(Getty Images)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Listening recently to a local political candidate denigrate public education in Nevada was very disheartening. Not because of character flaws or perceived inability of the candidate. He, like most voters, believes that national and state school rankings based on standardized test scores accurately measure school quality and effectiveness.

Improving public education seems to be on the agenda of each local, state and national political candidate; even though they are powerless to do so. Their prescribed remedies for curing the ills of public schools are more harmful than helpful.

Those disaffected with public schools are misled by the illusion that individual differences in academic ability are due to school quality. There is no valid evidence that school environments or instructional practices are responsible for gaps in reading ability or standardized test scores.

Simply put, schools and districts with higher standardized test score averages have students that have higher test scores. The primary difference remains the composition of the student body. Since their inception, standardized test results have always favored wealth over poverty when comparing different populations of test-takers.

There is nothing more fallacious than national rankings from media sources such as U.S. News and World Report. U.S. News proudly proclaims, “Since 1983 they have provided education rankings and helped parents and students find the perfect school.”

This should be interpreted as: Buy a home in an upper-middle class or wealthy neighborhood and surround your children with high achieving students or send them to more selective private or charter schools that are more adept at excluding low achieving students, and your children will be in schools with higher test scores.

School ranks remain largely unchanged over the past four decades and consistently reflect the socio-economic demographics of student populations. Suburban schools outperform inner-city schools in every metropolitan area. Some regular public schools have been supplanted by magnet and theme schools that have siphoned-off higher achievers within their districts.

Common levels of performance are not attainable in any field. Statements whining about low proficiency rates in particular schools or districts demonstrate the desire to dismantle public education. Parents and many educators have been hoodwinked into accepting standardized test scores as effective measures of learning and academic success.

Editorial and opinion pieces stating that Henderson or Summerlin schools “outperform” Las Vegas or North Las Vegas schools are made based on state test score averages. Instructional differences between schools have little or no impact on test score averages. Demographics determine averages.

There are no proven instructional methods or academic interventions that overcome disparate academic outcomes when comparing student populations. Schools across the valley mirror the situation in other metropolitan communities.

Poverty has a major influence on test score averages. Other socio-cultural and non-educational factors, such as the number of English learners and special education students, and parent education levels influence test score averages.

About 70% of Nevada students reside in Clark County, so CCSD largely determines test score averages for the state. Because of disproportionality of the previous factors, Nevada will always be near the bottom when compared to other states.

Using the nationwide teacher shortage as an excuse for poor academic performance of schools with large numbers of students in poverty is misleading. Universal instructional methods would be in place if common outcomes were possible.

Teachers with reasonably sized classrooms can have a profoundly positive effect across many measures in education, but little impact on individual standardized test scores. Low test scores are not a valid reason to question the funding of public schools. About 80% of a public school budget is the cost of personnel.

Competitive salaries are a good first step in attracting and retaining quality personnel, but more aggressive and creative solutions are needed. Suggestion: Create a local pipeline of educators for CCSD by expanding partnerships with institutions of higher education across the valley to effectively and cooperatively train PreK – 12 teachers and other educational personnel.

It is important to stress the importance of funding preschool programs. Preschool education may be our last best hope to improve all academic outcomes, including test scores. Academic success for individual students is largely determined prior to entering kindergarten.

The issue is not just the misperception that standardized test scores are an accurate measure of school quality. Educators also need to stop pretending that they largely influence individual test scores. The public needs to stop pretending that the only policies that might improve academic performance are educational ones.  

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(Clark County School District photo)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Eleven people sit on the Nevada State Board of Education. Four are elected by voters — one from each congressional district. The other seven are appointed by the governor or various public bodies.

Terms for all four elected board members are up this year, but only three elections will be held, and only two will appear on the June primary ballot.

For District 4, only current board member Tim Hughes filed to run, meaning he will automatically secure a second term. Hughes, who works for a national education nonprofit called TNTP (The New Teacher Project), was first elected to the board in 2020 to represent District 1. The political redistricting process, which occurred in 2021 after the last state board of education election cycle, shifted Hughes into a new district, which is why the district anomaly is happening.

For District 1, no primary will be held because only two candidates filed, meaning they will both advance and face off on the general election ballot in November. Those candidates are Tim Underwood and Tricia Braxton. Underwood told the Current he expects to launch his campaign website this week.

For Districts 2 and 3, five candidates are seeking to defeat two current board members. If any candidate receives more than 50% of the votes during the June primary, they will be declared the winner. If nobody receives a majority of votes, the top two finishers in each race will advance to the general election in November.

René Cantú currently represents District 4 on the state board of education but because of the political redistricting process is now running in District 3. His campaign website is not currently live.

Cantú is the founding executive director of Jobs for Nevada’s Graduates (also known as J4NG and JAG Nevada), which helps vulnerable youth finish high school. It’s a mission that hits close to home as a former vulnerable youth who graduated toward the bottom of his high school class but went on to earn a doctorate in higher education.

Cantú defeated a sitting board member to secure his seat in 2020. This year, he will have to worry about two other challengers seeking to do the same to him.

Danielle Ford is a former Clark County School Board trustee, serving one term from 2018 to 2022, when she was unseated by Irene Bustamante Adams. When she was on the school board, Ford was one of the most outspoken trustees against then-Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara. She has remained outspoken and involved in education since leaving office. She now runs a podcast called “Unraveling Education.”

On her podcast, Ford made it clear her intent was not to challenge Cantú, whom she called “a solid board member.” She said filed to run because it was supposed to be an open seat. Felicia Ortiz, the current elected board member representing District 3, was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Ford added that she is nevertheless happy about the opportunity to serve on the state board. In response to an Opportunity 180 candidate survey, Ford emphasized how her experience and knowledge as a trustee would offer much-needed insight at the state level.

“There are many disconnects between the Nevada Board of Education and the local school districts which it writes policy and mandates for, and I learned exactly what those are,” she wrote. “I would first address the unnecessary and arbitrary reporting requirements from the State Board that puts extra workloads on teachers and administrators, and has contributed to the teacher shortage.”

Jasmine Kurys is a first-time candidate for public office. She told Veterans in Politics she is running because she wants “to start addressing the root of the problems we’re having as a country.”

Kurys told Opportunity 180 her vision of success is “ensuring children have access to nutritionally dense food, comprehensive nutrition/health education, and a curriculum that prioritizes practical life skills. This includes classes and programs focused on mental health, sewing, cooking, basic carpentry, breathing, gardening, mechanics, and utilizing technology as a tool, for examples.”

She continued, “STEM education is not the sole path to success, nor does proficiency in STEM subjects adequately prepare students for real-world challenges.”

Kurys’s candidate financial disclosure report states she works for a grocery store chain and farmers markets, and her professional website highlights past work in stage productions.

Angela Orr was appointed by Gov. Joe Lombardo to the board of education to represent District 2 in October 2023. That vacancy was created by the resignation of Katie Coombs in July. Coombs won the seat in 2020 by default when she was the only candidate to file for the office. 

Orr is the principal of Doral Academy Northern Nevada, a charter school, and has previously taught social studies and leadership. In an Opportunity 180 candidate survey, she calls education “a lifelong commitment and passion.”

“My vision for success in this role centers on elevating Nevada’s students and transforming our state’s education system into a model of excellence,” she wrote. “I’m determined to shift the narrative from Nevada consistently ranking at the bottom in educational standings to becoming a beacon of educational success.”

On her campaign website, Orr states that one of the three pillars of her campaign is fighting for equity of resources in schools and advocating “against blanket policies and practices that may be necessary in Southern Nevada but which do not serve the students and families in Northern Nevada.”

Dorzell King, Jr. is a former early childhood educator and permanent substitute teacher now working in business. He lists classroom ratios, student and teacher safety, career development and administrative efficiency as the top issues of his campaign.

Paul “Doc” Davis does not have a campaign website and his candidate disclosure statement lists no source of income.

“My reason for running for this position is my great passion for all types of education,” wrote Davis in response to an Opportunity 180 candidate survey, “and, more certainly, the need to elevate the literacy rate of our students in the State of Nevada.”

Matthew R. Buehler does not have a website for his Board of Education race but has previously publicly identified himself as a career Air Force veteran with two master’s degrees in business administration and biology. In 2022, Buehler ran for State Senate District 13 as a Republican and lost to Democrat Skip Daly. In 2020 and 2018, Buehler ran for Washoe County treasurer as a Democrat; he lost both times to Republican Tammi Davis.

The Current will update this story with campaign links and additional info on state board of education candidates as they become available.

The post Former CCSD trustee among candidates seeking to join State Board of Education  appeared first on Nevada Current.

UNLV's re-enrollment rate for all full-time undergraduates from fall 2023 to spring 2024 was a record high of nearly 94%. (Photo: Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

For higher education, one of the biggest challenges leftover from the pandemic years is getting students to sign up. 

In recent years enrollment at many Nevada higher education institutions — like higher education institutions nationally — has plateaued compared to pre-pandemic levels. But at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas the tide has finally turned.

Spring enrollment for degree-seeking undergraduates at UNLV is up 3%, compared to last year. Enrollment for degree-seeking graduates this spring was even higher, as UNLV recorded a 9% increase in student enrollment compared to 2023.

The number of students who received state support to cover tuition and enroll full-time also increased by about 5%.

In total UNLV enrolled 29,360 students for the 2024 spring semester, a record number of undergraduate and graduate students compared to previous years, according to a report released by the Office of Decision Support.

The record-breaking milestone comes after years of enrollment decline at UNLV. From spring 2020 to spring 2023, UNLV saw a 2% decline in enrollment, according to data from the UNLV Office of Decision Support.

Leadership at UNLV attributed the boost in enrollment to steady and strategic long-term investments in recruiting initiatives that built substantial growth during the fall semester.  Although not a record, the university’s student enrollment in fall 2023 was near the all-time high.

UNLV’s Office of Decision Support also reported that the re-enrollment rate for all full-time undergraduates from fall 2023 to spring 2024 was a record high of nearly 94%, while the rate for the first-time, full-time cohort was 92%. 

Barb Roberts, UNLV’s associate vice president for Enrollment Management, noted the overall enrollment count largely depends on retaining students over the semesters. 

“We had the largest spring enrollment we’ve ever had. We had a very high retention rate for all students from fall to spring, which was super important not only for the university, but also for our students in terms of progression,” Roberts said in a campus news statement. 

Officials at UNLV also credited their record enrollment to a restructured UNLV financial aid office, including the implementation of UNLV Rebel EDGE, a program that combines federal, state, and institutional aid to offer low-income full-time students free tuition and fees for up to 15 credits, along with a $1,000 annual book stipend.

Financial aid plays a critical role in student retention, and UNLV’s efforts to ensure students in need have their tuition completely covered have directly impacted student retention, Roberts said.

The university has also invested in student outreach specialists to assist students who’ve been flagged as having at least three characteristics typically associated with dropping out of college. Those characteristics include Pell grant eligibility, being a first-generation college student, or graduating from a low-performing high school in Nevada.

Many of Nevada’s other higher education facilities have also seen a positive enrollment trend this spring, according to data from the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE). Preliminary state data indicates that enrollment across NSHE’s public institutions from spring 2023 to spring 2024 increased by nearly 7%.

“This rise is exciting and reflects the collective effort and dedication of our institutions and students, highlighting their commitment to academic excellence and educational opportunities,” said NSHE public information officer Elizabeth Callahan. 

However, some universities in Nevada are still struggling to improve enrollment rates for degree seeking students. Preliminary NSHE data indicates that enrollment for degree seeking undergraduates at the University of Nevada, Reno between spring 2023 and spring 2024 fell by about 1%, while enrollment for degree seeking graduates fell by 3%.

The post UNLV sees record enrollment after years of steady decline appeared first on Nevada Current.

(Photo: Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Voters in Nevada will soon need to narrow down which candidates can advance to the general election for the chance to govern Nevada’s public system of higher education. 

Nevada’s System of Higher Education (NSHE) — which spans four community colleges, two universities, a research institute, and a state college — is overseen by an elected panel of 13 members known as the Board of Regents. 

Elected as nonpartisans, the regents, who serve six-year terms, are responsible for deciding higher education policy in the state and managing an annual budget of more than $2 billion.

Last year, however, lawmakers passed a bill that will reduce the number of regents to nine and shorten the length of their terms to four years starting in the 2028 general election. That means any regents elected this year will only serve four years before they’ll need to run again in 2028.

The Board of Regents is also facing a proposed constitutional amendment in November that would strip the regents of their constitutional authority, which critics say has effectively given the board the ability to act as a fourth branch of government.

This year, three seats on the Board of Regents in Clark County have attracted a slew of first time candidates and veteran office holders across Districts 1, 4 and 12. In Northern Nevada’s District 9 — covering Carson City, Churchill, Douglas, Lander, Lyon, Mineral, Storey and southern Washoe Counties — two candidates are facing an extremely well financed incumbent. 

Candidates can secure their regents seat by winning at least 50% of votes during the June primary. If nobody wins, the top two finishers will advance to the November general election.

District 1 is the only open seat on the Board of Regents this cycle, after incumbent Regent Laura Perkins chose to run for a North Las Vegas state Senate seat instead. Seeking to take her place are three candidates: Ida Zeiler, Carlos Fernandez, and Matthew Bowen.

Ida Zeiler, a former high school history teacher, is endorsed by Perkins, the current regent. She’s also endorsed by North Las Vegas Councilman Scott Black. Her campaign raised $600 in campaign contributions during the first quarter reporting period.

Zeiler, who now homeschools her four children, graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in 2004. She  currently serves on the City of North Las Vegas’s Planning Commission and the City Charter Committee.

Zeiler said she supports the proposed constitutional amendment this November to remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution. In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance (NFA), Zeiler said an appointment system would allow “more highly qualified and invested individuals to serve the board.”

Reducing student fees is a top priority for Zeiler, according to her campaign page. Last November, the Board of Regents proposed raising student fees to fill a budget hole created by a lack of state funding during the pandemic. Zeiler also listed expanding workforce programs, supporting veterans seeking degrees, and dual enrollment programs as top priorities.

Zeiler said she supports legislation that empowers collective bargaining for NSHE professional employees. She also said she supports the current board’s decision to utilize a consulting firm to search for a new chancellor. 

In the wake of the December 6th mass shooting at UNLV, Zeiler said she believes campuses can implement technology to “add security and reduce access without losing the community feel that having an open campus creates.”

Carlos Fernandez, the executive director of the Nevada chapter of the American Institute of Architects, is endorsed by the Vegas Chamber of Commerce, AFL-CIO, and the Nevada State Education Association. His campaign reported raising $500 in campaign contributions during the first quarter.

Since graduating from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Fernandez has worked as a lobbyist with the Vegas Chamber, a program manager at UNLV, and a solutions analyst with Foresee Consulting. 

During his work with the Vegas Chamber, Fernandez said he actively advocated for the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution in November. He made it clear that although he is campaigning for a position on the NSHE board, he “strongly supports” the proposed constitutional amendment, adding that it’s “a crucial step towards ensuring that the governance of higher education in Nevada remains transparent, responsive, and fully accountable to the public and the state legislature.”

In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance (NFA), Fernandez said he supports collective bargaining rights for NSHE professional employees as a means to ensure fair treatment and equitable compensation for employees. 

If elected, Fernandez said his top priorities are to increase accessibility to higher education, improving student success through advising and career services, and emphasizing workforce preparedness in academic programs. 

Improving campus safety in the wake of the December 6th mass shooting at UNLV will require a comprehensive approach, said Fernandez. That includes stronger security measures, mental, health support, and community-based strategies, he said. 

Matthew Bowen, a candidate for the Board of Regents District 1, did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire and reported zero campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024.

According to Bowen’s Linkedin, he attended the University of Central Arkansas and currently works as a managing associate at Pacific Advisors. Before joining his current role in 2023, Bowen had been employed as a district manager for Colonial Life, a U.S. Air Force heating and air conditioning technician, and a sales specialist at an Arkansas Toyota dealership.

Elected to the Board of Regents in 2018, incumbent Donald Sylvantee McMichael is running for a second term.

McMichael did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire and reported zero campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024. McMichael has not received any endorsements.

According to his regents page, McMichael attended Saint Leo College in 1974 and Syracuse University in 1983. McMichael worked as a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for 23 years and as a combat photographer in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years. He also worked as a photographer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Forestry Service.

Tonia Holmes-Sutton, an educational consultant, is endorsed by Veterans In Politics International, Nevada Democratic Veterans and Military Families Caucus, the Nevada Veterans Association, and the  Armed Forces Chamber. Her campaign reported raising no campaign contributions during the first quarter reporting period.

Holmes-Sutton earned a Masters of Education at UNLV before ultimately earning a UNLV Doctorate of Education.

In 2014, she was appointed to the Nevada State Board of Education by former Gov. Brian Sandoval before resigning in 2019. She is currently serving on numerous education focused boards including, as chair of the Nevada State Public Charter School Authority Board, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Board of Directors, and the WestEd Board of Directors.

If elected as the new regent of District 4, Holmes-Sutton told the Nevada Faculty Alliance she plans to prioritize equitable access to education, mental health services for students and faculty, and improving communication and collaboration from pre-k to college. 

Mental health services play a vital role in improving campus safety, said Holmes-Sutton. The mass shooting at UNLV on December 6th showed that campus security is a shared responsibility, said Holmes-Sutton. She proposed improving security systems and adding emergency stations for immediate incident response. 

Collective bargaining is a “fundamental right,” said Holmes-Sutton, adding she supports legislation that would grant collective bargaining rights to NSHE professional employees to improve their ability to negotiate terms and conditions of employment.

In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance, Holmes-Sutton said she deeply values diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education and would not support policy to regulate discussion of or teaching about topics about the relationship between race and gender identity in society.

Holmes-Sutton said she firmly opposes removing the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution as proposed in a November ballot measure. Holmes-Sutton argued the board plays a critical role in overseeing public institutions of higher education.

“Removing the Board of Regents’ constitutional status risks introducing instability and uncertainty at a time when consistent leadership is needed to navigate the challenges facing higher education,” Holmes-Sutton told the Nevada Faculty Alliance. 

“It is essential for the Board to provide strategic direction and ensure accountability, as well as establish a delicate balance between oversight and institutional autonomy.”

However, Holmes-Sutton said she believes the board needs to provide much more transparency and communication when choosing a Chancellor.

Aaron Bautista, a special education teacher at charter school Mater Academy, received his Masters degree in special education from Grand Canyon University and has been a teacher for nine years. His campaign reported raising no campaign contributions during the first quarter.

Bautista was appointed to the board of For Our Future East Las Vegas, an economic development initiative, by Councilwoman Olivia Diaz. Diaz also appointed Bautisa to the Neighborhood Partners Fund board for the City of Las Vegas.

Top priorities for Bautisa include increasing access and affordability to higher education, improving the teacher pipeline, mental health, and inclusion. 

In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance, Bautisa said he supports legislation for collective bargaining rights for NSHE professional employees. He supports the discussion of and teaching about topics about the relationship between race and gender identity in society, and would be against regulating such topics. Bautista said he opposes the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution. 

“Removing the Board of Regents takes away accountability from the colleges and universities. The Board of Regents along with chancellor, president, and legislature all must work together,” Bautista said. Bautisa did however criticize any role the Board of Regents may have in directing internal operations of the eight NSHE institutions. 

“I think the Board of Regents should provide oversight and accountability, but the school presidents should run the schools,” Bautisa said.

Richard Carrillo did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire, has no endorsements listed, and reported zero campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024.

Before running for regent of District 4, Carrillo was a member of the Nevada State Assembly where he represented District 18 as a Democrat, until he left office in 2020. During his time in office he faced some controversy after he was found guilty of driving under the influence and possessing a firearm while intoxicated in 2015.

He graduated from Washtenaw Community College in 2011 and currently works as a licensed realtor for Neighborhood Realty. Carrillo has also worked as a business representative for Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 525, according to his personal Linkedin.

Shawn Stamper did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire, lists no endorsements, and reported zero campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024. Stamper does not appear to have a campaign site or any other social media presence. 

Stamper previously ran to represent State Assembly District 14 as a Republican in 2022, before being defeated by Democratic opponent Erica Mosca

Elected to the Board of Regents in 2018, incumbent Amy Carvalho is running for a second term. In 2022, she became the chair of the Board of Regents by unanimous vote of the board.

Amy Carvalho told the Nevada Faculty Alliance she has not sought endorsements for her campaign, but reported raising $375 in campaign contributions during the first quarter reporting period.

Carvalho, a property manager, earned a bachelor’s in Anthropology from UNLV before receiving a master’s in Business Administration from Western Governors University, an online university based in Utah.

She served on the Boulder City Library District Board of Trustees, and also served two terms on the Nevada Department of Education’s Council to Establish Academic Standards.

During her term as chair, the Board of Regents approved a wage increase for NSHE faculty in 2023 to partially fill a budget hole created by a lack of state funding during the pandemic.

In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance, Carvalho said her top priorities were improving workforce education, establishing a system-wide strategic plan, and equitable funding for all Nevada higher education institutions. 

For years, the Board of Regents have attracted media attention due to public conflicts between regents, the chancellor, campus presidents, and the legislature. Carvalho acknowledged those difficulties and said she has worked diligently to repair relationships during her time on the Board of Regents and within the system.

Carvalho said she “supports collective bargaining to the extent that all professional employees support it.”

“I look forward to those discussions and working as a board toward consensus in this area so we can all speak with one voice,” Carvalho said. 

Carvalho said she believes voters in Nevada must retain the ability to choose regents and opposes the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution.

“The Board of Regents should not be an arena for politics or political favors, which would be probable with appointing regents. Perhaps stronger qualifications for who can file to run might be an improvement, but I am not in favor of changing the Constitution,” Carvalho said. 

She did, however, criticize any role the Board of Regents may have in administrative work on any of the eight NSHE institutions. The board’s role is to set the direction and goals of the system and supervise the work of the chancellor and presidents who are the experts hired to run the system and institutions, said Carvalho.

Jonathan Maxham, a competitor for the District 12 seat, did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire and lists no endorsements.  He reported $5 campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024. Maxham, a doctor of osteopathic medicine in Las Vegas, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina in 2004 and a D.O. from Kansas City University in 2009. Maxham did complete Ballotpedia’s Candidate Connection survey in 2024, where he listed academic excellence, personal health and wellness safety as his office priorities. 

Regent Incumbent Carol Del Carlo, a retired Incline Village resident who has been on the board since 2016, is endorsed by multiple  Republican elected officials including U.S. Rep.  Mark Amodei, Lt. Gov Stavros Anthony, state Sen. Robin Titus, state Sen. Heidi Seevers Gansert, Assemblyman Ken Gray, and Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea.

Her campaign reported raising more than $21,433 during the first quarter reporting period — significantly more than any other candidate running for a post on the Board of Regents. Her highest campaign contribution, a $2,500 donation, comes from Mike Brooks, a licensed attorney and partner in the Hutchison & Steffen Las Vegas office.

In a questionnaire for the Nevada Faculty Alliance, Del Carlo said she was running for her final term.

Del Carlo earned a Bachelor degree in business administration from the University of Maryland, and a Masters in human resources from Chapman College in Orange County. 

During her final term, Del Carlo said her top priorities are to secure a new and equitable funding formula at the 2025 legislative session, hire a permanent Chancellor and new presidents for the College of Southern Nevada and the Truckee Meadows Community College, and to ensure NSHE professional employees receive a cost of living adjustment at the same rate of 80% as other state agencies receive. 

Del Carlo also told the Nevada Faculty Alliance she plans to vote against the proposed constitutional amendment to remove the Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution, so that regents can remain elected and not appointed.

She acknowledged that NSHE’s recent search for a Chancellor ended with no hire and an appointment of an Interim Chancellor, but argued that the board’s hiring process is not flawed, calling it open and transparent. Del Carlo blamed the failed search on a “perfect storm,” brought on by an inexperienced chair who had never served on a search committee. Del Carlo supports hiring an outside search firm specialized in higher education.

Del Carlo also told the Nevada Faculty Alliance she believes Nevada could establish more residencies and keep more doctors from Nevada’s two medical schools in the state by increasing funding for graduate medical education. 

Since Nevada is a right to work state, Del Carlo said she is not opposed to NSHE professional employees receiving collective bargaining rights. As a firm believer in academic freedom, Del Carlo signaled she would not support a policy to regulate discussion or teaching about topics such as Critical Race Theory and gender identity on NSHE campuses. 

Bret Edward Delaire, a business owner competing for the District 9 regent seat, earned a bachelor’s in finance at Georgetown University. Delair declined to participate in the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire and lists no endorsements. His campaign reported raising no campaign contributions during the first quarter. Delair does not appear to have a campaign site or any other social media presence.

Gary Johnson, another candidate competing for the seat, did not reply to the Nevada Faculty Alliance’s questionnaire, lists no endorsements, and reported zero campaign contributions during the first quarter of 2024. Johnson does not appear to have a campaign site or any other social media presence. 

Editor note: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that  Carlos Fernandez has been endorsed by Veterans in Politics and AIA Nevada.

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(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

The Nevada Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday on whether a referendum on public funding for the proposed A’s stadium in Las Vegas should be allowed on the November ballot, and whether the Board of Pharmacy’s listing of cannabis as a Schedule 1 substance is at odds with the Nevada Constitution. 

Attorney Bradley Schrager, representing former union officials Danny Thompson and Thomas Morley and other backers of the baseball stadium, argued a ballot initiative from Schools Over Stadiums (SOS), a political action committee tied to the Nevada State Education Association, inadequately describes what it intends to achieve. The initiative asks voters to disapprove up to $380 million in publicly financed bonds and tax credits pledged by lawmakers to build the stadium.  

Judge James T. Russell of Carson City ruled in November the petition’s explanation must include the entire text of Senate Bill 1, which state legislators passed last year in a special session. The measure facilitates the relocation of the Oakland A’s baseball team to a new stadium, built in part with public funds. Russel enjoined the SOS PAC from circulating the petition, which requires 102,000 signatures by June 26 to be eligible for the November ballot.  

The Supreme Court must decide whether the petition’s explanation, which cites only sections of the law to be eliminated, is sufficient or must include the entire statute it seeks to change.

 Justice Lidia Stiglich likened SB 1 to a car. “Don’t the voters need to know the whole car to know how many wheels you’re taking off?” 

“People need to be informed of what this excision would do,” said Bradley Schrager, the attorney arguing on behalf of the stadium supporters.

Nevada law limits the explanation on an initiative petition to no more than 200 words. How much time is a registered voter standing in a grocery store parking lot likely to spend reading an initiative petition explanation? 

“I personally have gathered thousands of petition signatures over the years,” Chris Daly of NSEA said after the hearing. “Maybe one out of 100 folks that come along would read a 200 word paragraph. I have never had a person read the entire petition.” 

Daly says the lawsuit’s backers are doing whatever they can to derail the petition.

Oakland A’s owner “John Fisher does not pay Bradley Schrager because he cares about the finer points of constitutional law in Nevada,” Chris Daly of NSEA said in an interview after the hearing. “That’s not what’s happening here. That’s the meat of what the Supreme Court justices need to decide, and hopefully quickly. What this has been about from the beginning is delay, driving up our bills, and keeping this off the ballot.” 

The real issue, Daly says, is whether SOS PAC will have time to collect 102,000 signatures to qualify for the November ballot. 

“If the ruling is in our favor we have maybe three weeks. If it’s against us we need it very soon,”  Daly said, adding the PAC can refile the petition, based on the Court’s ruling. 

“Part of the reason we didn’t do that after the District Court case is we got no guidance on what would work,” he said. “What we did not want to do is refile and a month later be in the same place.” 

Emerson College Polling reported this week that 52% of likely Las Vegas voters oppose the use of public money for the baseball stadium while 32% were in support and 16% were uncertain. 

Daly says support is likely even weaker in Northern Nevada and rural counties. “There’s almost no benefit for other parts of the state. If we qualify for the ballot we’re going to win.” 

Cannabis conundrum 

Marijuana is legal in Nevada, for both medicinal and recreational purposes, but the state’s Board of Pharmacy is still clinging to the drug’s federal designation as a Schedule 1 substance, meaning it has a high potential for abuse and no recognized medical benefit.  

Justice Kris Pickering noted that designation is inconsistent with the Constitution, which voters amended in 2000 to allow for medical use of marijuana. 

The Board of Pharmacy, an executive branch agency, regulates pharmacies, which do not dispense cannabis. The board cannot license anyone to sell or use marijuana. In 2019, lawmakers approved the creation of the Cannabis Compliance Board to regulate the drug. 

Pharmacy board counsel argued that in other states where medical marijuana is legal, lawmakers have directed the board to remove the drug from Schedule 1, adding Nevada lawmakers have not done so. 

“Fundamentally, it’s about the executive branch engaging in a legislative function – basically regulating in a place where it shouldn’t be regulating anymore,” Chris Peterson, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada said after the hearing. “The board regulated cannabis for a long time, fighting the war on drugs. But there have been a lot of changes in the law in the last 20 years and the board has stayed back in the 90s.” 

Attorneys for the Board of Pharmacy are asking the Supreme Court to reverse Clark County District Judge Joe Hardy’s order to remove cannabis from Schedule 1 and to rule on whether the board must pay the ACLU’s legal fees, as ordered by Hardy.  

The Court took both cases under advisement. 

Note: This story was updated to correct the attribution of a quote made by Justice Lidia Stiglich that was originally credited to Chief Justice Elissa Cadish. 

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Clark County School Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales (center) is the running for reelection this year. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

It is a time of transition for the Clark County School District and its school board, with a new top leader and several new trustees expected to be decided this year.

The Clark County School Board technically oversees just one employee, the superintendent, who they hire (and sometimes fire and sometimes rehire). CCSD is currently without a superintendent, but the process for finding Jesus Jara’s permanent successor has already begun. Trustees at a meeting last week expressed their desire to have a new superintendent in place by Nov. 1.

The School Board has seven voting members who are elected to four-year terms. Those terms are staggered, which means four of the seven seats are up this election cycle. (The School Board also has four non-voting appointed members representing Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, and Henderson.) With only one incumbent running, the races will bring three, possibly four, fresh faces to the board.

School Board races are nonpartisan. If a candidate receives more than 50% of the vote during the primary, they automatically win the general election. If no candidate receives more than 50%, then the top two finishers advance to the general election ballot in November.

Trustee Lisa Guzmán currently represents District A, which includes Henderson, Boulder City, Laughlin and Searchlight. Guzmán, a former paraprofessional and teacher who now works at a statewide education union, is in her first term but announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection. Five people are seeking to replace her:

• Anna Marie Binder is an education advocate and mother of six — four of them CCSD students. Binder, a staple within the public comment period of school board meetings, currently serves on the CCSD Audit Advisory Board and has served on other public advisory committees, including ones related to autism and special education. For more info: binder4nevada.com
• Karl Catarata is Nevada State Director for the Human Rights Campaign and has previously worked at the local and federal government levels. On his website he notes his mother is a CCSD teacher and he is a graduate of Valley High School. In 2022, Catarata ran for the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents but came in third during the primary. For more info: votecatarata.com
• Mercedes McKinley describes herself as an educator, mom, CCSD alumni and community organizer. She taught third grade at CCSD for three years, from 2019 to 2022. McKinley, who says she spoke no English when she entered public school, graduated from El Dorado High School in 1997 and graduated from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. For more info: mercedesmckinley.org
• Rachel A. Puaina is a licensed educator. She worked for a CCSD middle school for two years but now works at a charter school. (CCSD employees are barred from serving on the Clark County School Board, but employment by a charter school is allowed.) On her website, Puaina says her priorities include safer schools, teacher retention and higher academic standards. For more info: rachelapuaina.com
• Emily Stevens works in business development for a credit union. She serves on boards at Mission and Clark high schools (both are CCSD schools), as well as on an advisory committee for Communities in Schools, a nonprofit that helps disadvantaged K-12 students. She is the mother of two teenagers, both are current CCSD students. For more info: electemilystevens.com

In District B, Trustee Katie Williams, who was elected to the School Board in 2020, is not running for reelection. District B includes the northwestern part of the Las Vegas Valley, as well as Indian Springs and Moapa Valley.

• Lydia Dominguez served a decade in the United States Air Force. She currently serves on the Attendance Zone Advisory Committee and is a mother of two CCSD students. For more info: dominguezfortrustee.com
• Eileen Eady was an educator for 15 years, ending in 2012. In more recent years, she has worked as a consultant for political campaigns. For more info: eadyfornevada.com
• Robert J. Plummer worked for the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department for 28 years. He is a graduate of Valley High School and a parent to CCSD graduates, according to his website. For more info: plummerforccsd.com
• Samuel “Russ” Burns does not have a campaign presence online. According to his candidate disclosure forms, he works for the library.
• Two additional candidates–Doug Self and Deven Singh–filed to run but have no online campaign presence. Neither filed candidate disclosure paperwork with the state.

School Board President Evelyn Garcia Morales, who represents District C, is the only incumbent trustee running for reelection this year, despite her three peers all being eligible for an additional term.

Garcia Morales was first elected in 2020 and was elected president of the board at the start of this year. She (along with Trustees Katie Williams, Lola Brooks and Irene Bustamante Adams) has been criticized for supporting former Superintendent Jesus Jara, who recently resigned with a $250,000 payout approved by the board.

In addition to her trustee salary of $9,000 a year, Garcia Morales is currently self-employed, according to her campaign finance disclosure and professional social media accounts. She previously worked in nonprofits.

Tameka Henry, a community advocate, is challenging Garcia Morales. (For more info on Henry: votetamekahenry.com) Henry ran for the seat in 2020. She received the most votes during that year’s seven-person primary, but in the general election she lost with 47% of the vote to Garcia Morales’s 53%.

Three additional candidates filed for the office but have no online campaign presence — Frank Friends, Christopher P. Teacher and Dante T. Thompson. In addition to having no online campaign presence, Friends and Teacher appear to have not filed candidate financial disclosure forms with the state.

District C includes North Las Vegas.

Trustee Lola Brooks has represented District E since being elected in 2016. She did not file to run for reelection in the district, which includes Summerlin. But nine others did.

• Lorena Biassotti is a mom and vice chair of the Clark County chapter of Moms for Liberty. “CCSD’s failure to keep our children safe is the first thing that needs to be addressed,” she notes on her campaign website. For more info: lorena4ccsd.com
• Kamilah Bywaters is a licensed special education teacher, community activist and doctoral student in the field of special education. She taught for several years within CCSD, as well as one year at a charter school. For more info: kamilah4nevadans.com
• Ryan Kissling is a licensed chiropractor and father. According to his website, he wants to “empower parents to make the best decisions for their family and will aim to increase transparency and parental involvement within the school system.” For more info: kisslingforccsd.com
• Leonard Lither has been a teacher for nearly 20 years, according to his website. Seven of those years have been at CCSD, according to state records. Lither says his goal is to focus on students and not “outside interests that profit from struggling public education.” For more info: lither4trustee.com
• Joshua Logie is a 20-year veteran of the USAF who still works as an instructor pilot at Creech Air Force Base. He is married to a third grade teacher at a CCSD school and serves on two CCSD school organizational teams. For more info: logie4nevadans.com
• Jeremy Setters is a licensed clinical social worker with his own practice. A Sierra Vista High School alumnus, Setters is a father of three, two current CCSD students and one future student. For more info: jeremysetters.com
• Matthew Tramp works in the food and beverage industry at an off-Strip casino and has served on public boards, including CCSD’s Attendance Zone Advisory Commission. According to his website, he moved to Las Vegas in 2002 and is a former youth softball umpire and basketball referee. For more info: matthewtramp.com
• Two additional candidates–Carlo Meguerian and Paula Salsman–filed for the seat but have no campaign presence online.

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to include information on Lorena Cardenas Biassotti 

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(Screenshot from Futuro Academy promotional video)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Nevada charter schools are clamoring to access the millions of dollars in financing now available to support capital projects, such as buying or expanding school buildings.

The Nevada Facilities Fund is a $100 million revolving loan fund setup by the State Infrastructure Bank to provide long-term, low-cost facility financing for charter schools that serve under-resourced communities. While it officially launched in October, the fund’s numerous partners held an event this week to celebrate the fund and highlight several charter schools expected to benefit from the fund.

Among them, Futuro Academy, a K-5 charter school in East Las Vegas that plans to purchase the space they currently lease. Futuro Executive Director Ignacio Prado said that, just as it typically makes more sense for an individual to buy their home instead of rent, schools have more long-term financial security if they own.

The Nevada Facilities Fund (NVFF) was seeded with $15 million in public funding approved by the State Infrastructure Bank in early 2022, $80 million from national donors through the Equitable Facilities Fund, and $5 million from local philanthropists. The fund will also use a $12 million U.S. Department of Education grant awarded to Opportunity 180.

Opportunity 180 and Equitable Facilities Fund will vet and assist charter schools in accessing the NVFF. Leaders with those organizations say charter schools will save an average of $150,000 annually.

That savings will translate into more money spent in the classroom, said Opportunity 180 CEO Jana Wilcox Lavin. Some charter schools spend up to a quarter of the base per-pupil dollars they receive from the state on facilities.

Prado said Futuro could use their savings to boost special education services, support teachers, or reduce class sizes.

Charter schools are not currently eligible for dedicated facilities funding, which are generated at the county level through property taxes and provided to traditional school districts. They also cannot use public bonds to fund new buildings the way traditional school districts typically do.

By 2028, NVFF plans to finance 10 projects that support 7,500 new charter school seats. Because the funds awarded are loans, they should return to NVFF to support more projects into perpetuity.

Only schools that serve historically underrepresented populations are eligible for funding. Wilcox Lavin says this means the funds will primarily be awarded to charter schools already operating in Nevada, rather than proposed charter schools looking to open.

Beacon Academy Executive Director Tambre Tondryk said the Southern Nevada charter school, which enrolls credit deficient students at high risk of not graduating, is working to access the NVFF to help purchase their existing Spring Valley campus, where the lease is up next summer, or buying a new facility and relocating.

The second option is appealing because, like many charter schools, Beacon’s Spring Valley campus retrofitted an existing space not originally intended to be a school. (In their case, it was previously an office building.) A new space could give them “the feel” of a more traditional school, which does matter to students and staff.

Tondryk said lenders turned Beacon away when they were working out a location for their east side campus because the school appears to be severely underperforming when compared to the traditional school metrics, such as graduation rates. In Nevada, Beacon is approved and evaluated by the State Public Charter School Authority under an alternative framework that acknowledges they serve a unique population.

“We couldn’t get lenders to understand,” she added, but the NVFF will “make this time around so much simpler.”

Another school working with NVFF on a project is Mariposa Language and Learning Academy. The Reno charter school, whose enrollment is almost entirely minority students, plans to purchase a new building that allows them to expand from their current 162 students to 300 students.

Praise for public-private partnerships

The Nevada Facilities Fund’s national partner, Equitable Facilities Fund, has provided more than $1 billion in capital to charter schools around the country since 2018. In 2022, EFF launched the Texas Equitable Facilities Fund, which is funded solely through philanthropic dollars.

That makes the Nevada fund unique, says Equitable Facilities Fund CEO Anand Kesavan.

Gov. Joe Lombardo, who briefly attended the NVFF event, spoke to the crowd of school leaders, elected officials and donors about the potential of public-private partnerships, suggesting more should be considered. He said it was “unfair” it had taken this long to get to this point.

Proposals related to K-12 education and charter schools are typically “a battle” in the legislature, he added. Democrats have been hesitant about supporting rapid expansion of charter and private schools, arguing that the state should focus on improving its traditional public school districts.

The Republican governor, who took office roughly a year after the State Infrastructure Bank proposed setting aside $15 million for “charter school capital needs,” praised Nevada State Treasurer Zach Conine, a Democrat, for “going out on a limb” and pursuing the facilities fund.

On his end, Conine acknowledged the reservations some of his Democratic peers have regarding charter schools, but said that the facilities fund is “not a gamble” but simply “good business.”

“It might not be the most popular thing in some of the circles I run with,” he added, “but it’s the right thing to do.”

Prado of Futuro Academy says he believes the launch of the NVFF could serve as “a watershed moment” that marks a turning point where the state sees the benefits of helping charter schools, particularly those wanting to establish or expand in the urban core.

He added, “I think we’ll look back and see this was a catalyst we needed.”

Nevada’s State Infrastructure Bank was created by the Legislature in 2017 but remained unfunded until 2021. That year, lawmakers approved $75 million in general obligation bonds to the bank, to be used for charter schools, affordable housing projects, and other “social good” projects that otherwise could not secure funding.

The State Infrastructure Bank, which Conine chairs, is expected to receive an update on the Nevada Facilities Fund during its next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday.

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(Photo: Hugh Jackson/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Faculty, student, and Jewish organizations are calling on UNLV President Keith Whitfield to investigate whether three pro-Palestinian protesters who disrupted a lecture last week and the failure of campus police to remove them from the event was in violation of the school’s free speech policies. 

The protesters interrupted guest lecturer Asaf Peer, a physics professor from Bar-Ilan University in Israel, who was speaking about black holes. An edited video of the incident shows Peer attempting to engage the protesters, suggesting he would “explain exactly why you’re wrong” about Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.  

Campus police responded when notified of the incident, but declined to remove the protesters, citing their First Amendment right to protest, according to Peer. 

The event was an “open lecture as part of a public physics symposium,” says UNLV Director of Public Affairs Francis McCabe.

UNLV’s free speech policy does not appear to allow for protesters to interrupt lectures. 

“On University grounds open to the public generally, all persons may exercise the constitutionally protected rights of free expression, speech, and assembly,” the policy says. “Such activities must not, however, unreasonably interfere with the right of the University to conduct its affairs in an orderly manner and to maintain its property, nor may they interfere with the University’s obligation to protect rights of all to teach, study, and fully exchange ideas. Physical force, the threat of force, or other coercive actions used to subject anyone to a speech of any kind is expressly forbidden.”

Peer says police initially asked whether the event was a political debate. He says he explained it was a scientific event.

“They then went to the corridor to consult with the organizer, and after a few minutes they returned and announced that they decide to end the event, and to escort me outside of the campus, in order to ensure my safety,” Peer said via email. “When I asked why they decided to do so, they answered that (1) since the event is announced as a public event, everyone has the right to be present in the room, and  they have no right to ask anyone, including the protesters, out of the room. (2) Due to freedom of speech, they cannot enforce the protesters to be quiet.”

“What about my freedom of speech?” Peer asks, adding the protesters achieved their goal of ending his lecture.

“After conferring with University Police, UNLV faculty decided to pause the lecture by Prof. Asaf Peer as a result of the interruptions,” McCabe said via email. “University Police then accompanied the guest lecturer to his vehicle as a precaution only. Prof. Peer was able to complete his lecture virtually later that day.”

Campus police did not respond to a request for comment.

Members of the Jewish Faculty and Student Group want Whitfield to speak out publicly about the incident and the response by campus police.  

“We are very concerned about this incident. In the face of it, there appear to be serious questions about campus security, academic freedom and the enforcement of existing University policies on free speech.” the group said in a statement. “We have made formal inquiries to senior University leaders, and we are awaiting clarification of their understanding and of their intentions to address this serious matter.”

Whitfield was not available for an interview, McCabe said.

Pro-Palestinian protests are not new to UNLV, nor are they uncommon on college campuses in the U.S. since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel, and that nation’s military response that has killed as many as 30,000 in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials. Lawmakers demanded the resignation of three college presidents after Congressional hearings last year on anti-semitism. Two of the presidents have resigned. 

The Anti-Defamation League is asking Whitfield to “make clear that such disruptions and interruptions of academic opportunities is inappropriate and that the targeting of a guest lecturer based on his national origin, in this case an Israeli scholar, is unacceptable.”

Jolie Brislin, the ADL’s regional director, told Whitfield the organization defends freedom of speech. 

“However, disrupting class presentations and other students’ opportunities to learn and hear from visiting scholars, as well (sic) preventing guest lecturers from speaking, is not aligned with the values of free speech,” Brislin wrote. “Moreover, the targeting of an Israeli Professor simply for his national origin is outrageous —Professor Peer was not on campus speaking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or the Israel Hamas war. Rather, he was speaking to a physics class on his subject matter expertise—which has nothing to do with the conflict.”

Whitfield responded in a letter dated March 1 that he and others are reviewing the incident “to determine how we can better handle such situations in the future,” acknowledging the need for consistency in the university’s approach to free speech and academic freedom “while also understanding the boundaries of protected speech, especially when it involves academic programming and related functions, or class lectures.”

Whitfield is scheduled to deliver the school’s State of the University speech Tuesday.

Note: This story was updated with comment from Peer.

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The bad news is that there is a growing shortage of quality educators. Hiring and supporting excellent educational leaders is becoming increasingly more difficult. (Getty Images)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

We are now entering “superintendent season.” Where political savvy often takes precedence over effective educational leadership in getting and keeping a district superintendent position. The two largest public school districts in Nevada are seeking superintendents because of recent resignations.

Superintendent search firms are advisable as most board members lack the ability to discern quality educational leadership. If there is sincere interest in serving the best interest of students, consultants will be hired that have consistently delivered quality leaders in other districts.

Internal promotions within a failing district cover and perpetuate past incompetence. Self-directed searches may reek of corruption.

In large public school districts across the country, particularly those serving high-poverty student populations, candidates frequently make empty promises to raise standardized test scores. Despite repeated career failures in achieving this goal, if hired, they often shift the responsibility of fulfilling this promise to principals and teachers.

Spoiler alert: Historically, no school or district has appreciably improved standardized test scores without a substantial shift in the demographic composition of the student population. Reversing the flow of students away from a school or district is a proven way to raise test score averages.

Instructional coaching, curriculum revisions, alignments to state standards, adjusting phonics content in reading programs, extended school days, tutoring programs, improved technology, and more have consistently fallen short in closing test score gaps.

School boards frequently base decisions on previously determined traits that do not necessarily reflect competent educational leadership. While it is critical to consider a diverse pool of candidates, the focus should be on those with proven and authentic accomplishments.

Have they established safe, cordial, productive learning environments? Do they form positive, collegial relationships with colleagues? Do they motivate faculty and staff to consistently serve the best interest of students? Do they like kids and do kids like them?

These are not questions for the interview. These questions should be answered long before an interview is offered. That is why reference checks should be done prior to formal interviews. It saves hiring committees many fruitless discussions.

The best indicator of future performance is past performance. Trusting the application package and a glib tongue as evidence of stellar achievements is naïve. Great interviews should enhance the prospect of being hired; not be the major deciding factor.

Heart-warming stories of overcoming difficult circumstances at an interview are not evidence of effective educational leadership. Nor are online university graduate degrees.

School board members, often motivated by personal and political agendas may seek district superintendents that can be more easily controlled, particularly in small-town and rural districts. Politically palatable decisions may compromise the best interest of students.

Educational decisions should be guided by reliable research and best practice. The intrinsic ability to make the people around you better people is a crucial aspect of leadership. Effective leaders have the confidence to surround themselves with others of high ability.

Is there evidence of real improvement of student outcomes? Increased student attendance, higher graduation rates, reduction of discipline and behavioral referrals, reversal of migration to other schools, improved personnel recruitment and retention are measures that should guide superintendent selection.

Are students, parents, teachers and colleagues sincerely disappointed in losing this person from their school district? You have to dig for this answer. 

The bad news is that there is a growing shortage of quality educators. Hiring and supporting excellent educational leaders is becoming increasingly more difficult.

In Clark County, the continued exodus of students from the school district has influenced test scores in a negative manner. Better test-takers are more likely to exercise school choice options or homeschool.

Board members should be seeking superintendent candidates that have the proven ability to create and maintain safe, cordial, productive learning environments. The main reason parents move their children is school culture. Better school environments lead to better test scores.

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The school board is expected to determine how to proceed with a permanent superintendent search next month. (Photo: April Corbin Girnus/Nevada Current)

Policy, politics and progressive commentary

Jesus Jara’s tumultuous time as superintendent of the nation’s fifth largest school district has come to an end. 

The Clark County School Board voted 5-2 on Thursday to allow the embattled leader to resign and receive a $250,000 buyout — equivalent to six months of his salary. The trustees also voted to appoint Deputy Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell as interim superintendent until a permanent leader is found.

Jara, whose contract ran through June 2026, first offered to resign in late January for a buyout around $500,000. Trustees in a split vote rejected that offer and directed the district’s lawyer to negotiate new terms for his departure.

School Board attorney lawyer Nicole Malich described the new resignation proposal as a “compromise” but said she could not disclose specifics about the confidential negotiation process. The resignation required an amendment to his contract to allow for the one-time $250,000 payout and the removal of provision requiring he give 90-days notice. His resignation is effective at 5 pm on Friday, Feb. 23.

Trustees Linda Cavazos and Brenda Zamora voted against the proposal. Trustees Lisa Guzman, Evelyn Garcia Morales, Katie Williams, Lola Brooks and Irene Bustamante Adams voted for approval.

Guzman noted that the existing terms of Jara’s contract would require a significantly larger payout of around $1 million if the board were to terminate his contract for convenience. Termination “for convenience” means the trustees would not have to give a reason for ending his contract early.

“If you are part of the labor community, you know when you negotiate for someone who is going to be terminated, you as the labor person try to negotiate for a resignation rather than a termination,” said Guzman, who is employed by the Nevada State Education Association.

The approved $250,000 buyout did not sit well with many educators who spoke in public comment to say Jara should be fired and receive no payout.

Educator Robert Cowles referenced recent reports that the district is being investigated for its use of covid relief dollars to pay for recruitment trips that bore no results, allegations that the superintendent may have made misogynist comments online about a teachers union leader, and a lawsuit related to the district withholding body cam footage.

Any of those incidents “should have been enough to terminate for cause,” he argued.

Vicki Kreidel, president of the National Education Association of Southern Nevada, likened the situation to being on a rapidly sinking ship and handing someone boarding a lifeboat a suitcase filled with money.

Jara has not publicly given a reason for wanting to depart the district after more than five and a half years at its helm. He was not present at the meeting Thursday.

Clark County Education Association, which represents the district’s licensed teachers, has been calling on Jara to resign for nearly a year. Several state lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager and Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro, began publicly calling for his resignation in the fall of last year. At the time, Jara quickly countered that he intended to stay on despite their criticism.

In 2021, the school board fired him only to un-fire him several weeks later.

Superintendent Succession

In a memo provided to the School Board, Jara identified Deputy Superintendent Brenda Larsen-Mitchell and Chief Financial Officer Jason Goudie as capable interim superintendents.

Trustee Linda Cavazos asked whether the board could consider other possible candidates for the interim position. Malich, the board’s attorney, said they could not because only Larsen-Mitchell and Goudie were listed on the agenda.

Cavazos recommended appointing Larsen-Mitchell and Goudie as co-interim superintendents. But her motion was abandoned after Malich convened with the pair behind closed doors and reported back to the trustees that they “had concerns” about there not being one appointed head.

Goudie told the board during the meeting he supported the appointment of Larsen-Mitchell as interim superintendent.

Cavazos was one of two trustees to oppose Larsen-Mitchell’s appointment. Bustamante Adams, who expressed her preference for Goudie as interim superintendent, was the other.

The school board is expected to determine how to proceed with a permanent superintendent search next month, though they began those discussions in earnest Thursday. Trustees could opt to consider internal candidates only, a process that shortens the transitory interim period and costs less money. Or they could opt to conduct a nationwide search, a process that takes longer and comes with the cost of an outside firm.

When Jara first attempted to resign, an agenda item to appoint Larsen-Mitchell as superintendent was put before the trustees, leading to speculation that a majority of voting trustees want to immediately appoint her as the permanent superintendent. Because the trustees rejected Jara’s offer, they did not discuss that agenda item.

Only two school board trustees have previously participated in a superintendent search. Since the last superintendent search the board has also added four non-voting trustees — representing Clark County and the cities of Las Vegas, Henderson and North Las Vegas.

CCEA and the Vegas Chamber independently called on the trustees to conduct a nationwide search.

“Under the interim superintendent administration we will see more of the same,” read a statement from the teachers union. “CCEA believes an immediate search for new leadership should commence now with a new superintendent in place before next school year.”

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