Paul Takahashi

Education Reporter

Paul was born in New York City and grew up in a New Jersey suburb, exit 163. He studied journalism at Northwestern University because he loves to tell stories about issues affecting the everyday lives of ordinary Americans. Previous to joining the Sun in 2010, Paul helped cover Barack Obama's election night rally from Grant Park for a Chicago TV station, and filed video stories from South Africa.

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Story Archive

Final paycheck: CCSD pays Dwight Jones $55,000 upon exit: Monday, April 1, 2013; Former Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones received $55,254 when he left Las Vegas last month, the Sun has learned. The School Board approved Jones' two-week notice, which was less than the 90-day notice mandated by his contract.
Nevada schools superintendent resigns, gives no reason: Friday, March 29, 2013; Jim Guthrie announced his resignation as Nevada superintendent overseeing the state's 17 school districts on Friday. Guthrie — whose ideas surrounding class size reduction sparked controversy — did not explain his reason for leaving.
Why UNLV's decision to drop partner in stadium project could be risky: Friday, March 29, 2013; Don Snyder may have a conservative banking background, but consider him a betting man when it comes to the UNLV stadium proposal. Snyder took a huge gamble this week by dropping UNLV's well-heeled partner.
Libertarian think tank sues School District for access to teacher email addresses: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Are teacher email addresses a matter of public record? That's the question at the crux of Nevada Policy Research Institute's latest lawsuit against the Clark County School District. The lawsuit was filed Thursday morning.
Regent's idea for Las Vegas-based medical school has merit and drawbacks, observers say: Thursday, March 28, 2013; Regent Mark Doubrava's proposal for a new medical school at UNLV will likely exacerbate longstanding North-South tensions in higher education amid a fierce debate over equitable funding for Nevada's seven colleges and universities.
'Perfect arrangement' falls apart; Majestic out as partner on UNLV Now project: University says it's going forward with plans for on-campus stadium; Wednesday, March 27, 2013; UNLV is severing its ties with private developer Majestic Realty, ending an exclusive partnership on a proposal to build a 60,000-seat "mega-events center" on campus. Majestic had poured millions into research and development for the project.
CCSD's fiscal outlook brightens as budget discussions begin: Tuesday, March 26, 2013; As state lawmakers debate the next biennial K-12 education budget this Legislative session, the School District is breathing a little easier than they did the last time the Legislature was in session.
Search firm's new price demands cause School Board to pause: Thursday, March 21, 2013; Conducting a national search for a new superintendent will likely cost the Clark County School District at least $4,000 more than its last search.
Six steps parents can take to ensure a safe spring break for kids: Thursday, March 21, 2013; Spring break starts next week, and local law enforcement officers want the community to be prepared for the influx of 311,000 public school students into Las Vegas' parks, malls and streets.
UNLV plucks new law dean from University of Illinois: Thursday, March 21, 2013; UNLV has hired a new dean for its law school. Daniel Hamilton, an associate dean and professor at the University of Illinois College of Law, will become the third dean of the William Boyd School of Law on July 1.
Try your hand at a few college prep test questions: Thursday, March 21, 2013; Know what to expect on the ACT or SAT? Here are three sample questions:
New twist on college entrance exam preparation: Have fun: Thursday, March 21, 2013; Jared Friedland has taken the SAT more than 20 times in his quest to uncover the secrets behind the college entrance exam. The 37-year-old Ivy League graduate is the founder of Catalyst Prep, a Los Angeles-based test preparation company that uses humor and pop culture to make studying for the dreaded SAT and ACT tests more fun.
Preparing for SAT or ACT? UNLV now offering boot camps: Thursday, March 21, 2013; UNLV's School of Continuing Education has partnered with an outside company to offer its first ACT and SAT boot camps.
UNLV changing test requirements for incoming freshmen: Thursday, March 21, 2013; Starting this fall, UNLV requires all applicants to submit an SAT or ACT score as part of the admissions process. New freshmen will not be able to register for classes if scores are not received.
If parents had their way: What they want in the next schools superintendent: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; The next superintendent of the Clark County School District should know the challenges facing education in Las Vegas well, parents told School Board members Tuesday night.
Teachers Health Trust seeking arbitration to force increase in health premiums: Nonprofit organization operating at $225,000 deficit a month but still sound, trust officials say; Tuesday, March 19, 2013; With mounting health care costs and stagnant revenues, the Teachers Health Trust is seeking to go into arbitration with the Clark County School District to raise health premiums for nearly 18,000 teachers.
Regents back chancellor's order to present united front on funding formula: Tuesday, March 19, 2013; Gag order or procedure? That's the question at the heart of the debate over Dan Klaich's recent edict to Nevada college and university presidents.
Legislation introduced to allow taxing district for UNLV stadium project: Monday, March 18, 2013; An Assembly bill introduced Monday would create a tax increment financing district for the proposed 60,000-seat UNLV Now stadium project.
In search for schools chief, district to use same firm that brought in Dwight Jones: Thursday, March 14, 2013; The Clark County School Board will hire a search firm to conduct a national search for a new superintendent. After a nearly 12-hour day of discussions, the board chose to hire Omaha-based McPherson & Jacobson to look for its next superintendent.
CCSD board to decide whether to DIY or hire consultant in superintendent search: Thursday, March 14, 2013; With an interim superintendent chosen, the Clark County School Board is now looking to hire a permanent replacement for outgoing Superintendent Dwight Jones, who stepped down last week.
CCSD board taps longtime district administrator as interim superintendent: Thursday, March 14, 2013; Pat Skorkowsky is getting his second new job with the Clark County School District in seven months. This time, it's interim superintendent. The CCSD School Board, in a special meeting Thursday, agreed to Skorkowsky’s appointment in a 7-0 vote.
Clark County teachers rally in campaign for smaller class sizes: Wednesday, March 13, 2013; 35, 38 and 44. These figures represent the number of students in some Clark County classrooms, as reported by teachers who rallied Wednesday afternoon for more funding for class-size reduction.
Back to school: CCSD to hire 2,000 new teachers: Thursday, March 7, 2013; Over the next several months, the Clark County School District plans to hire about 2,000 new teachers, bringing average class sizes down by an estimated one to two students next school year.
$270K annual salary may not be enough to attract next superintendent, board president suggests: Thursday, March 7, 2013; Clark County School Board President Carolyn Edwards called on her colleagues to re-examine the compensation package for future superintendents in light of Superintendent Dwight Jones' sudden resignation. "It's a difficult thing for us to do, and it's not popular in this community," Edwards said.
School officials, parents lament Dwight Jones' exit, fear a 'loss of momentum': Thursday, March 7, 2013; Las Vegans were shocked by Superintendent Dwight Jones' sudden decision to leave the Clark County School District by the end of this month.
CCSD opts to rezone 9 elementary schools to combat overcrowding: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; The Clark County School Board unanimously approved rezoning nine elementary schools to alleviate campus crowding in the southwest valley.
Dwight Jones reiterates: Family situation is sole reason for his sudden departure: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; Outgoing Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones maintained Wednesday that his sudden decision to leave the nation's fifth-largest district was personal – nothing else. "I want to be crystal clear," Jones said. "My decision has nothing to do with any other factors outside of just wanting to do what I think is right for my family."
Options to ease crowding in SW valley schools focus of special meeting tonight: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; The Clark County School Board is expected to vote Wednesday night on several rezoning options to alleviate school crowding in the southwest valley. Since January, the School District has been mulling several options to address the issue. The School Board is expected to make a final decision Wednesday, culminating months of community forums and discussions.
Lost in translation: District's cost-cutting move targets non-English-speaking parents of special-needs students: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; In an attempt to save costs and "realign resources," the cash-strapped Clark County School District is now contemplating dropping written translation service for non-English-speaking parents of special-needs students — one of the district's most at-risk student populations. For parents of the nearly 32,000 special-needs children, the Individualized Education Plan serves as a roadmap to help keep students on track to succeed.
Nevada continues to shortchange English-language learner programs, advocate maintains: Wednesday, March 6, 2013; Sylvia Lazos, a UNLV professor of civil rights, argued the debate over the translation services in the Clark County School District is endemic of a larger problem: the underfunding of English-language learner students in Nevada.
Dwight Jones, reform-minded superintendent, to leave School District: Tuesday, March 5, 2013; Clark County Schools Superintendent Dwight Jones announced Tuesday evening that he is stepping down from the nation's fifth-largest school district. Jones, who was hired in October 2010, said he is leaving to take care of his ailing mother.
Higher ed officials eager to bulk up online learning opportunities statewide: Friday, March 1, 2013; Nevada's higher education leaders are planning a systemwide expansion of its online course offerings in response to rising competition from low-cost, e-learning alternatives nationwide.
Overcrowding could force 11 elementary schools into year-round schedules: Friday, March 1, 2013; The Clark County School Board is considering converting as many as 11 elementary schools to a year-round calendar to alleviate overcrowding in southwest valley schools.
Mothers turning to placenta pills to overcome postpartum depression: Friday, March 1, 2013; When Lisa Stark gave birth, she decided to save her placenta. The organ that nourishes the fetus is usually discarded after childbirth. Some cultures consider placentas sacred and buried them under a tree. Stark had something else in mind for hers. She wanted to eat it.
UNLV researchers author first-ever scholarly report on experiences of placenta-eating moms: Friday, March 1, 2013; The growing practice of women consuming their placenta has caught the attention of two UNLV researchers, who this week published the first experiential study on human placentophagia. The report, published Wednesday in the Ecology, Food and Nutrition journal, outlines a mother's motivations behind and experience with consuming their placenta.
How to cook and prepare your placenta: A local placenta encapsulation specialist shares her recipe; Friday, March 1, 2013; For a growing number of women in Las Vegas and across the country, consuming the placenta after childbirth has been reported — but not scientifically proven — to prevent postpartum depression, boost energy and increase lactation. Here is how placenta encapsulation specialists convert the organ into pills.
10 interesting facts about eating placenta: Friday, March 1, 2013; UNLV professor Daniel Benyshek and doctoral student Sharon Young are pioneering research into maternal human placentophagy, the practice of mothers consuming their placenta.
$8.3 million in funding cuts loom over CCSD in sequestration: Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2013; The Clark County School District would lose an estimated $8.3 million in federal funding should looming budget cuts – known as the sequester – go into effect Friday, according to the U.S. Education Department.
Teachers rally for increased state education funding: Monday, Feb. 25, 2013; Nevada must invest more heavily in its underfunded and underperforming schools to graduate more students and boost the local economy. That's the message thousands of teachers are hoping to send to lawmakers in Carson City on Monday, which has been designated by the Legislature as "Education Awareness Day." About 40 teachers gathered Monday morning at Fay Herron Elementary School to highlight the effects of the budget cuts to schools and to call for more education funding.
For students with multiple disabilities, a new, specially designed school opens: Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013; The Clark County School District welcomed more than 100 students with severe disabilities to a brand-new campus this week. The Miller School moved into an $18 million, state-of-the-art facility on Wednesday.
5 unique design features of CCSD's new special-needs school: Miller School serves students with severe disabilities; Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013; The Clark County School District celebrated the opening of a new campus for 125 special-needs students with severe physical and intellectual disabilities. Here are five unique design features of the new Miller School, which has been nominated for a national design award.
UNLV stadium planners say they can overcome FAA's height restrictions: Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013; The Federal Aviation Administration has raised concerns about the height of UNLV's proposed stadium. Federal regulations require that developers looking to build a tall structure near an airport must first consult with the FAA.
Project leader still bullish on UNLV Now stadium: Friday, Feb. 15, 2013; Don Snyder is putting his head down and moving forward despite news this week that could cripple the UNLV Now stadium project he is trying to shepherd into reality. MGM Resorts International, the first hotel-casino backer of UNLV Now, said it "cannot support the current UNLV Now concept," arguing its price tag of $800 million to $900 million was too prohibitive.
Black students 3 times more likely to be expelled in CCSD: Friday, Feb. 15, 2013; If you're a black student in the Clark County School District, you are three times more likely to be expelled from school than your nonblack peers.
Clark High computer labs to bear name of Jimmy Kimmel: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013; The Clark County School Board unanimously approved naming four new computer labs at Clark High School after late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
School District approves $250K-a-year contract for consultant: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013; The Clark County School Board approved a $250,000 contract for consultant Ken Turner on Thursday.
UNLV students prepare to build competition-ready 'net-zero' house: Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013; After more than a year of design drafts, a group of bright UNLV students is ready to break ground on a fully functioning house powered exclusively by the sun. In January 2012, UNLV was selected to participate in the Solar Decathlon, a biennial competition that challenges 20 collegiate teams from around the world to design and construct a solar-powered house. It's a pertinent challenge for a desert city like Las Vegas, where sunshine is abundant, natural energy resources are scarce and smog checks and air-quality warnings are ubiquitous.
After donation, Jimmy Kimmel might be even bigger name on Clark High campus: Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013; Jimmy Kimmel's name may soon adorn the technology wing of a local high school pending final approval by the Clark County School Board on Thursday night.
Gas prices in valley jump 38 cents a gallon since last month, AAA reports: Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013; The average price for a gallon of gas in Nevada has skyrocketed to $3.54, up 38 cents from a month ago, according to the latest AAA Nevada monthly gas survey. The average price for regular unleaded gasoline saw the biggest increase in the nation this past week.
School District names new assistant superintendent for ELL students: Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013; The Clark County School District has selected Lucy Keaton to become the first assistant superintendent of the district's English Language Learner program.