Steve Ross claims Carolyn Goodman said her husband’s education record ‘sucks’

By Delen Goldberg

Published Wednesday, March 9, 2011 | 10:47 a.m.

Updated Wednesday, March 9, 2011 | 12:15 p.m.

Las Vegas Councilman and mayoral candidate Steve Ross took another shot at the Goodmans today.

In a news release titled "Goodman to Goodman: Your education record sucks," Ross claims that Carolyn Goodman said her husband Mayor Oscar Goodman made Nevada's public education system worse.

"Under Oscar's leadership, Las Vegas schools have become the 'absolute worst' according to his wife Carolyn," Ross said.

It's true Carolyn Goodman has criticized the Clark County School District and called it the "absolute worst," but she never blamed her husband.

Las Vegas' mayor has no control over city schools. Still, several candidates including Goodman have made education a centerpiece of their campaigns.

"Carolyn can’t have it both ways," Ross' campaign manager Steve Redlinger said. "She claims to have a magic wand that will fix our schools if she’s elected. If the mayor has the power to do something about it, and she is claiming that he does, then by her definition, Oscar has failed miserably."

In 1984, Goodman founded the private Meadows School, which she ran for more than two decades before retiring last year.

She recently released two television commercials touting her success with the school and featuring testimonials from Meadows' students and families.

"I want to open the dialogue to improve the quality of our schools. Having quality education in Las Vegas will attract families and business, and that will create a thriving community," Goodman says in one of the ads.

Ross called the Meadows School "super-exclusive" and pointed out its high tuition.

"Ninety-nine percent of Las Vegas families can't afford $15,000 a year to send their kids to a fancy private school," Ross said. "If she was interested in a dialogue -- and not politics -- Carolyn would have started talking 12 years ago when her husband was first elected mayor."

Oscar Goodman and Ross were allies in City Hall, but Ross began criticizing the Goodmans as the mayoral race heated up. He previously accused Oscar Goodman of supporting policies that killed jobs.