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Bad feelings complicate achievement inequity issue
Expert offers advice on healing District-West Las Vegas rift
Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009 | 2 a.m.
Walt Rulffes
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William Trent, an expert in education policy, helps school districts across the country deal with issues of segregation, equity and student achievement.
Trent, a professor at the University of Illinois, says it’s easy to get people talking about what’s not working and whom to blame.
That’s what is happening in Clark County.
The harder step, and the more important one, Trent says, is the listening.
In one district where Trent has been consulting, it’s taken three years for all sides to move beyond “the pretense of conversation, with no real listening going on … to real engagement,” Trent recently told the Clark County School Board. “It’s indicative of the kind of things that happen when you go decades without having any of these needs addressed … how difficult the bridge is to build, to reestablish that trust.”
To be sure, the gulf between the West Las Vegas community and the School District has widened, after an independent review of a School District policy that was intended to improve student achievement in West Las Vegas. Based on raw data, that policy has accomplished little, according to the study by Trent and others.
The policy, adopted in 1994 when the district was phasing out a federally mandated busing program, calls for students in six West Las Vegas schools to be bused to other schools as a way to promote voluntary diversity. The students could decline the offer and attend either their neighborhood schools — which became known as the Prime Six — or apply for one of three nearby magnet schools.
The recent study by researchers with the Civil Rights Project at UCLA — the most comprehensive review yet of the 15-year-old program, and done at the district’s request — found that the parents of most students kept their children at the neighborhood schools — and that, isolated by race and poverty, they were performing significantly more poorly than other district students.
Students who opted to be bused to outlying campuses did better academically than their peers who stayed at the neighborhood campuses.
Few eligible families took advantage of the option to apply to one of three neighborhood magnet schools.
Parents are now complaining that there was only cursory oversight of the Prime Six plan and the district has allowed their neighborhood schools to fall into disrepair, while their children’s educational opportunities languish.
At issue is where the district goes from here.
The hostile tone of comments made at public meetings reflects “the emotions of people who want community schools that offer no less than what you can get in more affluent areas,” Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes told the Sun. “We have to make sure they have equitable opportunities right in their own neighborhood.”
Rulffes said he plans to follow Trent’s recommendation to bring in expert help to develop a course of action, which might include expanding popular magnet programs in West Las Vegas. Rulffes wants to have several options for consideration when the School Board meets Sept. 10.
At a minimum the district needs to set up focus groups, surveys and roundtables to start gathering public input, and find out from parents what options and opportunities might improve diversity in the West Las Vegas schools, Rulffes said. The principals of the Prime Six schools are going to be an important part of those discussions, Rulffes said.
But before those focus groups convene, there might need to be a return to civility. At the last meeting, School Board member Deanna Wright was reduced nearly to tears after West Las Vegas activist Marzette Lewis, one of the district’s sharpest critics, heckled her comments. Lewis had suggested earlier in the meeting that the School Board members were motivated by money, and not what’s best for students.
After asking Lewis several times to stop interrupting her, Wright’s voice rose several notches: “You need to leave if you can’t be quiet when other people speak,” she told Lewis. “I am tired of listening to you!”
Indeed, there’s a bridge to be built.
Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at emily@lasvegassun.com.
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How much is this expert going to cost the district that had to cut jobs and increase class sizes just to get by this year?
Let "west" Las Vegas seceded from CCSD.
CCSD spends more money and resources to educated children from this area, and is failing!
Let the neighborhood create their own school district, hire their own Superintendent and take control of their children's future!
CCSD Board member have long argued that breaking up the District would harm the "underprivileged", specifically this area of the County. Time for "west" Las Vegas to buck up and demand a new smaller, grassroots school district.
Who lets Marzette Lewis into these meetings anyway? She has a history of causing trouble and not bringing anything meaningful to any discussion.
I'm not feeling sorry for Deanna Wright, either. She is in way over her head being on the school board. After all, this is the woman whose website during the election looked like it was written by a third grader, rife with spelling and grammatical errors.
First of all 30% of the students in the West Side schools are immigrants with limited or no skills in the English language. This is the economic area in which the Hispanic families can afford to live. Then the CCSD introduced Magnet schools around the district and removes the top in the Westside schools students to attend these special schools. This leaves the illegals, discipline problems, special ed. students and those the school does't feel worthy of these special schools. The schools test scores go down while the magnet school scores rise. This has happened in schools throughout the school district . Look at a once proud Western High School .You can't send the best to Magnet Schools and expect the school they left to test as high. The students who leave for these special schools should have to have the test scores sent back and averaged with they're home school. It is is a losing proposition and is the school districts fault. The same problem could happen to a school in Green Valley if we loaded it with students who do not understand the English language> The test scores would go down. This is not a huge problem ,but just common sense. The question is does the school administration and the board of trustees have the sense to do what is right?
The board of school trustees should be forming a rally with other school trustees in the states with a large population of illegals and be sitting on the white house steps asking the federal government to enforce the immigration laws or fund more for education.The West side schools are not getting any less education or effort from the CCSD ,but the board and aministrators have to demand the feds carry out the law. and if they can't stand up and demand the Feds enforce the immigration laws they should resign. Bus 500 illegals into a Summerlin School or maybe a Green Valley high income area and see what happens when the test scores go down, and see if the public would put up with it. So, don't blame the parents of the kids who go to school in the westside. They're children deserve a fair break .
They are coming to Summerlin and Green Valley. When you can rent a house in these areas now for 500 to 1200 dollars-they are coming. Mark my words.
Deanna Wright does NOT belong on the school board. Neither does Garvey. These two ladies (???) thought it would be nice to be in control. Unfortunately two stalwart candidates - Ron Taylor and Eddie Goldman - were scuttled by the powers-that-be in CCSD and CCEA. I guess the next time these two BOZOS run for an office we will be on guard to make sure they don't make it out of the primaries.
BTW - Everyone has a right to speak at the school board meetings. If Wright can't stand the heat, she should get out of the kitchen.