Letter: Throwing money at a problem won’t fix it

Monday, Jan. 15, 2007 | 7:17 a.m.

An editorial in the Jan. 5 Las Vegas Sun discussed Nevada schools being at the bottom nationally, and that the problem has never been adequately addressed. I was reading with some amusement, knowing the inevitability of the editorial and what would be coming next. The only question was how long would it take to get there.

It began innocently enough, by stating that there was a "money vs. reform" debate, and that it doesn't have to be an either-or solution.

Then, one sentence later, there it was. The editorial stated that, "Nevada schools have never had the money to fund needed programs." So much for the "doesn't have to be an either-or" solution.

And the contention that the problem has never been adequately addressed is asserted by liberals principally because they are not getting their way (not enough money).

Here is the real problem. The "more money" liberal side has a political agenda, which is always their highest priority. Therefore, they will not change or embrace reform and instead continue to request more money. The "reform minded" believe that changes are needed in order to get away from inefficiency and "libthink" and get back to education with the emphasis on reading, writing and arithmetic.

The sad part of this education debate is that our children are not going to get the best education possible, and that the good teachers and administrators will not get the recognition or money they deserve for a tough and important job because they are lumped in with a failing education system that the "liberal agenda" people will not allow to be fixed.

Richard McArthur, Las Vegas