professional development

Nevada son and United States Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid addressed a joint session of the Nevada State Legislature today in Carson City. Here is the text of his speech:

As Prepared for Delivery Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2013:

Madam Speaker, Mr. President, Distinguished Members of the Legislature, Honorable Justices of the Supreme Court, Constitutional Officers, Senator Heller, honored guests…...

The Carson City School District was among 16 winners of federal grant money from the The U.S. Department of Education's 2012 Race to the Top-District competition.

The Carson City School District will receive a share of the $400 million grant, around and up to $10 million, to support locally developed plans to personalize and deepen student learning, directly improve student achievement and educator effectiveness, close achievement gaps, and prepare every student to succeed in college and their careers.

"This is wonderful news for Carson City's students, teachers and parents" said Nevada Sen. Harry Reid. "As someone whose life was transformed by teachers, I understand the importance of providing all Nevadans with the opportunity to receive a quality education. While I wish that other school districts in the state were also awarded this grant, I know these funds will help put Carson's students on a path towards success."

CARSON CITY – Establishing school choice for parents and ending social promotion for students are two top priorities in Gov. Brian Sandoval’s education reform agenda for the 2013 legislative session, an administration official said today.

Linking pay to performance and providing professional development to ensure students have the best possible classroom teachers is a third major priority, said Dale Erquiaga, senior adviser to Sandoval.

North Lake Tahoe is gearing up to host the 37th Annual Mountain Travel Symposium, one of the world’s premier ski industry wholesale conferences, April 15-21 at the Resort at Squaw Creek in Olympic Valley, Calif. This is the second time North Lake Tahoe has been the designated conference host, having held the event with its 1,200 attendees back in 2006.

Travel and ski journalists from national magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs and social media outlets will arrive at South Lake Tahoe next week and be greeted with several feet of fresh snow during the North American Snowsports Journalist Association National Conference.

CARSON CITY – Heath Morrison, superintendent of the Washoe County School District, today was named the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators.

The announcement was made at the AASA national conference in Houston.

CARSON CITY – As Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Board of Education move ahead with the selection of a new state schools chief to push forward with education reform, a new report gives another reason for urgency: Nevada has received a D grade for its science standards from a national group.

Names of those killed in yesterday's IHOP shooting are:

• Major Heath Kelly, 35, Reno, decorated field artillery officer, husband and father, commander of Joint Force Headquarters in Carson City, served in Iraq 2004-2005. Avid student of military history, known for his dry sense of humor. See story
• Sgt. 1st Class Christian Riege, 38, Carson City, father of three, served in Afghanistan 2009-2010, also served in U.S Navy for two years before joining the Guard
• Sgt. 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31, Reno, owner of a small baking company, well known in the company for providing cupcakes for guard functions. See story
• Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67, South Lake Tahoe. See story

According to Sheriff Kenny Furlong, the names of those wounded are not going to be released at this time.

One of those wounded is Wally Gunderson, husband of Florence Donovan-Gunderson, who died in the attack.

See all stories on IHOP Shooting

A settlement agreement with the U.S Department of Justice over the handling of its English Language Learner program will be discussed Tuesday when the Carson City School District board meets.

The annual Western Nevada College Craft Fair will run Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the main lobby of the Bristlecone Building. Enjoy a chance to start holiday shopping between classes or on lunch break. Students, faculty and the public can browse the main lobby where more than 20 crafters will be selling a wide variety of handmade items.
This year's crafters will be selling everything from jewelry, gift baskets and candles to picture frames, artwork, candy and pies. The event is sponsored by the WNC classified employees, who use proceeds to help fund professional development activities.

By Andrew Barbano
Longtime Nevada labor leader Danny Coyle died of cancer in Carson City early Saturday morning, July 17. He was 74 years old.
At the time of his death, he was president of the retiree chapter of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 4041/AFL-CIO, an organization he founded. He was concurrently legislative vice-chair of the Nevada Alliance for Retired Americans. He had also served as president of AFSCME Local 4041/AFL-CIO.

After a two-year hiatus the Nevada Governor's Conference on Tourism will return in December, state officials announced Thursday.
The conference will take place Dec. 7-8 at the Peppermill Resort Casino in Reno. It will focus mainly on current travel trends, who is vacationing and ways to lure travelers and vacationers to Nevada.

Nevada is preparing to compete in round two of the federal Race to the Top grant program. Only two states that applied, Tennessee and Delaware, received funding from the first phase of the competition.

Thursday, February 4, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Young Business Professionals (YBP) Professional Development Boot Camp. In cooperation with Reno’s YPN (for those between 21-40).

Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: Helping out kids in need, soldiersStaff Writer

WNC NEWS & NOTESStaff Writer