Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Senator wants teacher training program cut; money found in budget

Horsford

AP Photo/Cathleen Allison

Nevada Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, speaks on the Senate floor at the Legislature in Carson City on Monday, March 28, 2011. The Senate convened as a Committee of the Whole to review Gov. Brian Sandoval’s $5.8 billion budget proposal.

Updated Monday, March 28, 2011 | 11:45 a.m.

Sun Coverage

CARSON CITY – Nevada's Senate majority leader wants to scrap a $10 million state teacher training program.

Sen. Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, said Monday there is $26 million in federal funds being funneled to local school districts for such training. He said the development program is a local responsibly, not one the state should shoulder.

But a Clark County School Board member and a Las Vegas parent both suggested the state-supported training program should be continued.

School Board member Erin Cranor said it has adopted a more rigorous curriculum and training is needed for teachers.

Parent Linda Johnson said the training results in student achievement improvements.

But Horsford said, “I’m not going to back down.” He said he wanted a report on how the $26 million in federal funds was being used.

“The districts should be paying for this – not the state,” said Horsford, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.

Bill Hanlon, director of the Southern Nevada Regional Professional Development Program, said his program works with the school district.

“We work with the teachers,” he said. He said feedback is given to the teacher after training but his organization doesn't go into the classroom to evaluate their performance.

Horsford said the program would “be on the table” for elimination when budget decisions are being made.

Click to enlarge photo

Brian Sandoval

Parents and teachers appeared before the Senate-Assembly joint budget subcommittee Friday to plead for more money for public schools.

At the same time as the hearing was being conducted, Gov. Brian Sandoval said adjustments in the budget make $120 million more available, which would support public schools.

The governor said more revenue is predicted to come in from the mining tax and there will be less money needed for some entitlement programs.

“We have demonstrated this morning that the budget submitted in January remains fiscally sound and responsible to current economic realities,” Sandoval said.

“Businesses are already paving the burden of an additional $1 billion in new unemployment taxes and any additional taxes would have a severe impact on our economy,” he said.

Allison Turner of the Nevada PTA told the subcommittee that Sandoval’s public school budget “is not acceptable.” She said “everything is on the table.”

The subcommittees of the Senate Finance Committee will begin narrowing down the issues in the budget starting Tuesday. The full committee will start making decisions next month.

Democrats in the Legislature have been critical of the cuts in the $5.8 billion budget submitted by the governor.

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