NSEA is concerned that Governor Jim
Gibbons did not seek the input from the people who would be mostly impacted
by the implementation of Empowerment SchoolsÑteachers and support professionals. Instead,
he chose to meet with them two hours before his press conference to discuss
the"final details of the Empowerment legislation before it is officially
introduced to the Senate Committee on Human Resources and Education, Wednesday,
March 7, 2007," as stated
in a news release.
"We
cannot believe he deliberately left us out of the design of the program when
our members are the people who will make his Empowerment Schools possible," said
NSEA President Barbara Clark. "He clearly did not want to hear
from people who would call into question his irresponsibility of taking money
from the education budget to pay for a program that is new only to him."
The governor plans to take $60 million out
of the education budget that currently pays for the 1/5 Service Credit Incentive
ProgramÑwhich encourages teachers to work in at-risk schools and hard to
fill positions such as math, science, and special educationÑto pay for his
empowerment proposal. Currently, more than 6,000 teachers statewide receive
the incentive.
"Empowerment
Schools are really only new to the governor. Nevada lawmakers have
been talking about the idea for more than a year," added Clark. "Additionally,
the Clark County School District is already piloting empowerment schools. We
have to evaluate how this program is raising student achievement before piloting
a different empowerment program."
A report on the Clark County empowerment schools
should be ready for the legislature later this session.
In addition to excluding the teachers and
support professionals, key legislators from both parties and both houses
have been left out of the planning process.