Letter: Much more to learn about school woes

Friday, Jan. 13, 2006 | 8:13 a.m.

Our public schools are struggling because the public is uniformed. The Sun's Jan. 8 editorial that suggested that the breakup of the Clark County School District would lead to "affluent, middle-class and low-income schools" ignores the fact that we already have affluent and low-income schools. The school I work at has about a 50 percent turnover rate in teachers and has undergone 10 administrative changes (principals and assistant principals) in less than two years. In general, when positions open at affluent schools, teachers transfer out of the low-income schools.

In the middle of the teacher shortage (mentioned in the editorial), most of our high schools are going from a six-period to an eight-period schedule. This requires approximately 10 percent more teachers.

The editorial mentions academic shortcomings. In a six-period schedule, students must pass 21.5 of their 24 semester classes (90 percent) compared to 21.5 out of 32 (67 percent) in the eight-period schedule.

Our college students need so much remediation because our standards keep falling. A class in the eight-period schedule is about 23 hours less than in a six-period schedule, but they are both counted as a "credit" by Nevada. How do you teach the same material with 23 hours less to do it in and only meeting every other day? Mathematics needs to be done every day and I need more time, not less.

The media needs to do some investigative reporting. Then maybe the public can get aroused about specific issues and pressure the politicians and school district administrators into action.

Jeremy M. Christensen

Las Vegas

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