Money isn’t going to classrooms

By Nicholas P. Gartner, Henderson

Friday, May 2, 2014 | 2:02 a.m.

Pardon me if I am just a little suspicious about the Clark County schools superintendent’s motives for the top-to-bottom audit that he has been talking about.

The teachers union is right about this one, and I think the teachers hold the keys to the solution if they want to bring about change.

The administrative costs of educating our children are out of control. We don’t need an audit to see the top-heavy School District’s problems are not tied to not enough funds; it is the fact that not enough of those funds find their way into the classrooms.

The teachers should lobby the Legislature to put limits on the administrative costs included in the education budget. If the administrative costs were cut by just 50 percent, the teachers could be paid what they deserve and there would be money for school maintenance and supplies.

I have talked to a couple of my teacher friends, and they insist the biggest problem is careerism. Some teachers are always trying to advance to positions of authority. Classroom instruction is not the end result that a lot of teachers seek. That is a problem.

The teachers union should adopt two positions before the next legislative session.

The first should be a new attitude toward educating our children. The teachers should be banding together to ensure the best possible outcome for our children.

Second, the teachers have to work to divert part of the current funds to the classroom and away from fancy offices for employees who get to drive foreign cars paid for by taxpayers.