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Urgent response imperative
Report says that improvement plan for West Las Vegas grade schools is not working
Monday, Sept. 14, 2009 | 2:06 a.m.
Six elementary schools in West Las Vegas that have been operating since 1994 under an improvement plan devised by the Clark County School District have failed to achieve any improvement.
That is the conclusion of a recently released report on the schools written by a research team commissioned by the district. The team worked under the direction of Gary Orfield, a UCLA education professor.
A main program under the ongoing improvement plan offers students attending the six West Las Vegas schools the chance to attend other schools with histories of strong academic achievement.
“Many better schools to where students have a right to transfer are receiving zero transfers,” Orfield wrote in an introduction to the report.
The six schools serve an area known for its poverty and predominantly black and Hispanic population. Orfield said these factors affect students. “Their intense double segregation by race and poverty is linked to achievement scores that are seriously behind the district’s average,” he wrote.
Reaction to the report by West Las Vegas community leaders and parents of the students was understandable. As Las Vegas Sun reporter Emily Richmond wrote, they urged a swift response.
Clark County School District Superintendent Walt Rulffes, however, has pointed out that there are many failing schools within the district. He wants time spent on a plan that would address all of their needs.
Because the reasons why schools fail are complex, we believe he is partially right. There are no quick fixes for this problem. Reaching out to parents, to get their input, for example, on why the school transfer option isn’t working in West Las Vegas should be a major part of any research leading to a plan, and that will take time if done right.
But school officials must see as urgent the needs of the West Las Vegas elementary schools, and set a deadline to come up with solutions. The district was right to commission the report. Failure to respond to it adequately would be wrong.
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Why should the Board of Trustees of the CCSD pay any attention to the citizens on the Westside of this community about anything. Remember this: Veterans groups, parents, relatives, friends and other groups petitioned the board for 20+ years to have a new high school named with the singular and distinct name: VETERANS MEMORIAL HIGH SCHOOL. They board played flim-flam and peek-a-boo with the request for the entire 20+ years. In the final moments they pulled a double cross which amounted to promising that name but then changing the naming policy to their liking and naming the school: VETERANS TRIBUTE .....ACADEMY.
There is no reason to believe that these people are going to be anymore respectful to citizens demanding school improvement than they were to over 250,000 veterans seeking a distinct name to honor our local war dead and heroes.
To the citizens of West Las Vegas I applaud your insistence on improvement in your schools. You pay taxes like everyone else and are entitled to 1) respectful consideration of your requests; 2)prompt and immediate action on such; 3) as much attention to your request as they give to other powerful and influential (i.e. rich areas of town; 4) your children deserve no less!!! They are our future too!
I can only say keep the pressure on! Remember this when it comes to election time and don't forget what they did to all veterans...never forget that.
Don't allow the likes of these six PTA-Soccer moms to snow you into talking for only 2 minutes. It is your civil right to speak on the topics you want for as long as you want to this board. They put the 2 minute rule in to stifle discussion and eliminate any anti-board controversies. Don't fall for it..... You have Marzette Lewis, Joe Neal and Harvey Mumford in your corner...that should be more than enough fire power to overwhelm any attempts by the likes of Sheila Moulton, Terri Janisen and the other board sisters to side track and derail your efforts!!! Good Luck!!!
Well said Mr Sestini , outside of Linda Young none of the ladies on the board have any experience in education. Like judge Judy said "women get even" Try getting even with Marzette, ladies.
The next time someone appears before the board they should insist on being allowed to make their full statement or question and have a reasonable response from the Board of School Trustees. It has been stated on occasion by members like Sheila Moulton and Terri Janison that the time limit is imposed to keep meeting length reasonable; answers are never forthcoming allegedly because of the Nevada Open Meeting Law. In the former instance these ladies on the board are more comfortable conducting meetings that resemble a High Tea Social Hour or a Bridge Club meeting. The latter excuse about the NOML is nonsense. These ladies do not know nor do they understand the open meeting law.
The Las Vegas City Commission and the CC Commission both allow questions, input, discussion and advance comments from board members. Why the difference pray tell? The CCSD wants it this way because it is all about power and control not input, discussion, questions and answers.
The next time someone drives in from Moapa Valley, Boulder City, Searchlight, Mt Charleston or Goodsprings with an issue for the board they must insist on whatever time they need to present their question, issue, complaint, etc.; and should expect a reasonable on-the-spot response from at least the board president or to whomever the issue is addressed. Concerned parents or other taxpayers should not be treated like dogs or so much trash. Driving long distances only to be given 2-3 minutes to speak on a concern is irresponsible; having a room full of CCSD police to wrestle and subdue a speaker is not the American way of conducting public business.
I certainly do support the citizens in West Las Vegas in their quest for justice for their children and their American right to be heard in a public forum. None of us deserve to be discarded like so much useless trash. As Americans all, we have a constitutional right to present our grievances and an opportunity for redress of those grievances.
This school board did a tap dance and shadow boxed with Veterans about honoring local war dead heroes and veterans with a distinct school name for over 20+ years. This nonsense must end and if it does not taxpayers and voters of this district must remove them at the next election and prevent them from ever again holding political office in this county and state. We cannot permit them to exercise this excessive use of power and position over those who pay their salaries and voted for them in the first place.
Clearly the CCSD has failed the children on the west side, and just as clearly they need to be held accountable. The State should aggressively pursue charter schools and vouchers, especially in neighborhoods where the schools fail to meet already minimal standards.
The education system in this country is failing even after repeated reforms. Does this mean it is a lost cause, or is it those doing the reforming are the problem? We can blame the teachers all we want, but they are employees plying their trade with the administrators in control of what they teach.
The problem with the education industry is that it is a closed shop. Those in charge arrogantly dictate the curiculum from their posts far removed from the actual world. It is the education industry that needs educating about the real world and it's needs. Let the teachers do what they do well, teach. What they teach should be decided by real people from the real world not over egoed out of touch people who are legends in their own minds. The education industry has been bombarding us with the concept of life long learning. It's time they took their own advice.