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By Anjeanette Damon (contact) 
Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011 | 2 a.m.
Brian Sandoval
Heidi Gansert
Beyond the Sun
Sun Coverage
Sun archives
- 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)
It’s unusual for a governor to approach budget cuts with the premise that the state’s beleaguered education system needs to make significant sacrifices.
But Gov. Brian Sandoval has done just that, parting ways with his predecessors who wanted the title of “Education Governor.”
Since the campaign, Sandoval has warned he would cut education dollars — education gets the largest share of the budget, after all.
True to his word, he is proposing not only to cut about $625 million from kindergarten through 12th-grade education, but to shrink by 1 percent the share of state spending dedicated to elementary, middle and high schools. (Higher education’s portion of the budget would shrink even more, by nearly 2.5 percent.)
Sandoval has declared his No. 1 priority to be economic development — the only way the state can rescue its troubled budget in the long-term, he argues.
Meanwhile, proponents of a tax increase are casting education in economic-development terms, arguing: The state’s education system, long ranked near the bottom by key measures, is one of the chief reasons businesses don’t come to Nevada.
The governor and his staff say they are cutting education in a way that won’t hurt performance because they have proposed reforms to how education is delivered.
When asked how Sandoval reconciles cutting education with his plans for economic development, Sandoval’s chief of staff, Heidi Gansert, said the trick is to direct cuts at salaries and benefits, not classrooms.
“We’re trying to look at what’s fair and what’s parity with all state employees, and that’s where most of the cuts are (to salaries and benefits),” she said last week. “We’re budgeting to make the employees like other employees.”
It’s a politically savvy way to present education cuts to a business community genuinely concerned about the quality of the state’s education system, and a group that has been fighting for years to cut government employee benefits.
Sandoval can argue he’s asking teachers and other school employees to join in the sacrifices of pay that state employees and many in the private sector have made during the recession.
Indeed, when you look at the numbers, 73 percent of Sandoval’s $625 million education cut is directed at salary and benefits. He wants teachers to take a 5 percent pay cut and make 25 percent of the retirement contribution that districts shoulder.
But there are the numbers, and then there is reality.
Because of collective bargaining rights, Sandoval can’t force school districts to impose either cut. He can simply reduce the overall funding and say, “I hope you do this.”
Most school employee associations are beginning contract negotiations for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1. Some are in the middle of multiyear contracts, which both the districts and the unions would have to agree to reopen to make salary concessions.
District officials and teacher union representatives say it’s highly unlikely that the majority of education cuts would end up coming from salaries and benefits. They’ve warned of layoffs, program eliminations and bigger class sizes.
“Even if we do all those things (the governor is asking), that would still leave us $38 million that we would have to find an answer for,” said Heath Morrison, Washoe County superintendent.
Morrison, who serves on Sandoval’s transition team and said the governor is sincerely dedicated to improving education in Nevada, argued it’s unrealistic to believe reducing salaries wouldn’t have an effect on the quality of education.
“When we are asking our teachers and principals to take cuts, it does impact the classroom,” Morrison said, “particularly if some of our very talented teachers and principals decide they can get more pay somewhere else. It’s hard to ask them to stay. So it does impact the quality, no doubt.”
Both school officials and union reps said salary concessions will be part of upcoming negotiations throughout the state.
“I don’t question the governor’s intentions or his belief that the budget he presented is somehow what’s best for Nevada,” said Gary Peck, executive director of the Nevada State Education Association. “I do question his judgment and his choices.
“And those choices are very likely to include some combination of cuts in programs, reductions in force and, I think it’s fair to say, a serious sort of butting of heads over salary issues.”
How well Sandoval makes his argument could strongly influence the position of business leaders throughout the state as they gauge whether to support his budget or push for a tax increase to better fund education.
“Many businesses have had to cut salaries or affected layoffs or suspended pension contributions,” said Billy Vassiliadis, a top lobbyist for several industries, including gaming. “So there is a sense that we’ve all got to tighten a little bit. But do they think this is all going to be done on salaries? Nobody feels convinced that these are not programmatic cuts.”
And that means: Game on.
What about a State Lottery? Lotteries have brought much revenue to other states but it is not even discussed by Sandoval. This proves that SANDOVAL is IN THE POCKETS of wealthy gambling interests whom he represents very well.
Sandoval's budget reflects a long-standing Republican agenda: reduce the funding to government. The strategy works something like this: reduce funding so that government can't provide an adequate level of services, then, when people complain, use public finances to pay private companies to deliver the services people once expected from government. This is what has been happening at the federal level since Reagan. It's time to stop. Nevada needs a better-funded education system. It's the right thing to do.
Sandoval already has his sights on larger campaigns. The fact he is leaving the casino/resort industry and the mining industry alone, speaks volumes who are padding his war chest.
Education is a very basic service that all Americans expect. However, it is right that those non-Americans should be receiving it as well? With an uncontrolled population, we are now hitting the wall. Time to redefine things.
Wall Street reaped a little over 15 billion in profits in 2010 and the banks are making millions in quarterly profits.
Yet unemployment continues to remain high and mortgage defaults continue.
What does this have to do with our budget?
Someone explain to me how continuing to give corporations and big businesses, mining, casino industry breaks while cutting children's education, help for the disabled, and hacking away at civil servants salaries is the way to preserve our state and it's citizens?
Don't give me the big sob story of how companies suffer. I don't buy it.
They found the perfect excuse when Wall Street crashed to lay off thousands, force others to work more than one job and tell them they are lucky to have jobs.
This isn't financial rape of the populace?
SO we "balance" the budget on the teachers backs this time.
When do we grow up and pay our way.
Whining about the state of our education when the state provides the lowest per student dollars is like complaining while at the budget store because you want name brands.
Grow up and pay taxes for quality. It is what you do for everything else-automobiles, clothing, electronics, etc.
What a convoluted mindset this nation has adopted.
Unreal
When will a true non-partisan observer give us the actual percentage of CCSD per pupil spending that goes directly to classroom teacher salary? There are huge amounts of waste in CCSD that do not touch the classroom. The district leaders have done a wonderful job of portraying the teachers as the greedy bad guys. It's a great misdirection play. Aiming your anger at the teachers is misguided.
close your eyes and picture greasy brian...
what do you see...
that frickin smile...
that phony hustler greasy slimy smile...
make no mistake boys and girls...
greasy brian is the kinda guy who will screw you right to your face...
and smile...
that phony hustler greasy slimy smile!!!
Im a science teacher of 10 years with perfect record. Cutting the pay and retirement is making me rethink my potential move to vegas. The article is correct except it not only drives good teachers out, it keeps good teachers from wanting to move in.
Drink all the water you can hold, wash your face and cool your feet,
But leave the bottle full for others.
Thank you kindly, Desert Pete.
The mining, gaming and banking interests are guzzling the 'primer' water - the hand-us-down of culture.
Their lobbyists have secured the fate of tomorrow - close the schools, whack the teachers and forget about developing any of those talents, gifts or children.
Does anybody remember that idiot that ran for president and lost big time when he called it "eating our seed corn?"
You've got to prime the pump, have faith and believe;
Give of yourself b'fore you're worthy to receive
Let's get back to basics. Teach the 3 R's and let the parents pay for everything else. If it wasn't for teachers I would not be writing this, yes, they are needed, but life's true lessons, do not come in a classroom, they come form living. No child is worth what america pays in minimum wage. Cut back the minimum wage and put these people to work. They will find out how improtant education is and how it can get them out of a losing job. Than again, some will stay at the minium wage jobs, for life. Me being a taxpayer is tired of the waste. Take a look at your taxes and see where the money is going, ask yourself are you getting the bang for the buck.
This brief and refreshing glimpse at then and now, why and how:
http://www.pop.org/content/eating-our-se...
The guy was from the Dakotas; what's he know, right?
Fan is correct. There is huge amounts of waste. They tell us that most of the budget is for salaries, but what they do not say is that quite a few salaries of off-site administrators and teachers NOT in the classroom.
CCSD needs to make available a detailed budget.
I like the way Aaronbot thinks. Kids, given good brains and a chance, can figure it out. Give them a minimum, and let them try their wings, fall on their asses and pick themselves up. Nothing wrong with the truth and it will set us free.
Freefalling
in a smarter world investing heavily in the most valuable commodity known to man - their kids' tomorrows.
India, China, Singapore, Korea, Eastern Europe - the hungry hordes, are plowing their resources into their kids, and when we show up on the world stage with our '3Rs and skid marks' lousy losers we'll have bots to thank.
Not saying that it's not a good idea or a great way to learn, but slavery and domination don't allow for second shots anymore. It's learn well or die hard.
We expect little kids to whine and cry but not adults. College kids and "educator" administrators get over it. We CANNOT AFFORD to give you a free ride any more. It is not my job to send your kids to college. It is not our job to pay twice as much for K-12 as any and all of Europe. The average salary in Nevada private sector is about 40K--when you're employed and after years of training and starting. This precludes substantial savings for retirement--if you have any children. Therefore, many Nevadan seniors are living on the $1K a month from social security. They NEED ESSENTIAL GOVERNMENT SERVICES. We know the "educators" will keep harping about education--they do well when it's a growth industry. Teach our children to READ. Those who cannot read (English) well by third grade need to be diverted so the rest of the class can continue. STOP PROVIDING SERVICES TO ILLEGALS. 25% of K-12, 10% of Millennium, 15% of higher ed, 90% of emergency medical, 5x% of MEDICAID, TANF, Food Stamp fraud, 70% of non-profit services.
Sandoval thinks he will be president in two years. Think of him as a quieter Sarah Palin.
As a drug addict, horribly ensnared in a trap of nature, i know well the agony and internal squirms of the curious children, confounded by the lack of challenge, stimulation and satisfaction; the strongest and most gratifying of all for them and us - dialogue with someone who knows and cares enough to pass on the juice they crave.
Babies, try to be productive. You'd be better off accepting the cut and pursuing new ways to improve the system: identify what you think could be cut so that you have more influence on what is cut, start a campaign asking for donations, and the list goes on.
For all those who think schools and teachers are not important: You're right! Let's shut 'em down. Give every parent a check for 75% of what their district would spend on their child. We take off 25% because you don't need extra heat, A/C, custodial services, nurses, after school programs, etc., you already have that at home. Now it is your responsibility to educate your child. They will take a test every year to see if they are passing. But, you have to figure out what to do with them all day, make sure they do all their work in all their subjects, including art, music, gym, and a language. If they fail their test, they have to repeat the year and take the same grade test the next year. Every year, any parent that feels the neeed to send their kid somewhere, teachers will get together and offer sites for your convenience where they will decide what the market rate for their services will be. Sound like a a plan? Oh, if your child needs tutoring or extra help, you have to pay the market rate that any teacher you choose will charge you. We all got together and we all decided we would be happy to tutor your kid for a reasonable amount, saaaayyyyyy, $1,000 an hour?
I'll agree with the idea of a state lottery. I see no real arguments against it. Nevadans already play at State Line, not only giving money to California, but spending several dollars in the process just for gas.
Keep that money here, instead.
as a former resident of las vegas, i have one question to ask my fellow las vegans, WHAT THE HECK DID SANDOVAL PROMISE YOU TO GET YOU TO VOTE FOR HIM. he is worse than any republican i can think of. he is a dangerous man with a pen. to cut education in nevada by those extremes is suicide for all our kids that are already learning on a shoe string educational system. they are the ones losing out not him. where was he educated. our youth have no way of getting a education, far surpassed by european education system. no wander everything says made in china. our youth will never have the skills to compete in the job market with what they have been given to learn with. DOES MCDONALDS,7-11,GARBAGE MAN RING A BELL. we are losing our fight in todays economy because all our leaders do is cut cut cut cut education. someone needs to fight back and get it back on the right track and sandoval is not the one to do it. sorry to rant but i love las vegas and nevada and will return soon, but as long as he is there its not gonna get better.
The most important issue to me is improving the quality of our crap education system. I think education is the key to improving the economy, crime rates, and other quality of life factors.
The reality is that the programs that exist are not working, and I don't believe it's due to lack of money (alone). I think the primary issue is lack of ideas. I like the ideas that Sandoval proposed, but I'd like to see more money for rewarding the highest performing teachers. For Horsford and others to simply say "we need more money", isn't putting any thought into anything. It's simply playing politics. Of course the majority of posters on here are democrats, and as an independent, it's pretty clear that most of the solutions for improving the quality of our system are centered around increasing the funding. I'd actually be on board with that, if the primary point was a new idea, that's worked in the past, that just required more money.
Like it or not, some of the ideas that Sandoval has proposed appear to be working in other districts. People complain about Michelle Rhee, but Washington DC had the biggest gains in both reading and math scores while she was there. I know that many people somehow thing that teachers aren't human, and somehow aren't motivated by positive or negative reinforcement (or even punishment), but the reality is that they are human, and they would be motivated. An example is the bonus some districts offer for advanced degrees, even when many studies show that it has little to no effect on the quality of instruction. There are other examples that are very clear, even in this district, but people don't really want to acknowledge that. (cont'd)
The reality is that most people aren't really concerned about solutions when discussing this issue, definitely not on this message board. You either have democrats crying about lack of funding, and Republicans crying about spending too much. Neither point focuses on the REAL issue, that is improving the quality of our education system. I think Sandoval, for whatever reason (and I'm sure it's political), has offered up some good ideas. I know that he's consulted with Arne Duncan, our Democratic President's Secretary of Education. Duncan is a clear advocate for the ideas that Sandoval is proposing, as evident by his overwhelming support for Michelle Rhee. Obama mentioned an increased investment in education, and if he can get it through without petty politics getting in the way, it could mean another round of Race to the Top funding. We're not getting any federal dollars by simply allocating more state money to the same system, or creating fees/taxes to fund the same old system. Duncan gives that money out to states that are adopting these reform ideas, that he believes in. We shouldn't just support the ideas because we MIGHT get federal funding, we should support them because evidence is showing that they're working.
I just beg you all, on this one issue, the issue that's the most important of all, please don't let petty politics get in the way of implementing real reform. Listen to everyone's ideas. Don't throw them out simply because they were proposed by the other political party. Don't let special interest groups fool you into thinking that we can only prove that we value education by spending more money, and trusting them to spend it wisely. I have yet to speak to someone that doesn't value education (maybe some strange people on these boards, but not serious, rational people). Listen to the different ideas. Money is required for certain ideas. Money alone doesn't improve the system.
Sorry for the long rant. I'm just a community member that's terribly sick of this issue being politicized, and sick of the fact that nobody is really honest when they discuss the issue.
"The governor and his staff say they are cutting education in a way that won't hurt performance because they have proposed reforms to how education is delivered."
Damon -- that's a good way to put it. Education is badly in need of overhaul. The usual "it's for the kids" is a sure sign the state is grabbing power where it doesn't belong. The teachers' union in Oregon, for example, has decided who gets to be governor for several election cycles. Kitzhaber, Kulongoski, and now Kitzhaber again.
"Education is a very basic service that all Americans expect ... Time to redefine things."
staralioflundnv -- Americans expect it, but it was right or entitlement created entirely by legislatures. It's not a fundamental right, since education is something primarily a duty of parenting. I do like your point about redefining.
"India, China, Singapore, Korea, Eastern Europe - the hungry hordes, are plowing their resources into their kids, and when we show up on the world stage with our '3Rs and skid marks' lousy losers we'll have bots to thank."
airweare -- right, and I'll bet their budgets aren't as big, the education is better (maybe for focusing on actual education rather than social engineering), and the big spending isn't sucked up by administration.
"The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the State to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the State; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations." -- Pierce v. Society of Sisters, 268 U.S. 510, 535 (1925)
"What about a State Lottery? Lotteries have brought much revenue to other states but it is not even discussed by Sandoval. This proves that SANDOVAL is IN THE POCKETS of wealthy gambling interests whom he represents very well."
Maybe it's because Sandoval knows that a state lottery is prohibited by the Nevada Constitution, and realizes that amending the Constitution to enact one would take longer than his first term in office?
For all those who support tax increases...
LEAD THE WAY AND MAKE DONATIONS TO THE SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS IN WHICH YOU SUPPORT !!!
I know many parents with kids enrolled in Clark County Schools can afford at least $30 per month per child and many more can afford $15 per month per child.
Stop complaining and write the check. That is showing leadership!!
"This proves that SANDOVAL is IN THE POCKETS of wealthy gambling interests whom he represents very well." Becker should run for DA.
Can't be a very smart teacher if he's thinking about moving to Vegas. That doen't take a whole lot of "rethinking".