Education:

Unstimulated: Innovation

Nevada risks losing out on competitive grants designed to reward innovation

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Education Secretary Arne Duncan talks about education reform during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington on May 29. Duncan plans to give $4.35 billion to states that use the most innovation in the first round of stimulus spending, and officials here are concerned that Nevada will miss out because of its conservative spending.

By Emily Richmond (contact)

Monday, June 22, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Mona Shield Payne/Special to the Sun

Nevada superintendent of public instruction Keith Rheault introduces surprise guest Michael Milken during an assembly at C.T. Sewell Elementary School in December.

Archive of Sun education stories

Rainy-day fund's defeat a bitter pill for education (6-3-2009)
Titus offers schools help cashing in on stimulus (6-1-2009)
Ready for the coming cuts (5-6-2009)
Stimulus money isn't coming easy (4-13-2009)
The stimulus chase (4-8-2009)
Action on cuts waiting until lawmakers say how much (4-6-2009)
Budget woes raise issues of cost, value of research (4-5-2009)
Education funding debated at town hall meeting in Henderson (4-4-2009)
Declining property tax revenue snags School District budget (4-3-2009)
Higher education system outlines 'doomsday' budget effects (3-25-2009)
School district: If you must cut the budget, do it our way (3-23-2009)
Students, decrying budget cuts, rally for after-school programs (3-16-2009)
Chancellor Rogers enlists campus help in budget plea (3-12-2009)
Budget might put teachers in game of musical chairs (3-1-2009)
Fewer students, but same funding (2-24-2009)

Nevada Recovery Web site

The intent of the federal stimulus money for the nation’s public schools was to foster improvement, innovation and reform. But in Nevada, the funding instead is largely being used to backfill the state’s financial holes.

The idea that the stimulus money might actually stimulate education reform “is something of a fallacy,” says Keith Rheault, Nevada’s superintendent of public instruction. “We’re going to end up looking bad because we won’t be able to do even one new innovative thing with the funding. We’re using it to barely maintain what we had before.”

Of the $394 million Nevada is receiving in so-called “state stabilization funds” from the federal stimulus package, $324 million must be spent on education. Nevada is also receiving $140 million to be shared by special education services and schools serving the poorest neighborhoods.

Although state lawmakers increased basic support to schools by $38 per student — bringing the statewide average to $5,251 for the upcoming fiscal year — local districts will actually see a slight drop in funding over the biennium because of lower-than-expected local property and vehicle registration taxes.

The real difference over the next two years will be that a greater share of the state’s higher education funding will come from Washington, rather than from locally generated taxes. That in turn will mean the state will likely have enough money to meet the K-12 budget obligations.

And although local districts are grateful for the federal help in staunching the bleeding, there is also frustration that the dollars are needed to keep basic services in place, rather than to revive popular programs killed during the early-round budget cuts or to launch new initiatives.

Even if it turns out there is more money than before, the state’s school districts — including Clark County’s — are reluctant to use it to launch any new initiatives or programs because the funding will disappear in two years. That would mean firing staff and ending services that students and families had come to depend on, said Clark County Schools Superintendent Walt Rulffes.

The situation is hardly unique to Nevada. The Council of Great City Schools, a coalition of the nation’s largest urban districts, says dozens of cash-strapped states face similar dilemmas.

The feds recognize the quandary. Education Department officials have advised local districts to avoid “the cliff,” or creating new programs that depend entirely on the short-term stimulus money and could be forced over the precipice after two years.

But the cautious reluctance to use that money for innovations could hurt Nevada’s chances of winning a cut of $4.35 billion in competitive grants.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan plans to distribute the money to states, districts and schools that show the most initiative, creativity and commitment to reform when they spend the first round of the stimulus. The name of the program shows just how competitive the bonus money is: “Race to the Top.”

And that is the challenge facing the Clark County School District: Can it afford to gamble for the big prize without crashing along the way?

Shelley Berkley

Failing to increase its investment in public education will take Nevada out of the competition for money that is based on demonstrating innovation, such as that of the “Race to the Top” program, said Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev.

“I know the myriad challenges we continue to face in meeting the basic needs of our students, but I also know that the future of our community and our nation depends on developing the brightest minds,” Berkley said. “I hope that we can find ways to offer exciting, new and innovative educational opportunities and by doing so, tap into funds that are designated for this purpose.”

Rulffes has plenty of ideas on how he would spend extra money for innovation, starting with expanded preschool opportunities for high-need children. But the risk that comes with the potential “cliff” is real, he said.

“I would be creating fixed expenses — employees and facilities,” Rulffes said. “Then there would be parents with expectations that their children would have certain opportunities.” The frustration is profound, Rulffes said, and he hears it when he talks to educators in other states.

“We’re being told to be creative with that money, but the people who created the rules are running into their own rules,” Rulffes said.

On the upside, the stimulus package includes increased funding for special education services and schools with the largest populations of students qualifying for free or reduced-price meals. And the money is delivered straight to the district’s coffers, rather than supplanting the state’s fiscal obligations.

But those extra dollars will be used to expand long-standing and successful programs that “aren’t necessarily out-of-the-box thinking,” Rulffes said. “It’s not likely to get us any bonus points in the ‘Race to the Top.’ ”

As for statewide initiatives, Rheault said he’s looking for proposals aimed at boosting the high school graduation rate, an area where Nevada clearly falls short.

But how, exactly, does he plan to address the challenge without additional money?

“That’s the problem,” Rheault said. “I don’t know that we’re going to be able to show much of anything as far as ‘new and improved.’”

Discussion: 10 comments so far…

By vsestini

6/22/09 at 5:46 a.m.

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More money for the CCSD? Why is it necessary?
The board of trustees and the central administration have made a very weak and futile attempt to reduce the numbers of administrators ever since they started crying about a budget shortfall. They have not, and are not doing their job now...more money is just what they need so they can develop geater need for consultants, specialists, supervisors, overseers, adjunct retired administrator special consultants, etc.,etc....the beat will continue on and on.

This school board knows nothing about operating a school district or invididual schools. They are all dunderheads who rely on Rulffes and the central administrators to feed them information.

When has any one of our local trustees ever come up with a single, original idea on how to improve this district that was not first suggested by a crony administration? It has not had an original idea for decades...and that is why this district is in such deep trouble. They don't know what they are doing and for the very most part really don't care. School board meetings are 'Tea and Crumpet' outings for the soccer and PTA mom school board...
By Future

6/22/09 at 6:10 a.m.

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We need to pay thoses fat public union wages and benefit first, second, third, ....and last.

Do not worry about the kids worry about the teachers.
By sheilacatherine

6/22/09 at 6:55 a.m.

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So...can we use the money to educate parents on how to raise respectful, responsible, resilient human beings? Now THAT would make a world of difference for everyone~
By teacher

6/22/09 at 6:58 a.m.

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Future, who in the heck do you think teaches the kids? What do you think schools are like when teachers are treated and paid badly? I don't have FAT wages; my wages are pretty stinking skinny. What city do you live in? It can't be Las Vegas, or else you have no clue what goes on here. But some people love to put their ignorance on display. Go figure.
By neiman1

6/22/09 at 8:25 a.m.

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Let's just raise taxes some more. That always fixes everything. It worked in California and New York?
By vsestini

6/22/09 at 8:51 a.m.

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Some of you are blaming teachers for fat wages, benefits and retirment. You have it wrong: the fat cats are the administrators that have 6 figure salaries, paid vacation time, paid sick leave, and can retire on Friday and return on Monday as a consultant, specialist, counselor, ad hoc administrative adviors, etc. etc. That is where your money is going...wake up! Walt Rulffes will retire soon taking his bonus sick leave, vacation time pay with him ... He and his cronies are the ones that have misled and misinformed the socccer-PTA om school trustees about how to run this district....

Oh, by the way: the trustees are already planning to have a school named for him (and themselves) when they retire... Nice, eh?

Think about the private district police force that now hires retired metro officers at the same salaries, with full benefits as they got at Metro, all all of them receive more pay than a beginning certified teacher. They only need a GED not a college diploma to be a copy....wonderful, wonderful....

Remeber how Rulffes hired 'fire watchers' instead of buying fire alarms for portable buildings? What next a district fire deparatment? Rumors are flying that area superintendents are preparing to hire fire marshal chiefs for each zone...next we will be buying fire trucks for the district....

This district is out of control and giving them federal money for innovation is plain unadulterated crappola.... They are no more innovative than a mosquito trying to build a suspension bridge across the Colorado river.

Nothing innovataive or creative in the way of sound educational programs will come out of this administration. They have worked overtime to kill teacher innitiative, inventiveness and creativity with their by-the-book curriculum and lesson planning regimen... Money in, money wasted... that is how it works folks....
By Future

6/22/09 at 9:32 a.m.

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The Teacher said "I don't have FAT wages; my wages are pretty stinking skinny."

For those 11% unemployeed that is all they want to hear.
By gmag39

6/22/09 at 10:30 a.m.

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Future, as ignorant today as the day he was born.
By pattina23581

6/22/09 at 10:31 a.m.

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Let's see. Who are the majority of the 11% unemployed? They are the construction workers, the lower end hotel workers, factory workers, and other blue collar workers. This makes up roughly 8 of that 11%. People like teachers are still employed because they haven't made any less kids. Those teachers chose a profession that generally provides steady employment. In return, they spend summers taking classes, have spent thousands of hours getting master's degrees and more. I love my brother, but all I've heard from him as he jokes about how much more money he was making than me as a glazier, is he didn't even finish high school. He thought his 100k per year job would never end. Now he doesn't know if it will ever begin again. Booo Hooo!
By odeman

6/22/09 at 1:13 p.m.

Suggest removal

The problem is once an organization or person is successful, they get lazy and stupid. Most of the wonderful technical innovations we enjoy were invented on a shoestring. When large companies bring out innovations they usually get them from buying out some inventor. In the 1980's, IBM with all of it's talent was too cheap and stupid to develop a small computer operating system so they bought it from a dinky little outfit called Microsoft. The system they sold IBM they got from some a small time programmer. Xerox, when a small company, brought us the copy machine. When they got big their scientists developed many technical marvels that they threw in the garbage. Other people brought those marvels to market. Most of your large tech companies keep growing and innovating only because they keep buying the technology by taking over small innovating companies. They're too fat dumb and happy to do it on their own. It's no different in the education industry except there is no way to buy a solution.

Once the innovators are weeded out of the system, professional managers and administrators have no idea how to solve anything except throw money at it. They are unwilling and intellectually unable to innovate. Especially when their big paychecks and perks are holding them back. That's why yesterdays tech titans like Xerox and Kodak are todays has beens. The problem with education is there is no one selling new ideas, only old tired ones.

pattina23581. So you are the superior being because you went to college and your bro is a loser because he did not. Who built that desk your sitting at? Your computer? Your classroom? Your house? Las Vegas and it's wonders? Some working stiff. The modern world was built by working stiffs while superior people like you sat behind desks and shuffled paper. If being a glaser, or carpenter, or cement man is so easy go out and do it yourself. You'll be begging to get back to the classroom.

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