LETTERS: Education windfall won’t help teachers
CCSD‘s new money
Gov. Brian Sandoval and the Legislature enacted the largest tax increase in Nevada history so they could proclaim 2015 the "education session." What did this $1.1 billion in new taxes do to alleviate some of the largest class sizes and lowest per-pupil funding in the nation? What did it do to help ameliorate the ever-increasing number of Nevada children without licensed teachers? Surely this new money will help attract and retain teachers, right?
We can look at the pages of the Review-Journal for the answers. "The Clark County School District will increase class sizes in grades four and above" ("Budget shortfall drives Clark County School District class-size increase," May 20 Review-Journal online). "The approximately 40,000 employees who work for the Clark County School District will receive no pay raises in the upcoming school year. ... The Nevada Legislature dropped the district’s per-pupil funding by $15" ("Clark County School District says no to pay raises," June 29 Review-Journal online). Then there was this June 7 headline on the R-J website: "Teachers forced to pay more while Health Trust stability spirals."
Higher medical costs, a seventh year of no cost-of-living raises and three pay freezes in the last six years have left teachers wondering when the recession will end. How can this news do anything but hurt teacher recruitment and retention? Teachers are usually eligible for raises for the first 14 years of their careers, then are expected to work the remaining 16 years until retirement hoping for cost of living raises. There are no promotions or bonuses or overtime.
You get what you pay for, and the Clark County School District is getting more and more classrooms without licensed teachers. How many students will be babysat by adults with 60 college credits when school opens in August?
JEREMY M. CHRISTENSEN
LAS VEGAS
Rocha‘s day in court
If the story about ex-Clark County School District employee Priscilla Rocha doesn‘t make the average citizen‘s blood boil, then we‘re beyond hope as society ("Ex-CCSD official gets prison term," July 2 Review-Journal). Rocha is defiantly unapologetic because, in her words, "Everything I did, I did out of passion for my community." One wonders which community she‘s talking about; undoubtedly not the community that pays for these programs through taxes.
And her best defense, according to the article: "Rocha said at least some of the money she funneled into a hidden bank account was used for legitimate purposes." Oh, OK, that makes us feel a lot better.
But her arrogance is overshadowed by that of her attorney, Tom Pitaro, who opined, "The state‘s argument was a slap — no, it was more of a punch at the Hispanic community — in its disregard of all the good that was done." So, since this crime was done on behalf of the Hispanic community, we‘re supposed to cut Rocha some slack? Oh, yeah, that‘s right -- at least some of the money in the hidden bank account was used for legitimate purposes.
This whole tawdry affair raises some disturbing questions. First, if CCSD‘s mission is to educate our children, what were they doing spending hundreds of thousands of dollars -- dollars the district says are in such short supply -- on adult English lessons? Second, I recall that Gov. Brian Sandoval‘s recent tax increase includes over $100 million for English learners. Are these learners adults or children?
And with regard to these new funds, does the school district plan to exercise just a bit more oversight and caution to guarantee this money doesn‘t end up in some hidden bank account -- even one where at least some of the money will be used for legitimate purposes? As they say, you just can‘t make this stuff up.
DAVE DOWNER
HENDERSON
Auto insurance
To the editor:
Nevada requires that automobile liability insurance policies carry minimum coverage of $15,000 for bodily injury or death of one person in any one accident, $30,000 for bodily injury or death of two or more persons in an accident, and $10,000 for injury to or destruction of property of others in any one accident. This minimum requirement is long overdue for a change to meet with 21st century costs.
The cost of auto repairs, parts and labor have increased three to five times over the past 20 years, and yet the Nevada Legislature has done nothing to protect citizens from the majority of Nevadans who are underinsured. It just doesn‘t make sense that I have to pay for coverage to protect myself from someone being underinsured. It‘s about time our lawmakers got our insurance requirements up to date.
JOHN DLOUHY
LAS VEGAS
