Q+A: TRUSTEE SUSAN BRAGER

Sunday, Dec. 31, 2006 | 7:04 a.m.

When Susan Brager was first elected to the Clark County School Board in 1994, the district had 156,348 students, 184 schools, 16,122 employees and an operating budget of $631 million. Today it is the nation's fifth-largest school district, with more than 300,000 students, 333 schools and more than 30,000 employees. The operating budget has tripled, to $1.9 billion.

It has been a period of unprecedented growth, high teacher turnover and a surging number of students with limited proficiency in English.

Brager was elected in November to the Clark County Commission and will take her seat next month. She will deal with such issues as land and water use, business licensing, air quality and environmental control. But in an interview with the Sun, Brager made it clear that she has no plans to stop working on behalf of K-12 education.

How do you plan to keep education issues on your agenda?

Having education at the forefront means better employees and better citizens for the county. I'd like to see the County Commission sit down with the School Board at least twice a year. Working side by side could really open some eyes. The School District has worked closely with parks and recreation departments when it comes to opportunities at school sites, and as a result we've done well making the most of that relationship.

You're getting quite a pay raise - from $80 per meeting to an annual salary of $68,390 - to oversee a smaller operating budget and fewer employees. Should School Board trustees be paid as much as county commissioners?

The trustees' compensation certainly needs to be looked at. Sometimes more people are interested in seeking public office when there's money involved, but I hope that would never be the reason someone runs for School Board. You have to have the heart for the children, the teachers and the staff.

Is there a district initiative or project you would have liked to have seen completed before you stepped down?

I wish the new career and technical education high schools were already open. (The first of six proposed regional campuses opens in northwest Las Vegas in 2007.) When I first campaigned, that was a key component of my platform - more opportunities for students who may not want to take the traditional college route. It will empower students to know they can go on to fulfill their life's dreams, whether or not they choose some form of postgraduate education.

During the search for a new superintendent last winter, you appeared to favor Eric Nadelstern, a progressive New York City administrator who advocated greater autonomy for individual campuses, over in-house candidate Walt Rulffes. With 12 months of hindsight, would you still have voted against Rulffes?

I think it turned out how it was supposed to. Dr. Rulffes has taken some good steps to give the district what it needs. His empowerment schools initiative (in which four elementary schools are operating with greater independence in exchange for stricter accountability) is an example of how he's moved forward.

Are you still frustrated by individuals who show for a single School Board meeting, usually to speak out on a particular controversial issue, and then rarely return?

When people get up to leave the meeting once their agenda item is over, I want to say, "Oh, please don't leave. We have children who can't read. We have a bond measure to pass. We need you." We have standing-room-only crowds when we talk about dress codes or school start times. Those are important issues, but when we have to talk about passing a bond, or reaching the legislative base so we can fund smaller class sizes, where are the people then?

Is it realistic to expect parents to show up every other Thursday for School Board meetings?

I understand that some parents are just overwhelmed by the daily challenges of their lives. But there are some dedicated people who come month after month, year after year, and care about all children. You don't even have to come to the board meetings. Join the PTA, or go to your trustees Parent Action Committee meetings. It's not about the boardroom. It's about being involved in your child's classroom, and in their learning at home. We can't make sure your child eats right, and gets a good night's sleep before he or she has to come to school and take a test. It takes more than seven trustees to make this work. It takes every one of us.