this fall with increased authority allocated to the principals and teachers, Rulffes noted. The district announced Monday that the four "empowerment schools" in the pilot program will be Kirk Adams, Lee Antonello, Paul Culley and Rose Warren elementary schools.

Peckman also should not restrict attendance to her preapproved list of members and guests, Rulffes said. He said he should be able to bring anyone he wants to the meetings.

At least one educator believes that after the first session, the door to future CARE meetings will be firmly shut to him.

"I was asked not to attend any future CARE meetings," said Bill Hanlon, director of the Regional Professional Development Center, created by the Legislature in 1999 to provide training for teachers and administrators. "This was a direct result of me asking some pointed questions."

Hanlon said he angered Peckman by grilling Ouchi after the management expert's presentation.

But Peckman told the Sun that Hanlon is welcome to attend CARE meetings as a member of the public, although there is no room for him on the official panel. Limiting the size of the group will allow for effective discussion, Peckman said.

Rulffes' requests outlined in his letter are being considered, Peckman said.

At a School Board community meeting Monday, Hanlon urged the trustees to sever all ties with CARE and launch their own community committee.

"I'm concerned the facilitator for this meeting is using what I would refer to as a Yucca science model," said Hanlon, a former member of the state Board of Education. "Any research she doesn't agree with, she doesn't acknowledge."

The School Board took no action on Hanlon's request, although several trustees alluded to the rocky relationship that has lingered between the district and the Council for a Better Nevada.

"I want to get us out of this adversarial position and in one where we're working hand in hand," School Board Vice President Sheila Moulton said.

Peckman said any perception of her as a "tyrant" is inaccurate. CARE intends to continue its efforts on behalf of the schoolchildren of Southern Nevada, she said.

"My group has 40 individuals representing a real cross section of the community," Peckman said.

"The Council for a Better Nevada is only one chair at that table and only one voice."