Finally, CCSD got some good news late last week. In a recent poll conducted by the First Ladies' education PAC, 55% of Clark County voters favor a capital bond program to repair and renovate aging schools. It's nice to see that Southern Nevada voters now understand the value in restoring our public infrastructure. But still, it's saddening... And really, maddening that we've reached this point.
We've talked about this before at great length. Far too many of Nevada's kids are languishing in overcrowded classrooms while Nevada's teachers are being overworked and underpaid. This has played a key role in scoring our illustrious last in the nation rankings in everything we want, as well as our first in the nation rankings in everything we don't want.
We've talked about this before. Nevada actually has great potential to forge a new path of smart growth and sustainable development. But as long as we continue to allow our PreK-16 public education network to languish, I fear we'll never realize our full potential.
This morning, Jon Ralston proclaimed that Governor Brian Sandoval is "on the right track", even though he still won't admit which track he really wants to put Nevada on. Perhaps Sandoval put his political career back on track by running to the middle and embracing the very "sunset tax" deal he shunned in 2010. However, all he's doing is embracing the status quo. And right now, the status quo is failing Nevada's youth and jeopardizing Nevada's future.
I believe Jim Rogers ultimately has it right. Sandoval's flowery language and promise not to cut schools any more may sound good, but it's not enough. It's not enough to merely stop the cutting. Our schools need healing, and our public education system needs to be revived and restored if we truly want to get Nevada back on track.
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