Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Guest Column:

To fix schools, use data and engage all

The Legislature took a significant step in 2015 in passing Assembly Bill 394, to reform and dramatically improve the beleaguered Clark County School District, the nation’s fifth-largest. Two committees — one of legislators, the other of community members — were created to develop and implement the goals. Their deadline to develop a plan is Jan. 1.

The Legislature’s intent is to organize schools into precincts within contiguous boundaries that “will offer an education system that is responsive to the needs and concerns of the residents.” The language and the intent — for an education bill — are quite clear and direct.

This effort is a long-awaited response to taxpayers and parents who are frustrated with school district bureaucracy. Community groups have consistently advocated for much greater autonomy for individual schools as well as an increased voice for parents and community members.

Yet despite the legislative mandate to create five to seven precincts, some committee members want each and every school in the county to be autonomous in terms of budgeting and decision-making. Taken at face value, each and every school would become its own precinct — all 357 schools.

The public should ask: If such a plan is put in place, what type of autonomy and control will principals and communities have over their school budgets, curricula, hiring practices and governance? For example, could businesses locating at the Apex industrial site in North Las Vegas partner with a handful of schools to create a seamless pathway to advanced manufacturing jobs? Will individual principals have the autonomy to sign memorandums of understanding and other agreements to adapt curricula and training programs to ensure such pathways for students?

What if schools and communities with a high concentration of English-language learners decide to prioritize dual-language immersion programs, an approach proven to be the most effective for student success? Will they be able to use their school budgets to incentivize quality teachers to teach in their schools? Finally, will schools be able to cluster and create quasi-precincts or zones — regardless of geographic boundaries — based on mutually agreed-upon curricular priorities? If so, can they create a governance structure that will advocate for their priorities and reflect their community interest?

If the answer to these questions requires approval from the current school board or superintendent, then let’s not kid ourselves; the status quo will remain and AB 394 will be another missed opportunity to reform our education system.

In the spirit of AB 394’s original intent, I offer the following recommendations that can truly reform CCSD.

1) Adhere to the language of the bill and create precincts and governance boards based on agreed-upon contiguous boundaries.

2) Use relevant data and metrics, such as free-lunch programs and student demographics, to create precincts that serve the best interests of all students, and work to eliminate the fear that minority and disadvantaged children will suffer even greater inequities under this reform than exist today.

3) Engage parents, educators, elected officials and others to develop and implement a plan to reorganize the district by precincts that give more autonomy and control to communities, and allow the 2017 Legislature to build upon this work and continue to fix our school system.

AB 394 is designed to reform our often-last-in-the-nation education system. It is not about the performance of the superintendent or the trustees. These individuals are well-intentioned public servants who have the best interests of our kids in mind. Yet our K-12 system and it is the enormous bureaucratic structure is failing too many children.

Reform is almost never easy or linear. But it should be possible, particularly when the voters and elected officials of a region have spoken with a clear and definitive voice.

There is time to enact the provisions of AB 394 and provide Clark County with a first-rate K-12 system, one that works for students, parents and teachers.

One that works for everyone.

Magdalena Martinez is the director for education programs at the Lincy Institute at UNLV.

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