LOOKING IN ON: EDUCATION

By Emily Richmond

Sunday, Jan. 21, 2007 | 7:19 a.m.

Principal Scott Ober isn't afraid to talk turkey about the challenges facing public education. That will come in handy when he represents the Clark County School District at an international conference in - Turkey.

Ober, who is in his 24th year with the School District, is one of seven principals invited by the Turkish consulate to take part in the conference in Istanbul this summer. Three other superintendents and 10 school administrators from across the country also will attend.

Ober says his name got on the list after representatives for an educational consulting company - hired by the Turkish government to set up the conference - heard him speak at a workshop.

Turkey is to set up a student-teacher exchange program with American school districts, Ober said. For his part, Ober plans to grill the other conference participants about ideas he can import to Clark County.

"It's an opportunity for me personally, and for the district," Ober said.

Seven years ago, he opened D'Vorre and Hal Ober Elementary School, which is named for his parents.

"They live about a mile and a half from the school," Ober said. "They come by and make sure I'm doing my job."

Hyde Park, the district's first middle school to add a math and science magnet program, continues to be a heavy favorite among parents and students.

Last year, Hyde Park received more than 1,700 applications for 320 seats. This year, "We already have 540 applications for next year and it's just starting," said Hyde Park Principal James Kuzma.

Kuzma said he encourages parents to look at all of the district's magnet options, and to consider applying to more than one school. The three other middle schools with magnet programs are Bridger, K.O. Knudson and Roy Martin.

Hyde Park's students are the state's Lego robotics champions and have won the science olympiad for three consecutive years. "We're looking to make it four in a row," Kuzma said.

The deadline to apply to one of those programs or any other of the district's 18 programs for the 2007-08 academic year is Feb. 16. The next parent information meeting will be Jan. 23 at Legacy High School, 150 W. Deer Springs Way, in North Las Vegas.

Programs for grades 1-5 will be discussed at 6 p.m., followed by an overview of opportunities for students in grades 6-12 at 7 p.m. For more information, go online to magnet.ccsd.net or call the Magnet Schools Office at 799-8492.

If nothing else, university system Chancellor Jim Rogers' decision to rescind his resignation saved the School District some money: the price of a stamp, to be exact.

"When I heard he resigned I sat down to write him a note," Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes said. "But before I had a chance to mail it, he had reconnected."

Given the tempestuous relationship between Rogers and some members of the Board of Regents, Rulffes might want to hang on to the letter.