Hope for education?

Sunday, Feb. 27, 2011 | 2:01 a.m.

Of all the critical budget decisions lawmakers in Carson City face this legislative session, none will have more impact on Nevada’s long-range future than how they address funding for kindergarten through 12th-grade education. When talking about the need for the state to diversify its economy and develop a more skilled workforce that can compete in the 21st century, there is nothing more vital than investing in children.

That is why it was good to see Democratic lawmakers offer proposals Thursday that hold out promise for reasonable compromises that should be agreeable to Republicans while also recognizing the need to raise taxes to help elevate the quality of education provided in Nevada classrooms.

As reported by the Sun’s David McGrath Schwartz, the proposed compromises include extending the time required for a teacher to earn tenure from one year to three years, creating a new evaluation system for teachers and principals that includes test scores, and requiring teachers and administrators who receive two consecutive bad reviews to lose tenure and be placed on probationary status.

There is no question that more needs to be done by the schools to get rid of bad teachers. It is unconscionable that children would have to suffer through poor instruction. Tenure should only go to good teachers who consistently excel in the classroom.

At the same time, those teachers who do a good job deserve substantially more money than they are earning today. As stated by Lynn Warne, president of the Nevada State Education Association, which represents teachers, the average teacher’s salary would drop from $52,000 to roughly $46,000 if lawmakers approve Gov. Brian Sandoval’s proposal to cut salaries by 5 percent while employees are asked to make greater contributions to retirement benefits.

Such a reduction could drive good teachers from the profession at a time when Nevada needs more of them, not fewer.

Although we recognize the necessity of making cuts in the state budget, this state cannot afford to slash its education funding, which already ranks among the lowest in the nation in per-pupil spending. State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-North Las Vegas, correctly stated that the governor’s plan to cut money from education is flawed because it includes using $325 million of school construction money to cover operating costs. School officials, though, say the money is not available, leading Horsford to conclude that there would have to be an additional 7.5 percent cut in education to balance its budget as proposed by the governor.

Instead of cutting education, Sandoval and fellow Republican lawmakers should ditch their “no new taxes” demagoguery and instead join Democrats in search of untapped revenue streams. There are still many Nevada businesses and individuals who take advantage of state services but fail to pay their fair share of taxes. They send their children to public schools, take public roads to get there, and use other taxpayer-supported programs. Letting these businesses and individuals off the hook is fiscally irresponsible, especially when more money is needed to invest in Nevada’s future.