Lawmakers must work together to fund schools

The 2016 national election was a “change” election. Too many people in this country have been left out and forgotten. They are right. Elected leaders and our political system have not addressed our most pressing needs. Gridlock is destroying our country. People are demanding change. Nevada is no different.

It was just two short years ago that we saw a red wave move the pendulum of our state Legislature to a Republican majority. On Nov. 8, two years later, the pendulum swung back and the Democrats regained a majority in both the Assembly and the Senate.

Our government, whether at the statehouse or the White House, calls for the legislative and executive branches to play a role in passing laws. In Nevada, this means that the Democrats (who now have a majority) must work with Republicans in the Assembly and the Senate and then secure the governor’s signature for any legislation to pass. For any fiscal matter, the bar is even higher with two-thirds support needed.

In the 2015 legislative session, lawmakers and Gov. Sandoval worked in bipartisan fashion to pass legislation and funding for education.

The Clark County Education Association is policy-centric. We work with both parties to pass sound legislation. It took bipartisanship support in 2015 to secure public education funding and key education bills to help rebuild Nevada’s public education system. It also took business leaders stepping up and asking businesses to tax themselves to support our schools.

This was bold, bipartisan leadership — and, as a result, the 2015 legislative session was historic.

Every piece of legislation that CCEA supported in the 2015 session had bipartisan support. The 2017 session can be no different. We need both Democrats and Republicans working with the governor to get legislation passed. Anything short of that will lead to gridlock, as it did in 2011 and 2013. And gridlock equals failure.

With the 2017 session fewer than 90 days away, we must be vigilant to insist that we have a session of accomplishment. We must build upon the progress made in 2015 and continue to advance public education. We must address the need for adequate funding going directly to our schools. But before lawmakers reconvene, the state faces a budget deficit. We will not bridge that gap if both parties, both houses and the governor do not work together. From the word go, the writing is on the wall. The choice is clear: accomplishment or gridlock.

For education, the passage of the weighted funding formula is the last piece of education reform our state needs. After almost a year of hearings, a legislative committee and the Nevada Board of Education approved adoption of a new decentralized Clark County School District that puts more control in the hands of educators, principals and parents. The legislative committee was loud and clear and said “the money has to follow the student.”

To that point, the committee stated that a weighted funding formula has to be in place by the 2017-2018 school year. That means adequate education dollars have to follow each student into their classroom. Students in need of English Language instruction, special education, free and/or reduced cost lunch or gifted and talented programs need additional money to meet their needs. The 2017 Legislature must make this happen. We know it will not be easy.

Nevadans of all political persuasions must ensure that legislators don’t fall prey to partisan politics but stay focused on getting things accomplished. In 2015 the Republicans needed the Democrats to pass legislation. In 2017, the tables will have turned, and it’s the Democrats who will need the Republicans to pass legislation — especially funding public education. Nevadans deserve accomplishment. People want change, not gridlock. We expect our leaders to lead with results. Only then will Nevada’s public education system move forward.

John Vellardita is executive director of the Clark County Education Association.