Public School

Recently, while dialing thru the radio spectrum I stumbled upon the “conservative” Mike Gallagher talk show, which is broadcast locally here in Carson City, on KKFT-99.1.

Mr. Gallagher stated (and I am paraphrasing here) “our children are not allowed to pray in public schools”

“The United States Supreme Court has never held that students cannot pray in school.

The shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut has claimed the lives of 26 people, 20 of them children. This is a tragedy that has gained national attention and has wrenched the hearts of Carson City residents. Saturday night, December 15, as the sun sets at 6:00 p.m., members of the Carson City business community will be hosting a candlelight vigil on the sidewalk of the Nevada State Capitol building, located at 101 North Carson Street.

The largest Great Nevada Shakeout in its three-year history, and part of the world’s largest public earthquake drill with 18 million participants globally, is Thursday, Oct. 18 at 10:18 a.m. More than a half a million Nevadans are registered to participate in the annual statewide public earthquake drill, and with just a few days to go the Nevada Seismological Laboratory would like 100,000 more people registered.

CARSON CITY – Nevada retailers and their online counterparts expect to see $245 million in spending on back-to-school merchandise for public school children this year, a 15.4 percent increase over spending levels in 2011, the Retail Association of Nevada (RAN) reported today.

I am writing to you about the recent statement about the Nye Regional Medical Center closing it doors if they don't get some help from the County or State. I enclosing a letter that explains why the state or county should allow it to close. There is serious mismanagement that has been going on for the last 4 years. Even through its the only health care facility's within a 100 plus miles still as a employee of the hospital I have witness many wrong doings and the placing of key personnel in positions that they would never be able to hold in any other hospital or clinic.

CARSON CITY – Five candidates, including one current board member, are seeking the State Board of Education seat in District 3 in Clark County in the June 12 primary.

The top two vote-getters in the nonpartisan race will move on to the general election in November. The board, reconstituted in the 2011 legislative session, has four elected seats. Another three will be appointed by Gov. Brian Sandoval and legislative leadership.

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.

Prospective students, parents and community members are invited to explore the reality of customized teaching and learning during the Spring 2012 Custom Learning Academy (CLA) Open House in Truckee from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 21. CLA employs a highly personalized approach to education, offers national standard-based curriculum tailored to the individual needs of each student and is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

CARSON CITY – A panel of lawmakers today began a review of the state’s 45-year-old formula for funding public education with an eye towards addressing the needs of the state’s urban districts as they work to educate special education students, English-language learners and children in poverty.

The panel is still searching for funding for a study to help in the review, however. The failure to find private funding for a study could jeopardize any meaningful review in this interim, lawmakers were told.

CARSON CITY – As National School Choice Week gets under way today state officials say Nevada school children have more opportunities than ever before to choose a school that works best for them.

But one element of choice, a school voucher program, remains an unrealized and divisive issue for the state’s policy makers.

Carson City Sheriff's deputies arrested a 32-year-old woman at around noon Thursday for five instances of failure to prevent truance, five instances of interfering with pupil attendence at school, and five instances of attendence in public school requirement failures.

A school resource officer was contact by the principal of a local elementary school, who notified him of four children who had been missing from school since the beginning of November, coupled with several reports from a neighbor about children playing outside when they should be attending school.

CARSON CITY – Nevada is joining with many other states in seeking a waiver from the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, a state panel was told today.

CARSON CITY – Washoe County School District Superintendent Heath Morrison has been named a finalist for the 2012 National Superintendent of the Year.

The American Association of School Administrators (AASA) selected Morrison and three other superintendents as the four finalists in the national program.

Our public schools must change. We must rethink how teachers teach and students learn.Charter schools hold much promise for reinventing public school. Blended distance learning (a mix of online ins...

Gov. Brian Sandoval yesterday signed an executive order directing the P-16 Advisory Council to review education data systems in Nevada.
The Council, created by state statute, is intended to help coordinate education efforts in Nevada from the preschool through postsecondary levels and has the authority to address the data information system for public school students.

When he visits Las Vegas on Oct. 24, President Barack Obama will continue his nationwide tour urging Congress to pass the Americans Jobs Act, his $450 billion plan to create jobs and stimulate the economy.
“Pass this jobs bill, and there will be funding to save the jobs of up to 13,000 North Carolina teachers, cops, and firefighters,” Obama said earlier this month to thousands of supporters at North Carolina State University.

Many people use social media to stay connected, but Nevada State Bank is using it to give away $20,000 to three Nevada public schools.

Nevada State Bank believes in the importance of education and the difference it makes in the community. The bank continually strives to volunteer and invest in the future of the state’s children. Now, Nevada State Bank is asking for the public’s help.

CARSON CITY – So how much are Nevada taxpayers shelling out to educate children attending the state’s 17 public school districts this year?
And if the answer is not easy to ascertain, is it time to consider revising the 44-year old Nevada Plan, the admittedly complex formula used by the Legislature every two years to fund public education?

Given the continued belief in a failed economic theory, the recent economic events were inevitable. As a student of the U.S. education system (public school and both public and private college), I ...

CARSON CITY – A bill authorizing the state Treasurer to use up to $50 million in education funds to support economic diversification efforts and generate more money for public schools passed the Senate today despite questions about the constitutionality of the measure.
Senate Bill 75, amended twice before the vote, passed 12-9 with 10 Democrats and two Republicans in support. It will now be considered by the Assembly.
The bill is being sought by state Treasurer Kate Marshall.

My fellow Nevadans, good evening.

Three months ago, I delivered a State of the State Address against the backdrop of record unemployment and sharply reduced state revenue. I believed then, as I do now, that by controlling state spending and changing the way we do business, we could bring about a sustained economic recovery that would get Nevada working again. And so tonight, I’m pleased to come before you with a second and more positive report on the state of Nevada’s economy.

CARSON CITY – The debate over Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposed cuts to public education shifted to the state Senate today, with members of the upper house getting the details of the reductions that the Clark County schools chief said would mean the loss of $400 million for a 19 percent cut in funding.
But there was no effort by Democrats, who control the Senate with a narrow 11-10 advantage, to force a vote on the schools budget as occurred yesterday in a more contentious Assembly hearing. There were no fireworks either.

CARSON CITY – Efforts in the Legislature to amend Nevada’s constitution failed for the most part to move forward today as a deadline hit to get measures passed out of committee.
Measures creating a lottery, repealing the minimum wage and allowing tax dollars to be spent on religious schools all failed to advance.
One of the most significant failures came on the issue of vouchers for religious schools. Two measures, including one introduced by Gov. Brian Sandoval, did not make it out of committee by the deadline.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – A proposed amendment to the Nevada constitution to allow a future Legislature to create a school voucher program so parents could get state funding to send their children to private schools, including religious schools, was heard by a Senate panel today.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Carrying a hatchet, axe, sword or knife onto the grounds of  a child care center, public school or higher education campus would become a misdemeanor under a new proposal.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – Freshman Republican state Sen. Michael Roberson got a lot of people’s attention last week when he engaged in a brief but spirited line of questioning at a Judiciary Committee hearing with mining industry lobbyists.

CARSON CITY – About 50 state employees gathered in front of the Legislative Building today to call on Gov. Brian Sandoval to participate in a discussion about potential tax increases to help fund the state budget.
With the wind blowing at a steady clip, Vishnu Subramaniam, AFSCME Local 4041, chief of staff, said: “This is a great analogy of what’s going on in the state. They’re trying to blow us away while we’re providing services.
“We need a broad-based corporate tax,” he said. “We need to be having a talk about revenues. The talk of cuts is a red herring.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOTDn2A7hcY

For more than a year, the lack of firm details about the Nugget Project has been a major source of frustration to those trying to get their heads around this undertaking.

Without real numbers or plans, those arguing for or against struggled with hitting the moving target that is this project.

But that target just got a whole lot more stationary, as Carson City Manager Larry Werner released a 100+ page feasibility report (attached below) for the Board of Supervisors to use this week when a decision is made on whether to move forward with the project.

By Andrew Doughman / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY — Nevada’s primary education system would change dramatically under the proposals Gov. Brian Sandoval delivered tonight in his State of the State address.
He would use student achievement data to evaluate educators, provide merit pay for effective teachers and end extra pay for longevity and advanced degree attainment.

By Sean Whaley / Nevada News Bureau
CARSON CITY – When it comes to the budget problems looming for many states over the next two years, a report released this week by the National Conference of State Legislatures makes one point very clear: Nevada is No. 1, and not in a good way.