Candidates compete for two seats on state Board of Education

Clark County voters will soon choose two new representatives to the Nevada Board of Education, an elected body facing a legislative makeover in 2011.

The state board has endorsed proposed legislation that would downsize the number of its members from 10 to seven. Three of the seven members would be appointed by the governor, the state Senate majority leader and the Assembly speaker. Four members would be elected from the state's congressional districts, a proposal based on the expectation that Nevada will get a fourth congressional district by 2012.

If passed by the Legislature, the changes would go into effect in 2012. The board would be renamed the Commission on Public Education.

The 10 state board members from across Nevada are elected to set educational policy, endorse charter schools and hear appeals from teachers opposing the revocation of their licenses.

The changes are supposed to increase accountability for education policy, said Chris Wallace, the board president.

The board endorsed the legislation as a compromise so at least some members would still be elected representatives.

The Legislature's Committee to Study the Governance and Oversight of the System of Public Education approved the recommendations for changing the board in May.

Jose Solorio, a Board of Education candidate for District 2 in the west valley, is skeptical.

"There could be 250,000 voters per elected district," Solorio said. "That's a pretty large district to campaign. So I kind of like the way it is, but I'm open to see if there are any benefits to what's being proposed, although I wouldn't want the governor to have too much power."

Next year, the board will be advocating for public education funding when state budget shortfalls are expected. It might also consider changes in standardized testing dates and high school graduation requirements.

In each of the Clark County races, board candidates with backgrounds in education are pitted against candidates touting their business experience.

Solorio is a business consultant who formerly worked in economic development for the city of Las Vegas. "I think education is the foundation from which we will recover" economically, Solorio said. "I believe we have a long way to go."

Solorio also served for two years on the Clark County School Board in the 1990s when he was appointed to finish a term for Mark Schofield, who left to become the county assessor.

Solorio is running against Annie Yvette Wilson, the homeless liaison for the Metropolitan Police Department and a former substitute teacher .

Wilson has a master's degree in social work and is working toward a doctorate in education from Nova Southeastern University with a focus on organizational leadership and human resources.

She said she has "realized the importance of education, it's continuous and ongoing."

In the east valley's District 5, a former charter school teacher, Steven Corbett, is competing against John Tippins, who works in commercial real estate.

Tippins said the "main thing I want to bring to the table is ways to cut costs without cutting education and taking away from students and teachers. I found through a very depressing business market ways to make savings and cutbacks at the property level. At the end of the day, these schools are properties."

Corbett is the chief operating officer of the Luz Community Development Coalition, an educational nonprofit organization. Corbett would like to make information on curriculum more accessible so parents know what their children are supposed to be learning in class.

"I believe a lot of times students are not successful because there is no information sharing between the parent and the student," he said.

Contact reporter James Haug at jhaug@reviewjournal.com or 702-374-7917.