Making the grade: Ruth Johnson

By Emily Richmond

Sunday, Jan. 29, 2006 | 9:18 a.m.

In an interview with the Sun, Ruth Johnson, president of the Clark County School Board, discussed the search process and the next step for the district. She also addressed claims by the Council for a Better Nevada's director that referred to the School Board as "anti-reform" and dysfunctional.

Although she favored Rulffes, when it appeared that Nadelstern, prior to his withdrawal, had the support of a slim majority of the School Board, Johnson said that she was willing to be convinced that Nadelstern was the right man for the job.

"I was disappointed that we didn't have the opportunity as a full board to have a public discussion of Mr. Nadelstern's qualifications and what he might bring to our district.

"If things had been different and we had two candidates to consider Thursday, I believe we could have gotten to a 6-1 vote or possibly even 7-0. The vote isn't about thumbs up or thumbs down, it's an opportunity for each individual board member to share their position and then begin building consensus.

"In the end, we produced a vote that completely and confidently supported the superintendent. The board knows what it's doing. The superintendent has to be supported or you're set up for failure from the beginning."

School Board members, including Johnson, visited New York City last week to observe schools in the "Autonomy Zone," an 18-month-old pilot program overseen by Nadelstern. Johnson said she liked the idea of setting up a similar test in Clark County and planned to discuss the issue with her fellow board members.

"I've never understood why when we created the five geographic regions we didn't create a separate region for schools of choice. We could separate out the magnet programs, the career and technical education high schools and create one region where educators were expected to be on the cutting edge of instruction.

"In New York City, the principals are actually trained by the local business council in everything they'll need to know to effectively handle the day-to-day operations, the budgets, the hiring and firing.

"Before a principal can even be considered for the 'Autonomy Zone,' the person must complete an internship at a campus already in the program. This is where we would need the partnership of our business community if we were to really commit to doing something similar here."

Some of the schools in New York City's "Autonomy Zone" have been granted waivers from the state exempting them from some standardized testing and student performance benchmarks that other public schools must meet. Johnson said it would take considerable effort to persuade Nevada lawmakers to take similar action.

"I believe that before we could ask the Legislature to look at that, we need to produce data that is irrefutable as to how we track student success.

"If we can show students are mastering the basics, at that point the Legislature might be willing to venture into rigorous and alternative assessment programs. We're developing solid information in a way we've never done before.

"For the 2007 session, Clark County and the rest of the state's school districts will be urging support for the iNVest Plan, a blueprint for improving student achievement for all our children.

"We're going to back up our arguments with concrete evidence and hard facts of what it takes to make our students successful and how we can create more opportunities for them. The legislators need a level of confidence that what they sign off on is going to produce results."

Johnson said she hopes the community representatives who became engaged in the superintendent search, including the Council for a Better Nevada, continue to maintain interest in the district's success. She said she was not disturbed by University Chancellor Jim Rogers' public disparagement of the superintendent search process.

"Regardless of the decisions you make as an elected official, someone is not happy. Sometimes things are said in the heat of the moment. Jim Rogers has been such a supporter of education, to walk away from children does not sound like him. I have to assume it was an emotional response."

In the past, community groups have formed -- and evaporated nearly as quickly -- around hot-button issues that have come before the School Board, such as dress code requirements and zoning matters.

"When that kind of group comes together and is passionate and says we'll help you, we cannot rely on them still being interested a year from now.

"Every decision we make is based on what we can guarantee for children. We do that without outside help. We know we are the ones that are going to have to sustain that in the end.

"We cannot guarantee that any foundation, any community group, any legislative committee, will be there in the future. We need community support but we also realize other important issues may draw their attention and their interest in us may wax and wane over time. That doesn't mean we don't appreciate those individuals who voice their concerns and offer help, but we know ultimately it's our job, not theirs."

Emily Richmond can be reached at 259-8829 or at [email protected].