Home Subscribe Las Vegas Review-Journal
  Jobs Cars Homes Shopping Travel Weddings Golf Best of Las Vegas Photo   Search:

RECENT EDITIONS
Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Opinion
Dec. 07, 2007
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

EDITORIAL: Charter school moratorium

State board decides not to handle its obligations

Charter schools -- alternative schools run under government auspices -- are a baby step toward true education reform. They're not nearly as dramatic a break with the status quo as, say, tax credits that help parents afford to home-school or send their kids to private schools, instead of forcing them to subsidize a one-size-fits-all public school system they choose not to use.

But -- given the stranglehold on the Legislature maintained by public sector unions in general and educrats in particular -- charter schools are about as much freedom as most Nevadans have been able to achieve.

So great is the demand for any level of enhanced educational freedom, however, that even this "weak tea" version is proving enormously popular. The state Board of Education is overwhelmed by applications to create new charter schools, complains board member Cindy Reid of Henderson.

Officials already cannot handle the workload from as many as 11 new charter school applications submitted for possible startup in the 2008-09 school year, Ms. Reid whines. And the state Department of Education expects a further wave of new applications after the Clark County School District decided in October to end its own sponsorship of new charter schools, citing time and expense.

Most Popular Stories
  • EDITORIAL: Ignoring the court
  • VIN SUPRYNOWICZ: 'You've a gun on your T-shirt'
  • LETTERS: An incredible imbalance in salaries
  • ERIN NEFF: Gibbons and the sweetheart deal
  • LETTERS: Blame the doctor, not the messenger
  • LETTERS: No free lunch with green solutions
  • EDITORIAL: The death of common sense
  • FROM OUR READERS: Is it too late to make a deal?
  • LETTERS: Give up your car and ride a bike
  • EDITORIAL: It's satire, ladies and gentlemen



    • The solution? The state Board of Education voted unanimously last week to put a moratorium on consideration of any further applications for new charter schools.

    "We are not against charter schools," said Board President Cliff Ferry. "What we do want is good charter schools."

    Yeah. And it's that same insistence on allowing only "good" schools that's led to the similar moratorium on opening any more public schools of the traditional kind?

    Speaking at the contentious three-hour hearing before Friday's moratorium vote, Ray Bacon of the Nevada Manufacturers Association voiced suspicion about the motivation behind the moratorium. Education officials knew that a limitation on the number of charter schools allowed under state law was due to expire, but failed to bring any concerns to the 2007 Legislature, he said.

    In the end, though, motivation hardly matters. The board simply has no legal authority to stop processing applications. Sen. Maurice Washington, R-Sparks, chairman of the state Human Resources and Education Committee, said this week the agency has a duty under Nevada law to review all applications submitted to it by charter school proponents and provide written reasons for any denials.

    In a letter sent to the board Wednesday, Sen. Washington said, in part: "The Legislature intends that quality charter schools are approved and operating in this state and does not intend that all applications are summarily denied."

    In a separate letter sent Monday, Assemblywoman Bonnie Parnell, D-Carson City and chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee, also noted the legal requirement for the department to process the applications.

    The board is free to shift staff to handle these applications. It is free to request an emergency legislative allocation to hire more staff for the process. It is free to streamline its process, especially when it comes to requiring endless paper-pushing to satisfy federal mandates.

    And the board should certainly ask for some interim suggestions from the Nevada State Charter School Leadership Team, a group of state education officials, charter school operators, and lawmakers looking for ways to improve the implementation of Nevada's charter school laws -- a group which also sent a letter to the board Wednesday, asking for a delay in the imposition of any moratorium.

    In the meantime, the Board of Education is certainly free to warn applicants that delays may be in the offing, as applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis.

    But if this foot-dragging on charter schools continues, it will only hasten the day when Nevadans demand far broader and more meaningful alternatives to the current, dysfunctional public school monopoly.



    Leave Your Comment 4 Reader Comments
    Terms & Conditions
    The following comments are provided by readers and are the sole responsiblity of the authors. The reviewjournal.com does not review comments before publication nor guarantee their accuracy. By publishing a comment here you agree to abide by the comment policy. If you see a comment that violates the policy, please notify the web editor.

    Some comments may not display immediately due to an automatic filter. These comments will be reviewed within 48 hours. Please do not submit a comment more than once.
    Current Word Count:

    southy wrote on December 07, 2007 09:30 AM: Did Assemblyman Maurice Washington have some trouble with his charter school a few years ago? If so, could you please re-run that story so the public can know what overisght exposes?

    Arizona requires charter schools to hire approved outside auditors do do their financial and curriculum audits and then submit the material to the state's 8 person staff (there are 499 charter schools in Arizona). Maybe Nevada should do the same?


    Jon H. wrote on December 07, 2007 08:11 AM: Lawrence Hyde wrote:

    "Is this Cindy Reid any relation to Harry Reid? If so I can understand why she is against charter schools. After all Reid is famous for spending taxpayers money on garbage."

    Yes, I believe she is a Daughter in Law.

    Yes, Reid is building his Political Family Empire.

    Closest thing to a Monarch and a Hereditary family in the US of A.


    Lawrence Hyde wrote on December 07, 2007 07:55 AM: Is this Cindy Reid any relation to Harry Reid? If so I can understand why she is against charter schools. After all Reid is famous for spending taxpayers money on garbage.


    Jon H. wrote on December 07, 2007 07:40 AM: I will agree to the $9.5 billion bond issue for the Clark County School District after I get solid assurances of accountability, and the elimination of known problems. If accountability and changes cannot be put on the table, then I will actively fight to have this bond defeated.

    People supporting this bond, that represent the school district, have for to long been allowed to continually fail without consequence. I for one plan not to accept failure going forward and will tighten the purse strings until positive change is realized. In this case, the only way to solve this problem, is to have the ability to destroy its cause.

    How about the following short list to open the debate:

    Charter Schools, opened at an accelerated rate.

    Eliminate the teachers union, give School Administrators more tools to root out the problem teachers.

    Flatten the Administrators to two levels, the Principle of the school and Administrator of a district.

    Break up the Clark County School District. We need a separate very small districts so each community can be involved at a local level.

    Eliminate the Federal Government from any involvement in our Schools. Funds lost will be made up in the elimination of all the unnecessary do nothing (do harm) administrative layers.

    Make the Principle of each school directly accountable to the Parents of the children at that school. Empower the Parents, and see what they can and will do.

    Make available Vouchers for those who choose to Home School, or use Private Schools.