Still "Grossly Underfunded"

(Surprise, surprise. The local "newspaper" decided to run another in-house ad against The Education Initiative [TEI, aka Question 3]. This time, the "newspaper" ran a "myth busting column" that actually did nothing but propagate long ago debunked myths.

So today, let's take a trip into the Nevada Progressive archives. Let's go back to May 2013 and remember just how "grossly underfunded" public education is in this state. FYI, this is why TEI is on the ballot.)

At first glance, yesterday's Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce luncheon seemed like the typical chamber of commerce luncheon. It was full of glitz and glamour... And many who are part of Nevada's ruling gaming-mining-lobbying industrial complex. Let's just say this typically isn't the kind of event where long held social injustices are bemoaned... Or even uttered aloud.

Yet yesterday, newly minted Nevada State Board of Education President Elaine Wynn did just that. She uttered aloud what's been a glaring injustice here in Nevada. And she bemoaned it. After mentioning the typical "reform" talking points that Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Denial) would happily say himself, Wynn pivoted to declare this.

However, not enough is being done, especially for minority students — which constitute the majority of students in Nevada, Wynn said.

"Our melting pot is curdling," Wynn said. "The achievement gap between the haves and have-nots is widening. … There is a sense of urgency to break the cycle of poverty, and we know it can only be done through education." [...]

However, Nevada must change, Wynn said. To effectively reform schools, Nevada lawmakers must allocate more funding for education, she said.

"Conceptually speaking, we are grossly underfunded," she said, to applause from the audience.

Wynn recalled a dinner she recently had with education philanthropist Eli Broad, founder of the Broad Superintendent Academy and the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Broad asked Wynn what Nevada's annual per-pupil expenditure was.

"When I told him, he just shook his head," Wynn said. "And he said, 'You'll never get anywhere with that.'"

How often does this happen at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon? No really, think about that. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Elaine Wynn laid it all out for the audience to see.

And think about this. We're now reaching the point where hardly any one can avoid the painful reality of Nevada's shortchanged schools. I've said it before, and I'll say it again today: We have been incredibly penny wise and pound foolish by failing to fund public education.

We've been neglecting our schools for far too long. And really, we've been neglecting the entirety of our public infrastructure for far too long. And without that foundation, we can never achieve a stable economy.

How many more years must we wait before we do something? Remember when we discussed this in May 2011?

Silicon Valley is the epicenter of hi-tech and e-commerce because of the presence of Stanford and UC Berkeley. San Diego has become the epicenter of biotech and medical research because of the presence of UCSD. And similar stories can be told in other western locales, such as Salt Lake City, Denver, and Tucson, where the strong presence of strong universities has led to stronger economies with more stable job markets.

But because Nevada hasn't invested as much in [...] education, we in turn have lagged behind. We mistakenly thought we could "grow our way" out of this problem by the way of artificially inflated real estate development fueled by personal debt. Now we are paying the consequences of that huge mistake. Simply put, we can't expect another "bubble" of "irrational exuberance" to "grow" us out of this crisis. The only realistic long-term solution to Nevada's economic problems involve developing the [...] educational opportunities we desperately need to grow the workforce new industries will want, leading to a more stable and diversified economy.

I stick by those words today. And I'll add PreK-12 to the mix. We can't keep ignoring this gross mistake. That's just grossly unacceptable.

Something Good in Our Society

Yesterday, a school was attacked. A teacher died. A student killed him and wounded two other students before killing himself. And a community is still in mourning.

Yet today, we have a chance to reflect on the final heroic act of Sparks Middle School math teacher Michael Landsberry. He tried to take the gun from the shooter. And while he couldn't succeed at that, he succeed at preventing further deaths at Sparks Middle School.



Michael Landsberry died in an effort to protect his students. He committed the ultimate act of heroism. And he reminded us of all the heroic acts our public school teachers commit all the time.

So why are we still listening to those nebulous (billionaire) forces trying to convince us that teachers are "lazy, greedy, and inherently evil"? Why are teachers so often blamed for everything wrong in public education, then expected to work more for less? Why is it OK to constantly berate teachers for just doing their job?

It's saddening to think that it had to take a teacher dying to break through the glitzy campaign to attack teachers. But perhaps today, we can all reflect on the invaluable role that teachers serve in our society... And why so many of them are everyday heroes.



The NRA and the rest of the gun lobby want us to believe that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun". That's clearly not true. There are far more effective ways to do so, such as preventing those "bad guys" from obtaining guns. And of course, we can invest in the kind of social safety net that prevents troubled kids from becoming "bad guys with guns".

So why have we allowed our schools to become armed battlefields? Why can't we instead restore our schools and let them become launch pads for a brighter future?

Yesterday, we once again saw something evil in our society. But now, we're also learning more about something good in our society. Public education is part of the foundation of a better society, and our teachers do amazing work to help students realize their full potential. Why can't we do more to strengthen that something good in our society?

The Meaning of Public Service

Earlier this week, we were discussing the ongoing plague of sexism in our society and our politics. Even now, some are still trying to justify misogyny as "morality", "art", "conviction", "fun", or something else. And it's having a strong influence on the major policy fights of our time.

This past spring, Assembly Member Lucy Flores (D-North Las Vegas) had to confront this head on. After she testified on comprehensive sex-ed legislation and shared her personal experience on the matter, she was confronted with horrific death threats and disgusting "slut shaming" from the state’s largest "newspaper" and its 21st Century Know Nothing allies. Despite these personal attacks, Assembly Member Flores continued to speak out and aid efforts to pass the sex-ed bill. The bill (AB 230) ultimately passed the Assembly, but died a rather mysterious death in the State Senate.

Yet since that fight, Lucy Flores has gained an even higher profile than the one she had before the 77th session (and that was already pretty high). In fact, it's now so high that there's a grassroots #WhyNotLucy campaign to draft #FierceFlores to run for Lieutenant Governor next year. Now talk about a meteoric rise...

And colossal fall? Early on, Lucy Flores looked like a potential frontrunner as enthusiasm was building for a possible statewide run. However, a major plot twist emerged this week. On Wednesday, Jon Ralston reported on whispers from prominent political power players that indicated growing buzz for Susie Lee.

And who is Susie Lee?

Lee is a longtime ally of state Board of Education member Elaine Wynn, and this flattering profile of her role in Communities in School shows her commitment on a key issue for voters. As one key insider put it: "Susie is smart, effective, aggressive. A longtime Nevadan.  Brings a unique set of skills to the position and to the campaign - is someone who can get things done. An education champion - long pushing an agenda of equal opportunity for quality education. Ties to gaming so understands value/role of Tourism to this economy. And has demonstrated a commitment to this community."

Oh, and her ability to self-finance.....

Susie Lee is close to Elaine Wynn, so Susie Lee is automatically assumed to have "the inside track" for winning statewide office. That's because Ms. Wynn has all the right "juice" with all the right people. Oh, and of course, she's a billionaire who served on the board of one of the state's top gaming companies.

Now don't get me wrong, Elaine Wynn has done many good things with her money. She has often given back to the community. And her politics (thankfully) doesn't match up with her ex-husband's.

Yet with that being said, Ms. Wynn has very strong ties to the school privatization "reform" campaign. We've discussed before the fallacy behind the promise of "school reform". And far too many in Southern Nevada have had to learn this the hard way.

Perhaps Susie Lee will offer something different. After all she's running, not Elaine Wynn. But then again, Lee's well connected allies seem be promoting her by talking up her ties to Wynn. And until Susie Lee articulates her own policy platform, we won't know for sure if her plan is really all that different from Wynn's.

Lucy Flores, however, already has a record. She's already been tested in campaigns. And she clearly knows how to fight back when opponents attack.

Fortunately for everyone involved, sexism isn't the issue this time (at least for now). Both prospective Democratic Lt. Gubernatorial candidates are women, and that in and of itself says something. Now, it's a matter of who, what, and why these candidates stand for. Public office is supposed to be about public service. And as we learn more about these candidates and all the other candidates announcing for the 2014 cycle, we need to ask them all if they truly understand the meaning of public service.

All too often, it's easy to forget this as we experience the day-to-day hurly burly of contemporary American politics. Who's up? Who's down? Who has the most "juice"? Who has the most money? Who has the party bosses? And who has the inside track?

How about who has the best vision for this state's future? Who has articulated smart policy proposals? And who truly wants to demonstrate good public service? These are the kinds of merits we need to see more in Carson City.

So far, Lucy Flores shows promise in this regard. And maybe Susie Lee will be able to prove she's more than just "juiced up". We just have to keep in mind the meaning of public service as we're about to choose new public servants.

Busted

Yesterday, the air conditioning system broke down at Rundle Elementary School in Las Vegas. And already, Clark County School District (CCSD) officials warn that this won't be the last time we hear about busted A/C systems in local schools. So watch out this summer!



And remember this next time Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Hocus Pocus) claims all is well with Nevada schools. Yesterday, he boasted, "Better Schools, No New Taxes". But in reality, schools are still grossly underfunded. They'll just be slightly less grossly underfunded because Governor Sandoval has agreed to extend the politically convenient (yet ridiculous policy of) Sunset Taxes.

So now, we have this.

Sen. Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, said that much of the governor’s new education spending reflects the costs of educating more children than in previous years.

“That’s not new programs or (replacing) programs we’ve cut,” she said. “It’s the cost of doing business and enrollment growth.”

The $120 million spending for new programs pales in comparison to what Sandoval and former Gov. Jim Gibbons slashed from state education budgets during the recession. Smith pegged that number at $700 million.

Yet again, Governor Sandoval has resorted to fiscal chicanery to dress up his budget. Who needs to actually properly fund our public infrastructure when one can just spin away the woes and attack one's political foes at the same time? Problem solved... Except that it's truly not.

Yet while Governor Sandoval and legislators bicker over political optics in Carson City, students in Las Vegas are missing school days because of the busted A/C system. Keep this in mind. And that's not the only busted thing here.

"We Are Grossly Underfunded."

At first glance, yesterday's Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce luncheon seemed like the typical chamber of commerce luncheon. It was full of glitz and glamour... And many who are part of Nevada's ruling gaming-mining-lobbying industrial complex. Let's just say this typically isn't the kind of event where long held social injustices are bemoaned... Or even uttered aloud.

Yet yesterday, newly minted Nevada State Board of Education President Elaine Wynn did just that. She uttered aloud what's been a glaring injustice here in Nevada. And she bemoaned it. After mentioning the typical "reform" talking points that Governor Brian Sandoval (R-Denial) would happily say himself, Wynn pivoted to declare this.

However, not enough is being done, especially for minority students — which constitute the majority of students in Nevada, Wynn said.

"Our melting pot is curdling," Wynn said. "The achievement gap between the haves and have-nots is widening. … There is a sense of urgency to break the cycle of poverty, and we know it can only be done through education." [...]

However, Nevada must change, Wynn said. To effectively reform schools, Nevada lawmakers must allocate more funding for education, she said.

"Conceptually speaking, we are grossly underfunded," she said, to applause from the audience.

Wynn recalled a dinner she recently had with education philanthropist Eli Broad, founder of the Broad Superintendent Academy and the Broad Prize for Urban Education. Broad asked Wynn what Nevada's annual per-pupil expenditure was.

"When I told him, he just shook his head," Wynn said. "And he said, 'You'll never get anywhere with that.'"

How often does this happen at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon? No really, think about that. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, Elaine Wynn laid it all out for the audience to see.

And think about this. We're now reaching the point where hardly any one can avoid the painful reality of Nevada's shortchanged schools. I've said it before, and I'll say it again today: We have been incredibly penny wise and pound foolish by failing to fund public education.

We've been neglecting our schools for far too long. And really, we've been neglecting the entirety of our public infrastructure for far too long. And without that foundation, we can never achieve a stable economy.

How many more years must we wait before we do something? Remember when we discussed this in May 2011?

Silicon Valley is the epicenter of hi-tech and e-commerce because of the presence of Stanford and UC Berkeley. San Diego has become the epicenter of biotech and medical research because of the presence of UCSD. And similar stories can be told in other western locales, such as Salt Lake City, Denver, and Tucson, where the strong presence of strong universities has led to stronger economies with more stable job markets.

But because Nevada hasn't invested as much in [...] education, we in turn have lagged behind. We mistakenly thought we could "grow our way" out of this problem by the way of artificially inflated real estate development fueled by personal debt. Now we are paying the consequences of that huge mistake. Simply put, we can't expect another "bubble" of "irrational exuberance" to "grow" us out of this crisis. The only realistic long-term solution to Nevada's economic problems involve developing the [...] educational opportunities we desperately need to grow the workforce new industries will want, leading to a more stable and diversified economy.

I stick by those words today. And I'll add PreK-12 to the mix. We can't keep ignoring this gross mistake. That's just grossly unacceptable.