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Sunday, April 10, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Brian Sandoval
Iverson Elementary School
Related story
Sun coverage
Sun archives
- District to cut 200 bus driver positions, change school start times (4-8-2011)
- School District gives early approval to budget that cuts 2,500 positions (4--2011)
- Higher ed system responds to lawmakers, details impact of budget cuts (4-5-2011)
- UNLV president presents cuts, says they are “a tragic loss and a giant step backward for Nevada” (3-8-2011)
- Assembly passes bill to use reserves for school construction (3-3-2011)
- Democrats say Sandoval budget has $325 million hole (2-24-2011)
- UNLV president’s somber warning on budget cuts moves faculty to tears (2-16-2011)
- Regent says it’s time that K-12 shares in budget sacrifice (2-8-2011)
- Higher education officials say Sandoval budget cuts a ‘death sentence’ (2-4-2011)
- Education in forefront of upcoming budget battle (1-30-2011)
- Chancellor: University tuition would have to go up 73 percent to cover Sandoval budget gap (1-27-2011)
- School officials warn of jobs cuts, larger classes under proposed budget (1-26-2011)
- A steep climb for Nevadans (1-26-2011)
- Soft words during State of the State hide Nevada in pain (1-25-2011)
- Teachers not pleased with most of Sandoval’s speech (1-25-2011)
- In response, Democrats say taxes might be part of budget solution (1-24-2011)
The sheer scale of Nevada’s budget deficit can dwarf its human-sized effect.
But at one Las Vegas elementary school last week, the faraway debate on the state budget in Carson City was translated into terms everyone understands: Iverson Elementary Principal Linnea Westwood met with 10 of her 35 teachers and warned them they could lose their jobs next year.
If that happens, fourth- and fifth-grade classes will increase from a barely manageable 34 or 35 students to 40 or more — “traffic-cop” territory as teachers sometimes call it.
The educator who tutors students for whom English is a second language, more than 25 percent of the school, will be gone.
Out too: the literacy specialist who helps teachers teach reading, and children struggling to read.
“It’s crushing,” said Westwood, who is in her first year as a principal.
Iverson is where the hope of the past and hardship of the present intersect.
Perched on Hollywood Boulevard at the eastern edge of the valley, the school was built about six years ago, during the boom. The facilities still look new. Its sprawling playground offers a panoramic view of the valley.
The student body of about 750, kindergarten through fifth grade, is a mix of races and economic backgrounds. Staff members are young and enthusiastic.
Busy running the school, Westwood admits she hasn’t followed every turn of the screw in the state capital. She knew the budget proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval would mean cuts, if not the details.
Then, this month Clark County School District officials gave her a number. And 10 teachers, among them her “best and brightest,” were told the order in which they will face the chopping block.
Westwood has gone to lengths to keep this from the students. During a recent assembly to honor students, she invited parents to stay and hear the latest on the state budget after the children had returned to class.
“The adults will figure this out,” she told a reporter.
Still, some sense of the situation has spread among the students.
“It’s very distracting. The kids know and they’re running up and giving us hugs. They’re worried,” second-grade teacher Amanda Benavidez said. She’s No. 8 on the layoff list.
“None of us got into it for the money. We do it to raise the next generation of doctors, lawyers and professionals. But my question is, are we going to have any of those in this state?”
•••
Sandoval won in November promising to balance the state’s budget without raising taxes despite a $2.2 billion deficit. He has kept his word, proposing a budget that would make deep cuts in social services, K-12 schools and higher education.
He acknowledges the difficulty that will accompany his budget, but he has also said improving education is a priority. He explains the paradox by saying reforms, such as ending teacher tenure and giving administrators control over which teachers to lay off, could improve schools with less money until the state’s economy rebounds. He has also recommended pay cuts for educators to lessen the effect on classrooms.
He said last week that he would not trade any taxes for such reforms.
Democrats — who control the Assembly and Senate but lack the two-thirds majority to override a veto — have complained about the depth of Sandoval’s cuts. But they haven’t found Republican lawmakers who would join them in passing new taxes to blunt the cuts.
The uncertainty will drag on at least until June 6, when the legislative session ends.
And schools such as Iverson will remain in limbo, not knowing whether almost a third of their teachers will be sent packing.
But Westwood said the school needs to move forward. She’s planning classes and positions as if the 10 teachers will be gone next year.
Westwood, however, would like the district to change how teachers are laid off.
Now, it’s a matter of seniority. She would prefer being able to keep her top teachers regardless of how long they’ve been with the district, as Sandoval has proposed.
“We’re losing our newest teachers, who are also some of our brightest and most energetic,” she said. “That would be a crushing blow to us.”
•••
So what happens when a school loses nearly 30 percent of its staff? Any grade-school student learning long division can figure out that fewer teachers mean bigger classes.
Academics argue about whether class size affects learning. An effective educator in the classroom is the most important factor, most say.
But teachers at Iverson say their experience shows bigger classes affect learning — it already does.
Cheryl Lopez, a fourth-grade teacher with 35 students — she is in her first year teaching and is No. 4 on the school’s layoff list — put it this way: “You’ll have a child crying, saying ‘I don’t get this.’ But your hands are tied because you have 34 other kids who need the same attention. When you have 35 kids in a class, it’s insane giving that individual attention, but they deserve it.”
With the cuts, fourth-grade classes at Iverson would have 40 or more students.
“Do the math with 40 kids: Just to grade papers at 10 minutes per paper times 40 kids, that’s 400 minutes,” Westwood said. “And that’s just prep time away from the kids. Ten minutes per parent phone call, all times 40 kids. Logistically, it’s impossible.”
Because state mandates restrict the size of classes in first through third grades, crowding becomes a problem starting in fourth grade.
As class sizes grow, so does the gap between high-performing and low-performing students, teachers said. If the “bubble kids” don’t catch up to their peers by the time they leave Iverson, they likely never will.
The school is under pressure to help its lowest-performing students.
When Westwood, 31, arrived at Iverson last year, the school was classified as “Needs Improvement Year 4” under No Child Left Behind, the federal law requiring student achievement be tracked more closely and holding schools accountable for the results.
“We have a building full of amazing teachers who’ve made amazing gains,” Westwood said. The “Needs Improvement” label “is the black cloud hanging over our school. It doesn’t come close to showing what the school has been able to achieve in the last few years.”
“On weekends we’ll text each other, ‘What are you doing here? What are you doing there?’ ” said first-grade teacher Katelynn Reilly, who is No. 5 on the layoff list. “We have a buddy system almost.”
Despite the school’s struggles to comply with No Child Left Behind, Westwood doesn’t resent the measurement even though the school’s progress hasn’t yet registered. In fact, she sees the power in it.
“We have to look at the data,” she said. “Teachers who come in know the reality of the school and the profession. They know it, they like it. They want the kids to do well.”
•••
Westwood doesn’t want to leave the impression that anyone at Iverson is giving up. They’re moving forward, planning to make do with 25 teachers.
Westwood expects teachers and administrators will take pay cuts, as Sandoval has suggested, to reduce layoffs.
“I think they’re barely surviving to begin with,” Westwood said. “But if you asked any of them, if it means the person next to them keeps their job, they’d do it.”
Some, however, have seen enough.
Cassie Restrepo, a first-grade teacher and No. 12 on the layoff list, moved to Las Vegas from Kentucky three years ago to take a job with the School District. Because of the budget turmoil, she’s leaving teaching and Southern Nevada. She will enroll in law school at the University of Louisville.
“I still want to stay in education, but not here,” she said. “It really makes me sad that I’m not going to be in the School District next year. My kiddos, I worry about them.”
Meanwhile, Westwood said her teachers are putting on their “game faces” and “fighting desperately hard not to crumble.”
“They’re pumping themselves up for the kids, but behind closed doors I think they’re struggling to make ends meet, come up with backup plans about what to do next year,” she said.
The educators struggle with the feeling that “they’re alone in all of this. It feels like nobody’s fighting for them. And they’re the ones taking all the cuts, all the losses for these kids. And they keep coming.”
No Child left a Dime. With 40 or more elementary students in one room, the environment becomes babysitting and crowd control, not learning. Physical education would amount to practicing Duck and Cover exercises.
Real republicans have their kids in private school, so why should they give a sh*t about Nevada public schools?
So...
THIS IS Brian Sandoval's Education Improvement Plan:
In lieu of actual MONEY, B.S. says, "If we could just fire teachers AT WILL, and PAY teachers LESS, well, that would tide us over nicely (AS AN IMPROVEMENT PLAN!) until we get some actual MONEY."
THIS IS YOUR GOVERNOR SPEAKING, Nevada! HIS WORDS. HIS PLAN.
Gym Gibbons promised to be the "Education Gov'ner",
and look what we got from HIM...
Brian Sandoval says, "IMPROVING EDUCATION IS A PRIORITY"...
And yet, he is actually CUTTING EDUCATION FUNDING, in a state that RANKS NEAR-BOTTOM in actual MONEY spent on educating it's kids.
And BASHING TEACHERS & CUTTING THEIR MEAGER PAY.
AND THAT is supposed to "IMPROVE EDUCATION" while we wait for our ship to come in...
And you are to nod and say, "SURE! THAT'LL WORK!"
WHAT A CROCK OF B.S.!!!
No WONDER he wants STATE VOUCHERS to offset paying for HIS URCHINS to go to EXCLUSIVE, FOR-PROFIT, PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Nevada, please, WAKE UP!!!
You are BEING PLAYED LIKE A FIDDLE!
Rosin up that BOW, B.S...
Its clear that Sandogibbons couldn't care less about our children-their education or their future. All he cares about is not taxing the rich-the people who have made money off of the misery of the working people in the last few years. Sandogibbons cares about the foreign mining corporations who have made record profits and paid almost zero tax but not about our kids. Call your state legislator today and tell them to stop Sandogibbons from balancing the budget by bankrupting our kids and the working class-call 1-800-978-2878.
...B.S. FIDDLES while Nevader BURNS!!!
And, YES, Mr. Hilton...
"All he cares about is not taxing the rich".
Brian Sandoval, your Governor, is ALL BOUGHT & PAID FOR.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/jan...
Call the phone number provided by Mr. Hilton...
1-800-978-2878.
In addition to PAY CUTS for teachers, and INCREASED CLASS SIZES, hardly anyone is talking about THIS:
A 25 PERCENT REDUCTION in the classroom SUPPLIES BUDGET:
http://www.educationnews.org/ednews_toda...
This is another de-facto CUT IN TEACHER PAY.
Teachers already are forced to bear a large brunt of paying for "classroom supplies"...
Additionally, the current rumor is a 20 percent increase in Health Insurance premiums for teachers.
Hey, B.S.,
Why don'tcha just come right out and SAY IT:
"WE DO NOT VALUE YOU IN THE LEAST."
The whole tea party movement and extremists like Sandy Valley are about telling lies that being able to restrict union people will suddenly somehow create a pile of money. Hey, it ain't gonna happen. Nevada schools were bad before this guy, his signature achievement will be assuring that Nevada schools are on the bottom for the next 20 years. Get him out of there! Raise taxes and fund things adequately - not extravagantly - but adequately.
This is happening in every school in the valley.
I am sorry to see the extent of devastation at the elementary school level. A thirty percent cut in teaching staff is not good at any level.
One flaw in the system is that CCSD does not have a good and fair way of evaluating teachers. Until that time, it is last hired, first fired. Dwight Jones has promised to fix this. That being said, if all the teachers at a school were highly effective, it does not fix the problem, it helps.
The fact is that a teacher cannot take a class of thirty or more students and be effective in teaching them with a one time presentation of the material. Some students need more instruction, one-on-one. This becomes imposible with large classes.
Putting higher demands on less teachers is not likely to work.
When a student fails to learn, that failure follows them to subsequent grade levels, where the failure continues. High school teachers are expected to take students with sixth grade math and reading skills and have them pass the proficiency exams and graduate. It isn't happening.
The answer lies in making promotion to the next grade competency based. Students must possess and be proficient in these skills, including math, science, and English. Achieving this is difficult with the best teachers, not the least.
Money should be spent hiring the best teachers to tutor the lowest performing students.
Man up people. This is what the majority of voters decided on election day--no tax increases. Get with the program folks. Everyone wants to spend more money but no one has a clue about where it will come from, except some fleeting references to the rich.
The tax base has eroded and 15 percent are unemployed we are poorer today than 5 years ago. For those who want to tax the mines. Fine. Today the mines contribute about $50 million per year to the general fund. If we were to triple the taxes to say $150 million, the effects would be small, an incremental increase of $100 million in revenues. If the schools got one-half of that, say $50 million, it might help, but not a lot.
Businesses are working off the $1 billion or so owed to feds to pay for unemployment benefits. That has the same effect as a tax.
So folks where is the money going to come from? The knee jerk tax the rich and blame the Republicans doesn't cut it. Let's hear something concrete for a change except the same empty "tax the rich" and blame the Republicans. Remember folks the Dems control the legislature.
As a teacher, I am sickened by what's happening in our state. Why are teachers the ones being targeted? No other state employee is going to take such a huge paycut and be forced to do twice as much work. I don't even have children, yet I pay for their education with my taxes. (Many of my students' parents don't pay taxes yet they have four children at one school.) Let's make it fair and incorporate a state tax so EVERYONE shares the burden. I can tell you this, I will not spend one dime of my own money next year on my classroom. After 15 years of doing so, I'm done. By the views of many here in LV, my work isn't appreciated anyway. Even though my school makes gains every year, we are still told that we have failed.
Having served on a school board I can emphasize with the difficulty of making decisions that affect the future of our children. The education philosophy for the CCSD public school system which was suitable in the beginnings of our beloved city is no longer relevant any more that the Las Vegas of the, "Boys", the Rat Pack or nickel telephone calls. Las Vegas has changed and must continue to change to survive, and so must our schooling of our children! Allow free choice in High School enrollment, let the students choose where they want to attend, but eliminate bussing. Shift the burdon of transportation to the parents, the savings will save teacher jobs.
OK. How's this for an idea. A straight across the board business tax for any business in the state that makes more that $1 million. Now we've protected the small star-ups and Walmart and Home Depot can begin paying their share.
Governor Sandoval pays substantially to keep his children OUT of the public schools, and will not be personally affected by the sacrifices he is asking for from Nevada citizens. I suspect that after decimating the higher education system in Nevada, his children will be too special for our colleges and universities too.
All you whiners out there can do two things: pay more out of your pockets to the school you support and volunteer at that school. Buy school supplies for the "children". It is time for you whiners to be quiet and do something. Let's see you work instead of draining the taxpayer dry.
This article and its companion--Teachers in the bullseye create an interesting juxtaposition. Very interesting takes on the various realities of the mess.
As for the governor sending his kids to private school, this is not relevant to the discussion here.
@Turrialba. In 2009, the mining industry had gross revenue of 5.8 BILLION. After taking all the deductions allowed under state law, the net profit was 1.8 BILLION. The amount of taxes paid by the mining industry is capped under the 1864 Nevada State constitution at 5%. The total tax collected was 48.6 MILLION. What has happened to the price of gold since 2009? The oil industry in Alaska pays a royalty of 25%.
In 2010, the gaming industry had gross gaming revenue of 5.8 BILLION, and paid taxes of 416 MILLION in state taxes. What happened to the gaming industy the last time gas reached $4 a gallon. Gaming reveune dropped.
Yes, the unemployment tax has gone up, but the state payroll tax paid by Walmart, Target, the banks and all other businesses is 1.17%. There is no state tax on profits earned by businesses in Nevada.
One of the rallying cries for years has been "low taxes will bring new business". How has that been working, have we had new businesses breaking down our doors to come to Nevada? What is attracting businesses to other states is a quality education system that provides an educated work force.
This is not about balancing a budget for this year, but the future of Nevada. Are we going to condemn our children to a future with little hope, and drive our best and brightest students out of state never to return? That is the choice we and our legislators are facing. Do we have the courage and wisdom to do what is right?
Why is it that education is always on the chopping block ? . How about support staff first , extra activities, field trips, sports programs. Laying off teachers may help the states pocketbook, but it will create a nightmare in the schools. How about cutting back on the Govenors staff. How about pay cuts on all State Legislators , state road workers, ya see 1 or 2 actually working and 5 standing there watching. Trim the fat everywhere else first before you lay off 1 teacher.
@Turrialba. Do you think that if the Sandoval children were going to public school, we would be cutting education as we are?
SunJon: Right now there are 3.4 FTEs for EVERY class room of 34 students, that includes TWO licensed "professionals." Class sizes are FURTHER SKEWED to LOWER for elementary students. So the 17:1 teacher is even lower for elementary students.
tecm5: How is it "fair" to raise taxes when, as you stated, parents with 4 children don't pay ANYTHING? Maybe we could REDUCE AND REMOVE TAX CREDITS FOR HAVING CHILDREN YOU CAN'T SUPPORT? p.s. Businesses don't pay tax--it just flows through to people, you know, American taxpayers.
Is there INTELLIGENT LIFE AT CCSD? This article is sooooo biased in favor of "teachers." What about the rest of us? What about those of us who've paid taxes year after year and see no "return." What about the students who HAVE NEVER BEEN TAUGHT TO READ AND WRITE? What about the students who don't GRADUATE?
If they cut 10 teachers from a school with an attendance of 750 students leaving them with 25 teachers shouldn't the average class size be 30 students instead of the reported 40 students or is this difference the result of the 'new math' that they use to confuse us older folks with?
It would be nice is the reporter would report how many people are employed at this school also as there might be room to make cuts elsewhere instead of laying off teachers since teaching should be the primary purpose of schools in the 1st place!
Republicans nationwide will turn America into a third world country and we are to blame for voting for them.
roseanrose: Quit lying. Though there is supposed to be class size reduction in the lower elementary grades, not one single classroom in my schools ever had that few students. Not ever.
pmmart:
Out of those 25 teachers left, you still have the art, music, P.E. teachers and the librarian. That leaves 21 teachers. First and second grades will have more than the usual number of students, third grade even more, and then fourth and fifth with the 40 students per class.
Let me begin with the fact that I have the utmost respect for anyone that becomes a teacher. I personally know 3 of them. That being said, I do get tired of teachers always complaining about all the extra time they spend, their own money and the generally low pay they receive. It is generally known by everyone that public school teachers pay is not very high. If you chose to become a teacher you should have known going in about the pay and working conditions. If it's not enough find something else to do. The budget cuts are surely causing problems for teachers. But the real problem with our state's education system is with the incredibly uninvolved and lazy parents of today. The 18 and under crowd of today have absolutely no respect for anything! And this comes directly from home. Remember parents of today, keep them under control and teach them respect now because if you don't, you (or Metro) will have to deal with them when they grow up. I feel so fortunate that my kids are grown and out of this mess.
@Tanker1975--I don't know the answer to your question.
My point was that the decision by the Governor and his family to send the kids to private school would have been made regardless of how much money was being spent on public education in this state.
I do know that parents make decisions regarding sending their children to private schools. Private schools prosper in states where per student spending is more than double what it is in Nevada. These choices are made by families everyday and from all walks of life. Parochial schools charge and people pay bucks over and above their taxes each year to send their kids.
In particular, public figures, with school aged children, such as the Governor, the President and others make these choices all of the time. There are no doubt many factors involved in these choices. That was my point.
"Republicans nationwide will turn America into a third world country and we are to blame for voting for them."
-------------------------------
Palin/Trump 2012! You betcha you re fired!
Shannon: LEARN HOW TO READ. I never said class size was 17. I said there are 17 students per licensed "professional" throughout the district. These are official CCSD numbers.
First solution to reduce the huge negative impact on K-12 education that Sandoval's irresponsible budget would impose: write to your legislators to urge them NOT to "sunset" the 2009 tax fix. We can all agree that with such terrible budget butchery, giving a tax cut adds insult to injury and makes no sense. Sandoval's budget is like a chain-saw massacre of public education, very well illustrated in this article.
Second: write to your legislators to urge them to increase taxes on at least a few things, such as a new tobacco and liquor tax (sin taxes). AB333 right now proposes to do this (not much revenue but at least this is something).
Also: write your legislators to support AB 428, which revises the net proceeds tax on the mining industry, which, over the past ten years, has paid no taxes at all on more than 4 billion in net profits. This won't solve the whole problem, but will help.
Third: write to your legislators to support a broad based business tax, very similar to the one that Governor Kenny Guinn tried (and failed) to get through in 2003, as a visionary Republican who cared uppermost about quality public education in our state: AB 336 right now proposes a similar tax that also includes special exemptions and exclusions for small businesses.
These three solutions, above, are at least a start toward stabilizing Nevada's tax base as the economy very gradually improves. Public education can then work toward increased efficiencies and improvements over the long-term.
In sum: 40+ students per class in the 4th grade is not education; it's not even responsible babysitting; it means that citizens in Nevada will turn their backs on children and leave the majority of them ill-equipped and unprepared for productive lives in the 21st century. Shame!
Where is YOUR pink slip?
Douglas is right on the money, as it were.
The 700 million dollar tax deal, if renewed, would knock out at least a third of the budget deficit. The renewal would also keep a number of important tax breaks for small businesses intact. When Sandogibbons came out against the 700 million deal, he also supported ending those tax breaks. INEXPLICABLY, when this fact was pointed out to him, Sandogibbons told the press that he didn't know about the tax breaks for small businesses! His Chief of Staff, Gansert, who was in the legislature WHEN THE TAX DEAL WAS MADE forgot. Incompetence.
Taxing the mining industry and eliminating their deductions which allow them to write off the 5% net proceeds tax they DO pay is the next step. That, combined with taking the brothel industry up on their offer, THEIR OFFER MIND YOU, to be taxed by the state each year gets you to at least half way.
Now the figure is a manageable billion over two years. This can be tackled with a number of ideas-Douglas has mentioned only a few. But you have to have elected officials who want to cooperate, and that starts with the Governor. We have another Republicans Governor who has refused to negotiate with Republicans or Democrats who disagree with the cuts in his budget. He is NO DIFFERENT that the last Republican Governor. The only change is that this one has listened to teachers and taxpayers, students and seniors, who pointed out the severe harm his budget will cause TO HIS FACE. He listened, told them he knows about the harm he is about to cause, and decided to side with the rich foreign mining companies and against the people of this state. He is HOPELESS. That is why people need to call the legislature at 1-800-978-2878 and tell their representatives to STOP SANDOGIBBONS NOW and prevent his budget from getting out of the legislature. Its time for reasonable people who are ready to negotiate to take over; enough of the Republican games that are being played with Nevada's working families and their children.
roseanrose: Bull-puckey. You have continually stated on these boards that teachers only have some ridiculously low number of students in their classroom because of class size reduction. All one has to do is click on your name and read all your posts about that.
RoseAnne RoseannaDanna, you incipient ninny...
IS THE EARTH FLAT IN YOUR WORLD???
I wonder...
Is Roseanne Roseannadanna REALLY P.R.G.???
Turrialba, sir...
You know I respect your opinion.
However, you are WAY OFF BASE HERE, IMO.
You are equating CCSD, and Education in general, as a BUSINESS MODEL ONLY.
There are MANY, MANY MITIGATING FACTORS at play here.
May I ask, and not to be disrespectful;
WHEN was the last time you were in a K-12 classroom?
Back in the day, when I went to school, if there was ONE CHILD who was disrespectful or having trouble, EVERYONE KNEW IMMEDIATELY...there were problems OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM causing the behavioral/learning issues, and it was dealt with IMMEDIATELY.
Nowadays, you have half a class full of these problem children... and the other half suffers, commensurate with the cacophony caused by the crop of crazed and/or I.Q. challenged, yet MAINSTREAMED bunch; Depending on the luck of the draw, literally, you can have the worst class in the world one year, and the best class in the world the next. And the teachers DON'T COMPLAIN ABOUT IT!
But now, according to the Anti-Union bunch, we ought to PAY TEACHERS based on how this group PERFORMS, regardless of what hand you're dealt? Do you know how many CANS OF WORMS this kind of system potentially opens???
1) CCSD just "found" $10 million in savings by cutting bus drivers, fuel, maintenance, etc (none of which is related to "education"). that saves 140 teachers! what a shame little johnny's mommy has to drive him to school now. how much more could they "find." Maybe start with laying off $35 an hour building inspectors to keep teachers??
2) "literacy specialists" teach kids that cant read because they don't speak english or the momma could care less to teach them anything but how to light a crack/meth pipe. Another "cost" because these kids shouldn't be in the same classroom with kids that can actually learn. ever heard of track systems? nah, too politically unpalatable for democrats.
3) blame unions, not the Gov, for preserving the "tenured" teachers that go through the motions to get their retirements. the 10 "best and brightest" that will get laid off should thank their local democrat. God forbid we have have systems that actually reward quality teachers (and penalize bad one's) but we're too busy promoting "diversity" to worry about that.
For those of you who are looking at a model for education reform, I would suggest reading the Article in Time Magazine April 11, 2011 entitiled "Finnishing School". It is about the education system in Finland, yes Finland. Currently Finland is ranked second in science, third in math, and second in reading. How do they do it. Their elementary school teachers follow their students from grade to grade, and the class stays together. The curriculum is only 10 pages. I say again 10 pages. Contrast that with the curriculum in Nevada. Every teacher has a masters degree and they select the best and the brightest to be teachers. In 2008, 1258 undergraduate students applied to be teachers, they accepted 123 for the program. Contrast the two statements. "It's very expensive to educate all of our teachers in the 5 year program, but it helps make our teachers highly respected and appreciated. Jari Lavonen, head of teacher education at the University of Helsinki. "In the US, they treat teachers like pizza delivery boys and then do efficiency studies on how well they deliver the pizza" Dan MacIsaac, State University of NY in Buffalo.
Sandoval is completely out of his league. There's absolutely no explaining away the paradox at the heart of his "plan" - which is actually not a plan at all, but a cowardly cop out - a perverse and heartless attempt to pander to his backward base.
The comments here are amazing. To raise taxes or not to raise taxes. It has been the question for the past year, and be honest with yourself, if taxes were raised who would pay for it. Everyone not just the poor, rich and or middle class. Of how the tax base is calculated here in Nevada everyone would pay the increase. Think about it; property tax unless you are living on the street you pay it either to the County as a tax, or in higher rent fees. Sales tax increase; unless you never shop in Nevada you pay that regardless. Unemployment insurance and other cost the employer is required to pay after they hire a new employee, or on the existing employee's. No matter if your the MGM, Ceasar's or if your MOM and POP grocery with one employee, every employer is required to pay it. And how do they do this either by not hiring new employees, or layoff or cut existing employees pay. Or they will raise the price of what they do. So if we raise taxes on the Rich it will trickle down to the poor eventually it may not take a day, it may take a month, but it will trickle down. Yea it does suck that parents will have to start teaching their own kids how to read, write, and do math especially in a state that the average person does not even have a high school diploma. But, really is it the government responsibility to raise and teach our kids, or is it ours as parents. Is it the government responsibility to feed or kids or is it ours as parents. If you don't like it in Nevada then their is a road that leads in all directions get the hell out. Sometimes you just got to make the big decisions and sometimes those decisions are right and sometimes they are wrong. I pray for the persons that I chose to run our Country, that they might have the power, wisdom to make the right choices not just for me but for society as a whole. And yes we all will have to step up to the plate a bit more in this time of crises and help out. Their are 15% of Nevada unemployed get out and do something useful with your time. Go clean up a park or help some kid at the local elementary school learn to read.
gmag:
At one point in my life I taught in a community college back east. It was during the Bush Administration.
Each day I saw the wreckage produced by a public school system unable to teach some very basic writing and arithmetic skills to very average kids in 12 years.
Kids that arrived had no idea that if you flunked every test you would flunk the class. The model was flunk every test and still get a "C" and get pushed on to the next stop. None had been asked to read anything but a text book. Too much time building self-esteem in phony ways that the kids saw through. They did multiple choice exams for 12 years. They were honest and decent kids.
For some reason these same kids who walked in the door with no skills left in 12-24 weeks with some very basic skills--they could construct sentences and write an essay--not great writing, but enough to write a memo to the boss. Similar results were achieved in math. They couldn't read a graph, but that was for another day. The only type of examine they had ever taken was a multiple choice test. That could be changed too. It is amazing how they would respond to standards, once standards were put in place and there were consequences to their actions.
The kids were angry with their teachers and the school system. A waste of student time and taxpayer money. Afterwards, society was spending bucks to achieve something in a matter of 12 to 24 weeks that could not be achieved in 12 years. Not cheap, but worth it.
This leads to the question, what was going on for 12 years and why on earth was so little done for the average kid (not a rocket scientist nor a kid with a disability)? This falls to the parents; the kids; school system; and the taxpayers that supported and perpetuated this system of incompetence and waste.
BTW--this was the during the late 80s and early 90s, during the G.H.W. Bush administration.
Turrialba: The "average kid" doesn't apply themselves...even 25-30 years ago. I remember sitting in honors classes in high school for math, science, and English, and taking the regular classes for typing, health, Spanish, etc. There was a world of difference between the two, and it had to do with the students themselves. I was in the habit of asking for the next assignment in the regular classes, then the next, then the next so I was kept busy, learning and progressing, while the teacher was wasting time with discipline issues and/or unable to progress as fast because either the students weren't applying themselves or they just weren't that bright. This isn't something new...it's been going on for decades. My father, who graduated in the early '60s, relates similar stories.
This is happening all over the country - Republicans are giving money to their big moneyed corporate friends, and teachers/students are getting the shaft.
Mining is a big business in Nevada. Bigger than the casinos. $6,000,000,000 in profits last year. Mining deducted $4.3 BILLION in expenses from taxes. They deducted advertising, housing, travel, insurance, and Canadian executive salaries. They are billionaires with their own special provision in the Nevada state constitution about not being taxed - a 150+ year leftover from when there were mostly miners in this state.
The day of Sandoval's state of the state he posed for pictures with mining executives, who no doubt helped him write his speech asking education to "share in the sacrifice - $300 per child". By "share" he meant cut education DOWN - mow it under. He never meant "share" as in BILLIONAIRES might need to pay more than 1/2 a percent tax. That night he attended a ball thrown by his rich buddies - $10K here and $10K there. Eat, drink, and be merry for I have handed 6 year olds the bills! LET THEM EAT CAKE!
Sandoval and Canadian mining corporate executives to lay the state's bills on the backs of kids? $6 BILLION in profits is not enough? They need to make even MORE money? We have to leave them alone to protect a few mining jobs - but it's ok to get rid of teachers? When did a miner become worth more than me? What do they have that I don't? I guess they have BILLIONS of dollars in lawyer lobbyists and a bought and paid for Governor to do their evil bidding. :0( Boooooooo
The rich keep getting richer and kids will pay the bills.
If you dislike children and students so much and disrespect their parents WHY ARE YOU "TEACHING"?
We've lost teachers before but it has never been on the backs of children. I ask Sandoval, are you doing what is best for Nevada's children? Because that is the question we teachers ask ourselves EVERY single day.
Why are you so angry with yourself, Shannon? Realized your "career" expectations need some adjusting? So sorry. CCSD statistics are facts unless you're cooking the books. 17 students per LICENSED "professional." Most of the rest of us can figure out that includes administrators and teachers who are not in the class room. 3.4 employees per 34 students--how much trouble with math do you have? (Hint, hint: 30,000 CCSD employees for 300,000 students means 1:10.) Maybe you need some REMEDIAL math with that reading comprehension. Oh I agree, this economy stinks but even if it changes, the taxpayers are more and more aware of the nonsense going on at K-16.
@ShannonK
Let's accept your position for the moment. The average kid doesn't apply his/her self to learning--at least for the past 40 years.
Then why bother? I don't quite see where your position leads. We can't do any better than we have?
I would love a conservative to explain how destroying our educational system is going to attract new businesses to Nevada? It didn't work under Gibbons and it's not going to work under Sandoval. Any parent or teacher who voted for Sandoval should be ashamed.
The scary part is that many of the posters here may get exactly what they wish for, a gutted and destroyed education system with many of the young teachers who are able to move leaving and going elsewhere. The state unable to recruit new teachers to replace those who have left, and thousands of long term subs who are not qualified trying to replace licensed teachers who have left. What future is that for your children. No education, no jobs, no future.
Joe--
Are you saying we give up on the average kid? I am confused.
Where is Nancy today or has she given up on us?
roseanrose: What was that about reading comprehension? I've told you numerous times that I no longer teach...the last time, in fact, to the first of your words below. Below are the times you have made false claims about class size reduction. It's really sad that I seem to actually remember what you say and you don't. Either you like to lie or you have a medical condition that should be evaluated.
"ShannonK, stop pretending to have a brain or common sense. You don't DISCLOSE that your are PAID TO TEACH but can't teach our children to read. Yes, I figured out how to read BEFORE grade school even though I grew up around several foreign languages of first-generation Americans--although my mixed blood has roots in the continent.You whine and cry and demand pay raises when you can't be effective in the classroom. You cry about the illegal language issues and a big class size of 20 students. GET A DIFFERENT JOB since you're not an effective teacher."
"End CSR--we cannot afford 16 ILLEGAL STUDENTS PER TEACHER in elementary school."
"We cannot afford Class Size Reduction of 16 students per teacher, and many of the students illegals stealing social welfare benefits--not supporting the budget in any way."
"Why are we paying for 16 students per classroom for ILLEGAL KIDS TO LEARN ENGLISH?"
"Teachers just keep lying. 16-19 students per teacher in elementary school thanks to Class Size Reduction funding."
"keystone: you need glasses? I've not commented on taxing authorities. The LEGISLATION AND NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION show Class Size Reduction funding to school districts for 16:1 in elementary schools. Let's CUT THAT FUNDING."
"End CSR--16 students per elementary class room is TOO EXPENSIVE and children benefit from LARGER CLASSES. 24 students at least."
"We have been oversold on the benefits of education. It is not the taxpayers job to send your kids to college. Stop Class Size Reduction funding--16:1, SIXTEEN STUDENTS PER TEACHER in elementary school. Some districts have applied for waivers of 19:1 but this is RIDICULOUS WASTE OF MONEY."
"Eliminate higher ed funding. At K-12 taxpayers keep funding Class Size Reduction of 16 SIXTEEN STUDENTS PER TEACHER. Some districts have applied for waivers of 19:1."
Turrialba: My point is that what is happening now isn't new...although the extent of the apathy on the part of students and parents is probably a bit worse. People keep going on and on about "how it used to be," but it wasn't all that great back then, either.
Joe, excellent posts again.
I remember this instance in the 8th grade when my English teacher asked us to tell our parents to vote "yes" on a school bond election. She said a bond means it won't cost any money. Of course few 8th grade kids understand that a "bond" is the same as a loan and has to be paid back with interest. LOL I wonder how many investors out there would buy Nevada junk bonds to support the schools. I'll bet not even teachers would be that dumb.
Sandoval must have his head in the sand. With his cuts, the teachers who have a job will take a significant pay cut (it's closer to 25% for those below the average salary) AND other teachers will be laid off. It's not one or the other -- it is both.
That said, I'm discouraged that CCSD is making cuts in the schools when they should be making cuts outside the classrooms. I haven't seen anything in the budget about upper admin (those not working in schools) taking pay cuts or lay offs.