SUN EDITORIAL:

Penny-wise, pound foolish

By putting off special session, Gibbons displays utter lack of leadership on education

Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan announced a school improvement program called “Race for the Top” this year, offering $4.35 billion in grants to states that have innovative plans and initiatives.

As Emily Richmond reported in Sunday’s Las Vegas Sun, Nevada could receive up to $200 million, but at this point, the state won’t get a penny because it isn’t eligible for the money. One of the basic qualifications for the program is that states must allow student test scores to be used as a tool to evaluate teachers. Unlike most states, Nevada has outlawed that practice.

The state could quickly change the law to become eligible, but for that to happen, Gov. Jim Gibbons would have to call the Legislature into a special session. Gibbons has refused to call a special session just to change the law, noting that it would cost roughly $100,000. That is foolish. Although there is no guarantee the state would receive any money even if it changes the law, the cost of a special session would be a small investment toward a large potential payout.

Duncan has said he wants to see states with a strong commitment to education receive the first round of grant money. A special session to change the law would certainly show commitment.

Unfortunately, Nevada has never provided strong support for education, and Gibbons’ response to the idea of a special session is proof of that. For years the state has failed to adequately fund the schools and pay teachers like the professionals they are.

Nevada’s school system needs an overhaul, having suffered for too many years from neglect by governors and lawmakers. Changing the law to allow test scores to be used in evaluating teachers is not a panacea, but it would send a message that Nevada is serious about improving the quality of education. Until state leaders make education a priority, our schools — and our children — will continue to suffer.

Discussion: 13 comments so far…

By Future

11/1/09 at 3:28 a.m.

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"One of the basic qualifications for the program is that states must allow student test scores to be used as a tool to evaluate teachers."

So testing was bad under Bush and Okay by the Unions under Obama

So Teacher accountibility was bad under Bush but okay by the Unions under Obama

So all that noise was just anti-Bush but Democrats really want teacher accountability

"Changing the law to allow test scores to be used in evaluating teachers is not a panacea, but it would send a message that Nevada is serious about improving the quality of education"

LOL the LV Sun think the lawmakers by passing a "message" with noe substance will improve kids - Oh but what about more free money?
By dwms

11/1/09 at 3:56 a.m.

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A 200% increase in children's wrongful deaths in the first six months of this year is reason enough to hold a special legislative session.
By cnev

11/1/09 at 4:32 a.m.

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We really need to get over the "answer to the education problem" is children's tests scores.
Why don't you do the real story?
Teachers don't have control over what or how children learn anymore. Everything is scripted.
Curriculum gurus choose the content and format, principals ensure the implementation, teachers are instructed to teach curriculum with "fidelity" and then teachers are held responsible for student success. Teachers aren't permitted to teach any other way. Even if a student doesn't do well with the format.
Parents need to ask the District how they choose these curriculum materials-they will tell you "research based data" but all curriculum claim to be developed based on "research"
Teachers would love to teach! Most learning and testing takes place on computer programs. Teachers have no control over how your child learns or succeeds yet they are held responsible for the test scores!
If your child is not a "test taker" in the eye of the district, your child is a failure-and sadly, kids get this message-
-and take it to heart.
By jlb101

11/1/09 at 7:11 a.m.

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The Union goons own the Democrat party lock, stock and barrel. Governor Gibbons is intelligent enough to know that calling a special session to allow performance used to evaluate teachers would never pass in the legislature. Union goons would never allow it.

How did this get passed into law? Who sponsored this and when? Does anyone know?
By teacher

11/1/09 at 9:10 a.m.

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It's a shame that teachers and school integrity are being held hostage by our new administration. I won't be voting for Obama next time around.

The state/union are absolutely right in not evaluating teachers by student test scores. STUDENTS are not held accountable for their behaviors in school (and doing homework) and PARENTS are not, either. Kids have different IQ's, they have learning disabilities, they come into the classrooms deficient, which is not the fault of the teacher - and on and on.

Teachers have very little power or control or influence over the system they are stuck in. Blaming us for poor performance is stupid. Let us run the system, and you can count on seeing improvement.
By teacher

11/1/09 at 9:11 a.m.

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By the way, I don't appreciate the Sun editorial stance that teachers should be sold out for the federal money. How about a little more depth?
By Phargo

11/1/09 at 9:56 a.m.

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teacher:
I don't like anything the Sun stands for.
Did you ever notice they don't allow us to comment under Brian Greenspuns articles? Why is that?
By mywallet700

11/1/09 at 10:16 a.m.

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Gibbons can hold all the special sessions he wants. The teachers union will NEVER allow the legislators they own to vote for a plan that allows student acheivement to be used for teacher evaluations. Measuring student acheivement would be too effective and might help kids and would force teachers to be responsible for what they do. It will NEVER happen.
By Patrick_R_Gibbons

11/1/09 at 10:53 a.m.

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We can fairly evaluate teachers. It is called value added assessment. Students are tested year to year and instead of comparing students to other students or to some preset benchmark, students are compared with their past scores.

Students are evaluated based on HOW MUCH they learn over a year. A trend line predicts that individual student's growth over the next few years.

Teachers are evaluated based on how much their students learn. Teachers with classrooms full of kids regularly achieving a years worth of growth (based on each individual student's own growth potential) are doing a good job. Teachers who regularly have students achieving less than a years worth of growth are weak teachers.

This is the fairest way to evaluate teachers as teachers are NOT penalized for having low-achieving or mentally handicapped students.
By improveLV

11/1/09 at 2:25 p.m.

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I like Patrick's comment. I constantly hear about how hard it is to hold teachers accountable for student's performance, but there are ways and we can make minor modifications if problems are identified. I think accountability is not only good, it's absolutely necessary in any job. At the end of the day, the teacher's union, as with any union in my opinion, exists to get teachers the most money and best benefits for the least amount of work. I have a TON of respect for teachers, but the last thing they're going to support is more accountability and performance related compensation, even if it makes the most sense. We can't rely solely on them to represent the students and parents. Everyone has their own agenda. Again, I honestly do have an incredible amount of respect for teachers, but the Nevada education system is SO embarrassingly bad, that we need to pull out all the stops in order to improve.
By Burrittobandit2

11/1/09 at 8:10 p.m.

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Don't worry, if the kids can count to "21" , problem solved
By dodgerchuck

11/1/09 at 10:11 p.m.

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arent most of these "legislators" wealthy on a personal level.perhaps they could go up to carson city real quick on their own dime to do what they need to do to receive this windfall for education.
By its2hot

11/3/09 at 5:54 a.m.

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Get a clue, if I were a teacher I don't want to be graded for the kids of today. Teachers are no longer teachers, they're trolls in a broken a system. Children are unruly, have no boundaries, and primarily consist of illegal immigrants or races that have no desire to learn or further their educational needs.

Remove the outcasts and illegal immigrants and put them where they belong, dysfunctional continued educational schools and pay those teachers hazard pay then we'll see a difference. Until then, the feds can keep their $200 million, we don't need it or want it, it's a waste of taxpayer funds.