More folly surrounding Nevada public schools
Friday’s Review-Journal reported that after four years of “work and lengthy discussion,” the State Board of Education finally adopted new criteria for a standard high school diploma in Nevada. This is another example of state politics being out of touch with the current ever-changing education needs for today’s students.
The new criteria begins with the 2018-19 school year and affects graduates starting in 2022.
What’s wrong with this picture? Four years to create graduation requirements that will take eight years to affect high school graduates? Are you serious? Demands for people entering the workforce change rapidly in today’s economy. Does the board really think that these changes will adequately address the needs of 2022 graduates? And what about those who graduate between 2018 and 2021? More of the same old, same old failing system?
While I am commenting on public education, the Review-Journal’s Victor Joecks wrote Friday about three things the public needs to know about the candidate who will be selected Wednesday to become the new superintendent of the Clark County School District. Sadly, whoever is selected is doomed to fail, given that managing existing programs is more important than visionary thinking, the district budget is an utter mess and the new superintendent has little power to change personnel, education initiatives and spending thanks to collective bargaining agreements.
The prior two superintendents lasted three and five years — hardly enough time to turn around the failing fifth-largest school district in the United States. Sadly, we are doomed to “more of the same” thinking and achievement results.
