Editorial: A most fitting tribute

Saturday, Sept. 2, 2006 | 7:29 a.m.

In an August 2001 column, Las Vegas Sun Associate Editor Sandy Thompson urged parents to get more involved with their children's education.

"If you think that your only role in your child's education is buying notebooks and pencils, new shoes and jeans or backpacks, think again," she wrote in her typically direct style.

Thompson, whose life was tragically taken from this community in an automobile collision a year after she wrote those words, was a longtime champion of children, families and a public education system that worked to make both stronger.

She urged parents to play a larger role in their children's education and demanded that the Nevada Legislature provide better funding for teacher salaries, books and supplies.

We can think of no one more fitting to receive the honor that the Clark County School District bestowed upon Thompson's memory this week when officials dedicated the new Sandra Lee Thompson Elementary School. The school will emphasize writing skills to its 800 students and publish print and online newspapers.

Sandy would have been pleased with the school's emphasis. She prized communication skills and was instrumental in the success of the Class! countywide high school journalism program. "Learning clear and concise writing will give students an advantage down the road when they go to college and into the workforce," Gary Thompson told the Las Vegas Sun at the dedication ceremony for his late wife on Wednesday.

Sandy's columns and stories didn't only support teachers, parents and better funding for public schools; she also dogged the state's Family Court system with stories and columns that resulted in changes to state laws that improved the system. What Sandy demanded of every legislator, voter, teacher and parent was nothing short of offering children their best efforts.

"Casinos treat their high rollers like gold. They cater to their every need," she wrote in September 2000. "Let's treat our kids like high rollers."