Major education initiatives head to Sandoval for his signature

By Cy Ryan

Saturday, May 30, 2015 | 11:24 a.m.

The Senate has approved a new concept that would turn control of low-performing public schools over to charter school management teams.

Assembly Bill 448 was approved Saturday by an 11-8 vote, with Democrats opposing. It would create an “achievement school district" within the state Department of Education and provide that six low-performing schools could be designated each year to be run by charter or other educational groups.

The state budget calls for $10 million a year for the program, which was proposed by Gov. Brian Sandoval.

About an hour later, the Assembly approved creating a program called Victory Schools to target low-performing schools in areas of high poverty.

Nearly $50 million is set aside for that program in Senate Bill 432, as advocated by Sandoval. The money would help about 35 schools over the next biennium.

Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Las Vegas, argued that there already are programs in Clark and Washoe counties to turn around low-performing schools. She said the state should focus on existing programs in the public schools instead of creating this new organizational system.

Under A.B. 448, the state superintendent of public instruction would appoint a person to head the achievement school district. The person in this new position would select a number of schools each year to be managed by the charter organization. The state Board of Education would approve up to six schools whose management would be changed.

In the bill, there is a requirement for public hearings for parents to voice their views, and a parent would have the right to pull a child out of these schools.

The contract between the state and the charter school organization would be for six years, and there would be periodic evaluations of whether student achievement is improving.

This system would go into effect in July 2016.

Both bills go to Gov. Sandoval for his approval.

Also Saturday, the Senate gave final approval to S.B. 391, which would create the Read by 3 initiative and would soon require schools hold students back if they can't read by third grade. Senators also signed off on A.B. 474, which creates the Great Teaching and Leading Fund for professional development.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.