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Peter Greene: Democracy Prep Has a Lot to Learn…from Public Schools

By dianeravitch
April 29, 2019 //
9

 

Peter Greene found an insightful article at The 74 about the serial failures of the Democracy Prep Charter Chain.

Betsy DeVos gave the chain $21.8 million to expand but it is having trouble growing beyond its New York City home base.

It was invited to take over the massive disaster that was Andre Agassi’s charter school (which had principal churn, teacher churn, abysmal academics, etc.), and Democracy Prep is struggling to hold on to teachers and students. (Andre Agassi, of course, has abandoned the role of charter founder to become a builder of charter schools in partnership with a venture capitalist. More money, fewer headaches.)

Democracy Prep was asked to take over a failing charter in D.C., where it too failed.

Greene notes:

“The DC school was in trouble from the start. The Executive Director was Sean Reidy who graduated from Loyola with a BS in business administration, did two years with TFA, taught another two years at Harlem DP, went on to get his MBA from Georgetown, and then took over the DC school. (DP, like many charters, likes its TFA recruits, but Mahnken doesn’t really address that, though I’d argue that the culture of edu-amateurs is part of the root of DP’s problems.)”

Greene concludes:

Educational amateurism combined with Big Apple hubris leads to people who don’t think they have to learn anything about the culture where they want to set up shop. This is not unique to DP, or even charters, or even education– it’s just extra-ironic because DP is supposed to be all about being informed effective citizens. Of course, public schools that are owned and operated by the people in the community (and not run from an office thousands of miles away), aren’t so prone to this problem.

No excuses schools are a lousy idea. I know there are students here and there who thrive in them, but they’re still a lousy idea. No wealthy white parents would put their kids in a No Excuses school.

One size does not fit all. Charter folks insist that charters are the solution to OSFA [Editor’s Note: “One Size Fits All”], but their insistence on having everything under one roof be a tightly united philosophical whole has the opposite effect. Public schools have room for many cultures and many philosophies under one roof, which means that students can find a corner of the school that “fits” without having to start over at a whole new school. There’s no reason that charters can’t operate the same way.

Solve problems; don’t walk away from them. This article just gives a peek at the world where charter after charter after charter is taken over, turned around, handed off to some other business. DP moves in, tries their one thing, waits, makes some tiny tweaks, and if it fails, they walk away. Public schools may not always live up to the promise of their commitment, but they don’t just walk out the door saying, “Good luck, kid. Hope somebody happens by to help you out.”

Education concerns and business concerns don’t fit together. Again– business concerns are not evil or wrong, but they don’t match the considerations of education. Good business decisions are not good education decisions.

One of the selling points of charters has always been that they will figure out great new things that the rest of the education world can then pick up and run with. But most of what Democracy Prep needed to know they could have learned from a public school teacher.

 

 

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, District of Columbia, Education Industry, Education Reform, Nevada, New York City, Privatization

Angie Sullivan Blasts Nevada Legislators and Power Brokers Who Refuse to Fund the Public Schools

By dianeravitch
March 1, 2019 //
7

Angie Sullivan is a firebrand on behalf of children in Nevada. She is a first grade teachers in Las Vegas (Clark County), which most people think of in terms of glitz and glamour. But the children she teaches are poor and many barely speak any English. Her school is underfunded. Angie writes frequent email blasts to every legislator and she does not mince words. On April 27, thousands of teachers, parents, and supporters of schools will rally in the streets for more funding for Clark County Schools.

She writes:

 

Teachers and every person who cares about kids will be in the streets on April 27th.  ❤️
And we will let the nation know we are here and have had enough.  ❤️
You “Education Experts” who do not believe we have a money problem – stay home. You created this problem   You are the problem  🦠
You are slime.  🦠
Listen up millionaires and billionaires and politicians they have bought.  🦠
Nevada Democrats Susie Lee and Elaine Wynn specifically.    🦠
You are slimy reformers bought to union bust. 🦠
Agassi Hedgefund, Academica, Educate Now, HOPE, Guinn Center, Community in Schools, Nevada Succeeds, TFA, Charter Groups, United Way, Public Education Foundation, TeachPlus, 36 paid lobbyists, choice trash disguise as parent groups, and any other business oriented privatizers I have missed.  🦠
Plus Senators Joyce Woodhouse and Mo Denis.  🦠
All of you have participated in teacher hate and union busting. 🦠
You are terrible and most took money to hurt kids 🦠
What you have done to disenfranchised Vegas kids is horrible.  🦠
What you do with “education reform” is tragic.  🦠
You have purposefully hurt the most vulnerable Vegas students with your sick experiments. 🦠
No one should listen you or anyone like you ever again.  🦠
You have zero real data; just sick experimental invalid research.  🦠
You are a hate driven think tank business promoting machine. 🦠
You are hateful and cruel and inept.  🦠
You have segregated by race, money, and religion.    It is enough.  🦠
The most important person in education is the classroom teacher, folks at the school level, someone working with kids.  ❤️
Education is about the teacher. ❤️
Every student needs a teacher. ❤️
The teacher is there every day.   It is folks in schools who make the magic happen.  ❤️
Students do not need a sage on the stage policy maker in snowy Carson City passing out cash to friends.  Spending all the kid money to further their careers. 🦠
We are not your cash cow.  🦠
Yes I’m looking you Aaron Ford and Maggie Carleton. 🦠
The teachers will fix the Nevada schools.   It will NEVER be “reformers” brought in to disrupt.  ❤️
It is not you because you do not work or care. 🦠
It will never be you – because you are cheap and cannot find money. 🦠
You hurt us on purpose.  🦠
This is a money problem.   🦠 Vegas Students not had an increase since 2008.  🦠
And teachers and the community will stand up to you now.   ❤️
You are the problem.   You are the problem.  🦠
And money buying or taking or giving influence and power is the problem too.  🦠
Everyone is on the take.  🦠
Plenty of money to buy public relations spin but you are not the focal point this time.  🦠
Folks who love kids will demand more.  And we demand it NOW.  ❤️

#Solidarity Oakland

#Solidarity Los Angeles

#Solidarity Arizona

#Solidarity West Virginia x 2

#Solidarity Oklahoma

#Solidarity Denver

#Solidarity Illinois

#Solidarity Kentucky

Next up.  #Vegas @JoyceWoodhouse @MoDenisNV @GovSisolak @SuptJaraCCSD #NVleg #Nved #Nvteach

Plenty of cash to print promises which you never keep on campaign flyers.  🦠
Go get your tax break someplace else business folks🦠
And take all your dark “reform money” with you. 🦠
There is not one thing noble about eduphilantrophy which harms at-risk kids 🦠
And shame shame shame on your corruption and horrible policies.  🦠
You have ruined Nevada Education. 🦠
And it stops now.  🦠
Our public schools are underfunded because of you. 🦠
Everyone should be in the streets because you are garbage. 🦠
We have had enough.    You are slime.  🦠
Tell everyone you know . . . these groups are slime and hurt kids.  🦠
Just part of a teacher hating reform machine that hurts the poorest and least among us.  Damaging young people for life so they can declare a corporate profit on a spreadsheet someplace.   🦠
You are sick. 🦠
Nevada Democrats will break every promise they made.  They hate teachers.   They hate kids. That is their record and that is the work of their hands – sand.   🦠
What have they set in motion to fix the gargantuan financial issues we have?   Nothing. 🙄
They give us a penny if we beg for ten years?   🦠
No stage for privatizers, dark money non-profits, and teacher haters.  🦠
Do.   Not.   Ask.   🦠
Tell me to cut from kids one more time.   See what happens.  🦠
No one should put up with any of you ever again.  🦠
Every parent in the valley should demand their child have a fully licensed and prepared teacher, a textbook, a class size of 25 and a safe campus.  🦠
You sickos need to all be removed.  🦠
I am.  Furious.  🦠
#FundOurSchoolsNow ❤️
Angie
Categories Funding, Nevada

Nevada: Angie Sullivan Asks, Where’s the Money for Schools?

By dianeravitch
February 4, 2019 //
5


Angie Sullivan teaches first grade children in Clark County, Nevada (Las Vegas). Most of her students are low-income and Hispanic. She regularly writes letters to her legislators.

She writes:

Close it down we need to walk out. We all need to fight for money together. We can only dance if everyone is wearing shoes.

No more lectures about teachers improving. You do not have many teachers left. For good reason. Lecturing us – does not work – hasn’t for two decades.

Try something new. Follow the law.

Clean up the central office money.

Clean up the central office financial quagmire.

It is the law.

85-15

You just purchased the $17 million financial software? What has been the issue for two years? Who is going to answer for that mismanagement?

No numbers for the legislative session?

You will soon ask School Building SOTS to cut $50 million?

It’s your turn Central Office.

Cut that $50 million from that marble area.

Time to dismantle everything downtown except the skeleton and central office folks find a home in a vacant classroom. Meets the law and cleans up the corruption. Kids need a teacher not a marble office building.

No more downtown kingdoms.

How are you going to ask the legislature for the $500 million you need to meet contracts?

No one will give it to you. No one throws good money after bad.

Cannot see anything that is not in schools. Even those numbers are questionable since the central office “charges” schools for things schools do not have – like teachers.

The whole state will fight for $300 million this session. This is heavy lift and nothing real has happened in the central office yet.

The listening tour is nice.

Get ready for the session please.

Hard to dance with a partner who doesn’t have sense enough to wear shoes.

Clean up your money mess.

Newsflash: Folks love their teachers. They do NOT like the central office or the Trustees. For good reason.

Next time you address your army – make sure your financial house is clean.

Put your shoes on.

Keep the lecture. And give it to your friends. It is offensive to the team working for kids.

We are fully dressed and ready to march.

You are barefoot.

I am mad.

All I can do is weep.

We are ready for leadership. Leadership is not a lecture about data – that is not going to raise money.

Make moves to get money.

Do what you can to get money.

We need $2 Billion. Telling us to get data is not going to get money.

The heavy lift is money.

Rally your team.

It is about money.

Get your shoes on.

Close it down. We need to walk out. You need to come with us. Clean it up. Shut it down.

The Teacher

Angie

CCSD Central Office needs to be dismantled and reorganized to meet the law.

We need new educational leadership at the highest levels who will improve neighborhood public schools instead of promote charters.

No more business deals and/or tax credits that rob the DSA (Dedicated School Account).

No more cuts at the school level.

Pay your own bills. Raise the funds to cover the bills.

We want adequate total funding for CCSD programs to open equitably – like preschools

Attrition money needs to be returned to the individual schools. If a vacancy is not filled – the school needs the money saved to support kids.

We want the reorganization law to be followed and all of the 85 to be pushed to school level.

We want the pot money.

We want the room tax money

We want our fair share of the education money 80%.

We want ability to raise money locally.

We want money to get to kids

We want weighted funding.

We want our fair share of mining proceeds.

We want the southern caucus to fight for our kids. Quit allowing everyone else in the state to grab our student money.

We need additional money for each and every “great idea”.

We have significant needs.

Teachers being silenced has not worked.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCEAFOS

Categories Budget Cuts, Education Reform, Funding, Nevada

Nevada: Internecine Charter Battle Over Accountability

By dianeravitch
January 8, 2019 //
3

There is so much loose money sloshing around charter world, so naturally there are squabbles over the money. Mine! No, mine! Whenever online schools are involved, you can count on the presence of lobbyists and fake parent groups created by K12 Inc. or Pearson’s Connections Academy.


Personal cash payments. Drinks and airfare. Government contracts.

Those are the ingredients of a good scandal. But in the case of Nevada’s State Public Charter School Authority, there’s more behind allegations of inappropriate conduct than meets the eye.

Authority staff members are accused of accepting payments and other perks from the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. The membership organization guides charter authorizers nationwide on best practices, but it also landed a contract with the Nevada charter authority in 2016. Now, the attorney general’s office is being asked to investigate.

That request came from the National Coalition for Public School Options (PSO). And it’s an action that the group has taken in another state where regulators were moving to hold charter school operators more accountable.

The group claims to fight for a parent’s right to choose the best education for their child. It has pushed back against stronger accountability for online charter schools under its overarching motto: “I trust parents.”

PSO declines to share its financial backers, but it’s commonly believed in the charter world that it receives funding from K12 Inc., one of the biggest operators of online schools nationwide. An IRS filing shows PSO spent over $2 million in 2016.

PSO’s spokeswoman, Susan Hepworth, also works for Woodberry Associates, a firm that has lobbied for K12 Inc.

In an email, Hepworth suggested that the NACSA group is trying to deflect attention from its wrongdoing, writing that “NACSA’s actions are their actions and they cannot blame it on anyone but themselves.”

The South Carolina Public Charter School District is aiming to set the record straight on what it calls “inaccurate and misleading” statements that PSO made about it to the Nevada attorney general.
In that state, the inspector general’s office investigated a PSO allegation that a charter district employee influenced the awarding of a contract to NACSA while simultaneously working as an independent contractor for the group.

But while the investigation found other issues, it concluded there was no evidence that the employee used an official position for financial gain.

“Notably, the South Carolina complaint was filed during a contentious period during which some charter schools sought to escape the (district’s) accountability policies by moving to a newly formed authorizer in a phenomenon known nationally as ‘authorizer shopping,’” attorneys for the district wrote in a letter to Nevada’s attorney general on Dec. 13.

Meanwhile, Nevada’s charter authority has been struggling to hold its own underperforming online schools — Nevada Connections Academy and Nevada Virtual Academy — accountable.

Perhaps not coincidentally, similar conflict-of-interest accusations against the agency’s former executive director, Patrick Gavin, surfaced around the same time that Nevada Virtual Academy’s charter was up for renewal. PSO has denied the timing was intentional.

Now, the group is leveling another accusation that Mark Modrcin, the charter authority’s director of authorizing, accepted “personal cash payments” from NACSA. The authority responded that Modrcin complied with all rules and requirements for state employees in a consulting contract he had with the organization.

Meantime, the Nevada Parents for Online Education — the local PSO chapter — claims it was retaliated against by Pat Hickey, executive director of the Charter School Association, who disinvited them from a recent stakeholder meeting.

They say it’s because they highlighted “unethical and potentially illegal behavior.” Hickey said they were not invited after launching a smear campaign against charter authority Chairman Jason Guinasso.

To be fair, it’s clear there were issues between Gavin and some authority board members regarding transparency and communication. And perhaps it would have been more prudent for him to recuse himself from the request-for-proposals process that resulted in NACSA winning a state contract.

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But there’s a larger issue at play here — a charter-school civil war between those who take a hard line on virtual schools, and those who fight for those schools to stay open. Expect more skirmishes if state regulators continue their accountability campaign.
Contact Amelia Pak-Harvey at apak-harvey@reviewjournal.com or 702-

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Nevada, Privatization

Angie Sullivan: Nevada Needs a Charter Moratorium

By dianeravitch
January 4, 2019 //
7

Question of the Day, Week, Year, Decade:

In the face of so many scandals and failures, why do eduvillainthropists continue to throw good money after bad?

Angie Sullivan, a teacher in Clark County, Nevada, poses this question in a recent letter.


Thank you National Public Education Activists for your work which I follow on a regular basis.

Thank you for your work.

I believe our Nevada legislators should notice:

– Nevada Education Leadership in the NVDOE have failed to prove Nevada Charters are a remedy. Yet our current legislation allows charter takeover of CCSD schools.

– Nevada Charters are segregating. In Nevada, charters segregate by race, money, and religion. Each Nevada charter campus has an obvious identity and group it serves.

– Eduphilantrophists financially propping up or expanding Nevada for-profit charters is not good business practice. This is not competition. Nor is it a good return on investment. It is forced. It is also throwing good money after bad.

– Authentic Education Innovation has been replaced by for-profit corporations creating hedgefund or leasing opportunities. 80% of Nevada Charters are for-profit.

– There is significant and severe lack of financial or academic accountability for Nevada Charters. This is very costly to the Nevada Tax Payer as many charters flounder for years in receivership/ bankruptcy. Or national charter chain corporations sue Nevada draining resources rather than educating students.

– Nevada Charter student enrollment practices and student expulsion need to be examined. Authentic reliable and viable research is noticeably non-existent or extremely limited on Nevada Charters. A simple persual of Nevada charter websites which allow racial slur posting and derogatory statements against some students enrolling can be used as evidence to take action.

– CCSD student population is 20% white. Nevada charters reflect nearly the opposite. “Choice” is white flight. IEP and Free-Reduced lunch numbers also show significant under-service in charters.

– CCSD Schools threatened with charter takeover serve communities which are brown. These schools are NOT the lowest performers in the state. There is something racially unfair about charter takeover selection. It is not “choice” if you have to force brown kids into a disfunctional charter district. Folks would go willingly if the charter district was successful in serving communities of color. Frankly some communities are tired of their children being used in education experiments or being used to meet a quota.

Nevada Education Leadership and the Nevada Legislature need to acknowledge that our education money is limited. Nevada Charters are not authentically successful. Public Relations Spin does not make a student graduate. Billions are spent to promote this failed scam. Continuing to spend tax payer money in a segregating and business manipulated manner is harmful to our communities in significantly distructive ways.

In summary, Nevada Charters are not graduating students.

$350 million and growing. 30 years and zero accountability. This mess needs to be cleaned up.

The Nevada Charter Authority needs the ability to close down national charter corporations.

Nevada needs a charter moratorium.

The nation needs a moratorium.

Keep fighting the good fight. Our public schools are worth the effort. Our students need us to speak up. May God hold us in His Hands.

The Teacher,
Angie Sullivan

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, Nevada, Philanthropy, Privatization

Angie Sullivan: Corruption, Lobbyists, and Schools in Nevada

By dianeravitch
December 8, 2018 //
2

Angie Sullivan teaches in a low-income elementary school in Carson County, Nevada. She often writes every legislator to expose the persistent underfunding of the schools.


Remember when DeVos lied in front of the whole nation about the Nevada K12 Charter? Hardly anyone graduates – yet she claimed that charter had a 100% graduation rate. Here are the Nevada online charters again – grabbing cash and suing to keep their cash cow. Hard earned tax payer money going to whom for what?

Apparently they had $2 million in lobby money. Enough to grease all sorts of folks.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/nevada-charter-authority-board-says-executive-kept-them-in-dark-1541821/

I am sure there was more money than that spread around.

One for-profit online made $6500 x 3000 students = $19 million. 3000 enrolled but only 200 test? That is not “choice”. It appears no one is actually participating. Are we paying for education that is non-existent?

It annoys me that folks blame Patrick Gavin. Gavin is dirty. He is part of this – but only one part. No one has been accountable. No one has provided data. No one has asked hard questions.

Do you see all these names in this article?

Bipartisan dirty hands.

All these folks including Canavero need to be asked serious questions about this. And they need to reveal any money that has ended up in their personal bank accounts. Who has lobbied them?

All legislators running a for-profit charter or sitting on for-profit charter boards – we see you too. Unethically voting for yourself and your corporations.

I give credit to Guinasso for trying to clean up this $350 million mess. Everyone on all sides and every level is dirty. That job cannot be fun. So many folks involved in this garbage.

The Charter Authority needs legal teeth. It also needs a board willing to shut terrible charters down if they are floundering in bankruptcy and fraud. If unaccountable charters are not publishing data – they need to be closed. If failing charters are not graduating, they need to be closed. When for-profit charter corporations start suing the state, they need to be immediately closed.

Someone has to stand up to these billion dollar for-profit corporate bullies.

How is one person supposed to keep a billion charter corporation from scamming Nevada tax payers?

Folks screaming for “choice”.

This is Nevada “choice”?

Money changing hands and no one being educated?

That is not choice – that is a scam.

This is dirty dirty dirty. It is bipartisan dirty.

Canavero? Canavero? Canavero? This has your name all over it. Where are you? Busy arbitrarily attacking public schools to make way for . . . charters? There is something disgusting about that.

Accountability.

Folks seem to only like that word – when it is not applied to THEM.

Senator Woodhouse? Senator Denis? Senator Hammond? Where have you been?

30 years of looking the other way. Lots of folks got used to ignoring that $350 million was being severely wasted and abused. Were they paid well?

Former Majority Leader and newly elected Attorney General Aaron Ford – you advocated for this trash. Who donated to your campaigns? What are you going to do about it now?

God help us. The corruption is thick.

Nevada Charters are NOT a remedy. No one should want to turn a public school into this. No one should think this is fine.

This is garbage and a huge horrific wicked web. 🕷

Everyone needs to be accountable.

And all hypocrites – stop pointing your finger at CCSD public school teachers. We are actually the only ones getting real education work done. We get attacked and removed from students we serve and love. You threaten our communities with charter reform. Why? Which charter is an example of excellence? I see charter segregation by money, race and religion.

While these charter scammers get paid millions to educate no one?

This is bad leadership. And total mismanagement.

Yep accountability.

We need some of accountbility pointed at the right people. I see them crawling all around. 🕷🕷🕷

Maybe Patrick Gavin should tell us all about it.

The Teacher,

Categories Accountability, Betsy DeVos, Charter Schools, Education Industry, For-Profit, Funding, Nevada, Privatization

Angie Sullivan Asks Legislators to Focus On Needs, Not Ideas

By dianeravitch
November 30, 2018 //
8

Angie Sullivan teaches in a high-poverty elementary school in Clark County, Nevada.

She sent this letter, pleading for common sense, to every member of the Legislature.

I love Angie for standing up and speaking out.

She wrote:

I’m reviewing the #NVLeg bill drafts.

There are already 69 education related requests.

Have to be honest.

If you have not consulted with Teachers, worked with CCEA, or done some homework – you could be costing the state and all sorts of folks – a lot of money.

Folks who have to implement educational ideas should be asked about them.

“Great ideas” NEED a money line when they become legislative language.

And a data line. Someone needs to be paid to “track” the data and implementation too.

Sorry folks.

Bad news: Staff, supplies, time all cost money.

You are expensive thinkers.

You are not responsible payers.

Be responsible.

Be real about the cost.

The professional skill, the text or materials, and the professional time to plan and implement. It all costs. Demanding we work for free to implement your great ideas – has got to stop. You need to pay folks. We love you all. No means No. It is abusive and not responsible how folks treat Nevada Teachers.

Pay your bills first now. Make sure basic needs are met. The money goes fast.

If you put something on the plate, you need to take something off. Our plates are full. Do not load us up and drown us.

Or you need to pay for additional staff and new supplies and the hours it takes for your “great ideas” to be put into curriculum.

By the way – I usually LOVE those ideas.

I HATE the lack of appetite for raising money to pay for those ideas.

Nevada Legislators are notorious bipartisan spend-thrifts.

While also being sneaky about unfunded mandates – also known as – do it without money.

Your ideas will NOT magically happen for free on a state-wide level. There are no magic wands. The fairy has left the building. Nobody enjoys working for free. I am looking at all of you old-timers who should know better. You know who you are.

No one except for a few courageous souls have shown real Nevada leadership in getting real education money to the classroom level. That is what you should all focus on as a Bipartisan Southern Caucus. That would make a real difference. We are shorted. Someone needs to work on fixing that.

Education Bills need a Money line. They cost.

Education Bills need a Data line. We need to prove they did what they were supposed to do and someone should be paid to track it. Regular reports should be given to see if it worked.

I spoke to some lovely folks the other day who wanted to import some fantastic ideas from Chicago. When I told them they needed a money line and a data line – they told me they did not. Not something anyone should say to me. Ever.

Let me be frank.

The Nevada Legislature funds at the bottom. The Southern Caucus gets routinely shorted. Therefore…

There is zero extra in the inner city Vegas city classroom. We are running in the negative. Subsidizing classrooms by demanding teachers pay from our own teacher paychecks is routine.

You want a civics program, a drug education program, or a charter school for one student in Eureka- you need to cost that out. And your specific community needs to pay for it. Or raise taxes from the community with that specific need. Ask your neighborhood school if they really need your great idea. Go to your school SOT and ask them if they need that – or if they actually need something else desperately.

Handing me a bunch of expensive stuff I cannot use when my students are in such dire straits is heartbreaking.

I can tell by looking at these BDRs. Some folks are really off-target for my community in East Las Vegas. Way off target for my community soaked in poverty and need. It is shocking how off target.

Just like any budget.

There are things we NEED like:

Fully licensed teacher in every classroom – cost $60 million. (Training for severely underprepared Teachers, vacancies, recruitment, pipeline, retention efforts)

School safety – cost $150 million. (School police, psychologists, social workers, and counselors -as well as school training and procedure education) ** does not include building upgrades like gates and locks and security systems.

Updated reading, math, science consumables/textbooks/General supplies – $235 million ($300,000 each year for 349 schools). **This does not include other programs which also need supplies

Read by Three tutoring – (35,000 students x $2,000) $70 million each year or $140 million

Updated district-wide wifi broad band and hardware/software – $200 million ($500,000 x 349 schools)

Adding to Weighted Funding to meet needs of students with language learning, poverty or special education needs costs – $2 billion. Many of our students require sigificant additional support to learn due to circumstances beyond their control. Weighted funding needs to be increased each year and targeted to address the severe need.

The money goes fast when you focus on the basics.

There are things we want – like a photo in the paper with 12 cute kids we helped plant a garden. Love gardens. If you ask me what I need – it is not a garden right now. And I love gardens. I love ours. But I need a box or paper and a copier that works.

Frankly, I want it all. I know it is important.

Love gardens, art, civics, drug education, Native American education, financial planning education, fingerprinting everyone in the school, diversity training, meeting every child’s personal or “choice” needs. Love Love Love. I wish we could have every important thing. I would pull from my own pocket for all those ideas.

But most of those items are “luxury spending” compared to our significant needs.

We need to stay focused on the huge basic NEED.

Taking from thousands of disadvantaged students to pay for your personal pet projects or something that benefits only one small group – has got to stop.

Some kids do not have a classroom with a book and a teacher.

All students need adequate access first.

And unfunded mandates have put us in the hole. For example: Demanding we test but never updating our computer systems.

Folks wonder why we fail when the tests do not run on old systems?

Common sense.

The lights have to come on, supplies need to be onhand, equipment/technology needs to be adequate, and a teacher needs to stand in every classroom. When you do not make basics a priority – the kids suffer.

Pay the bills first.

Previous great legislation is not even implemented anymore because there is no money. Empowerment legislation money is where? Hiding behind a “new and shinier” teacher leadership ideas? That is not responsible either. Best practice no longer funded should be revisited. Not an exciting job but tried and true.

Folks are new and excited.

I want everyone to have a great session.

Listen up: We need money to pay for your ideas.

And your ideas have to be authentic and research based and educational best practice.

Be responsible.

Please call CCEA. 702-733-3063 They have important priority ideas and bills we really need to make sure every child has access and opportunity.

The Teacher,

Angie

______________

[Here are a list of the 69 education-related bills that have been filed.]

BDR 34-10
Makes various changes relating to education.
Requested by Senator Harris on 8/11/2017

BDR 34-13
Revises provisions relating to education.
Requested by Senator Harris on 8/11/2017

BDR 14
Revises provisions relating to education.
Requested by Senator Gansert on 8/22/2017

BDR 34-23
Revises provisions governing school safety.
Requested by Assemblywoman Miller on 10/11/2017

BDR 33
Establishes in statute the Nevada Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Requested by Assemblyman Ohrenschall on 2/23/2018

BDR 15-41
Revises provisions governing school safety.
Requested by Assemblyman Wheeler on 3/5/2018

BDR 57-43
Requires health insurers to provide coverage for certain equipment for children with disabilities.
Requested by Senator Spearman on 3/19/2018

BDR 17-62
Revises provisions relating to the Nevada Youth Legislature.
Requested by Senator Woodhouse on 5/16/2018

BDR 77
Establishes a school in Nevada for children who are blind, deaf or hard of hearing.
Requested by Senator Spearman on 5/17/2018

BDR 34-82
Revises provisions governing charter schools.
Requested by Assemblywoman Titus on 6/4/2018

BDR 93
Revises provisions governing read by grade 3 in public schools.
Requested by Assemblyman Thompson on 6/8/2018

BDR 105
Revises provisions governing safe and respectful learning environments in public schools.
Requested by Assemblyman Carrillo on 6/17/2018

BDR S-107
Makes an appropriation for educational leadership training programs.
Requested by Senate Committee on Finance on 6/18/2018

BDR 15-119
Revises provisions governing possession and storage of firearms.
Requested by Assemblyman Fumo on 6/22/2018

BDR 122
Makes various education reforms.
Requested by Assemblyman Edwards on 6/22/2018

BDR 43-128
Revises provisions governing safety of children.
Requested by Assemblywoman Spiegel on 6/22/2018

BDR 34-132
Requires that instruction in the founding principles of American government be specifically included in public schools.
Requested by Assemblyman Wheeler on 6/28/2018

BDR 133
Revises provisions relating to cannabis.
Requested by Senator Cancela on 6/27/2018

BDR 14-142
Revises provisions governing certain juvenile offenders.
Requested by Assemblyman Hambrick on 6/29/2018

BDR 5-143
Revises provisions governing criminal procedures for certain juvenile offenders who are also victims of crime.
Requested by Assemblyman Hambrick on 6/29/2018

BDR S-144
Makes appropriations for incentives for employing teachers at Title I and underperforming schools.
Requested by Assemblyman Frierson on 7/1/2018

BDR 34-156
Revises provisions relating to the board of trustees of certain school districts.
Requested by Senator Kieckhefer on 7/10/2018

BDR 5-165
Revises provisions relating to school safety.
Requested by Senate Minority Leader on 7/20/2018

BDR 167
Makes various changes to improve school safety.
Requested by Senator Gansert , Assemblywoman Tolles on 7/9/2018

BDR 54-180
Revises provisions relating to the medical use of marijuana or industrial hemp.
Requested by Senator Spearman on 7/23/2018

BDR 34-243
Revises provisions relating to education funding.
Requested by Senator Kieckhefer on 7/24/2018

BDR 247
Makes certain changes relating to education.
Requested by Senator Gansert on 7/24/2018

BDR 23-251
Revises provisions relating to collective bargaining.
Requested by Assemblyman Wheeler on 7/25/2018

BDR 19-252
Designates English as the official common language of the State of Nevada.
Requested by Assemblyman McArthur on 7/25/2018

BDR 34-262
Eliminates certain training required of teachers.
Requested by Senator Hardy on 7/30/2018

BDR 263
Makes certain changes relating to education, including increasing the salary for all members of the board of trustees of each school district, requiring the school board districts in certain counties to have the same geographic boundaries as the county commission districts, and authorizing public schools, including charter schools, to accept pupils on a part-time basis.
Requested by Senator Segerblom on 7/30/2018

BDR 271
Makes certain changes relating to marijuana, including revising provisions governing the transferability of medical marijuana establishment registration certificates, providing for dual licensing of medical and recreational marijuana facilities, providing for state certification of marijuana products sold in Nevada, appropriating $1 million to study the feasibility of creating a marijuana stock exchange in Las Vegas, appropriating $1 million from the existing 10% excise tax on marijuana for medical marijuana research grants to be given out by the Department of Health and Human Services, authorizing local governments to issue offsite marijuana licenses to marijuana dispensary owners to allow for tasting and sale of marijuana products in certain settings such as coffee shops, revising state laws concerning driving while under the influence of marijuana to provide a rebuttable presumption when a person’s blood level is over the legal limit, authorizing District Attorneys to expunge misdemeanor convictions relating to marijuana from a person’s criminal record, and prohibiting employers, under certain circumstances, from testing for marijuana pre-employment or without probable cause post-employment.
Requested by Senate Committee on Judiciary on 7/30/2018

BDR R-279
AJR: Urges Congress to require the United States Census Bureau to ensure a fair 2020 national census.
Requested by Assemblyman Thompson on 7/31/2018

BDR 281
Revises provisions relating to school safety.
Requested by Senator Hammond on 7/31/2018

BDR 282
Makes certain changes relating to school safety.
Requested by Senator Hammond on 7/31/2018

BDR 34-283
Creates the Program to Develop Leadership Skills for Public School Pupils.
Requested by Senator Hammond on 7/31/2018

BDR 34-285
Revises provisions relating to education savings accounts and education funding.
Requested by Senator Hammond on 7/31/2018

BDR 289
Revises provisions governing the care of children by volunteer families.
Requested by Assemblyman Frierson on 7/31/2018

BDR 54-294
Establishes conditions for the performance of certain surgical procedures.
Requested by Senator Parks on 7/31/2018

BDR 305
Revises provisions governing early childhood education.
Requested by Assemblywoman Monroe-Moreno on 8/1/2018

BDR 34-308
Revises provisions relating to Nevada Promise Scholarships.
Requested by Senator Denis on 8/1/2018

BDR 309
Revises provisions relating to data privacy.
Requested by Senator Denis on 8/1/2018

BDR 310
Revises provisions relating to education.
Requested by Senator Denis on 8/1/2018

BDR 43-320
Provides for the issuance of a specialty license plate memorializing the historic Westside “Moulin Rouge” to assist with scholarships for low-income high school graduates interested in pursuing the arts.
Requested by Assemblyman McCurdy on 8/1/2018

BDR 321
Revises provisions governing education.
Requested by Assemblywoman Diaz on 8/1/2018

BDR 323
Revises provisions governing taxation.
Requested by Assemblywoman Diaz on 8/1/2018

BDR 324
Makes various changes relating to education.
Requested by Assemblywoman Diaz on 8/1/2018

BDR 368
Makes an appropriation for educational programs relating to history, law and civics.
Requested by Senator Woodhouse on 8/2/2018

BDR 34-383
Revises the eligibility requirements for the Governor Guinn Millennium Scholarship Program.
Requested by Committee to Conduct a Study Concerning the Cost and Affordability of Higher Education (A.B. 202, 2017) on 6/4/2018

BDR 34-384
Creates a state-funded grant program for university students.
Requested by Committee to Conduct a Study Concerning the Cost and Affordability of Higher Education (A.B. 202, 2017) on 6/4/2018

BDR 34-385
Revises the eligibility requirements for the Silver State Opportunity Grant.
Requested by Committee to Conduct a Study Concerning the Cost and Affordability of Higher Education (A.B. 202, 2017) on 6/4/2018

BDR 34-386
Establishes a long-term stakeholder group to develop a statewide vision and implementation plan for Nevada’s educational system.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-387
Revises provisions relating to review of the equity allocation model used to calculate a basic support guarantee for each school district.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-388
Revises provisions relating to the licensure and employment of veterans, military personnel and their spouses in Nevada’s public schools.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-389
Creates a task force to study the creation of a tiered career pathway for educators.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-390
Revises provisions relating to school discipline.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-391
Authorizes variable-length renewal of charter contracts.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-392
Provides for the separate regulation of online charter schools.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-393
Extends the English Mastery Council and expands the duties of the Council.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-394
Provides flexibility to school districts to award credit for coursework completed by pupils experiencing homelessness or in foster care.
Requested by Legislative Committee on Education (NRS 218E.605) on 8/9/2018

BDR 34-397
Revises provisions relating to the education of certain children from Nevada who are patients or residents of certain hospitals or facilities located in another state.
Requested by Senate Committee on Finance on 8/14/2018

BDR 31-398 – SB26
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th2019/Bill/5909/Overview

Revises provisions governing school finance administration.
Requested by Clark County School District on 8/14/2018
Summary:
Revises provisions governing school financial administration. (BDR 31-398)
Title:
AN ACT relating to school districts; excluding certain money from collective bargaining negotiations and from consideration in determining the ability of a school district to pay compensation and monetary benefits; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.
Introduction Date:
Friday, November 16, 2018
Fiscal Notes:
Effect on Local Government: No.
Effect on the State: No.
Digest:
Existing law requires each local government employer to engage in collective bargaining with the recognized employee organization, if any, for each appropriate bargaining unit among its employees. (NRS 288.150) Existing law also establishes a process for the resolution of an impasse in collective bargaining through fact-finding, arbitration or both, but imposes limitations on the money that a fact finder or arbitrator may consider in determining the financial ability of a local government employer to pay compensation or monetary benefits. (NRS 288.200, 288.215, 288.217, 354.6241) Under existing law, for certain governmental funds of a local government other than a school district, a budgeted ending fund balance of not more than 25 percent of the total budgeted expenditures, less capital outlay, is not subject to negotiations and cannot be considered by a fact finder or arbitrator in determining the ability of the local government to pay compensation or monetary benefits. (NRS 354.6241) This bill establishes that for a school district, an ending fund balance of not more than 8.3 percent of the total budgeted expenditures, less capital outlay, is not subject to negotiations and cannot be considered by a fact finder or arbitrator in determining the ability of the school district to pay compensation or monetary benefits.
Primary Sponsor
Senate Committee on Government Affairs

BDR 23-405
Revises provisions relating to collective bargaining.
Requested by Senator Atkinson on 8/23/2018

BDR 34-415 – SB57
https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/80th201

Categories Funding, Nevada

Nevada: Republicans Promise to Create More Charter Schools and Vouchers if They Win State Races

By dianeravitch
October 17, 2018 //
9

There has never been a bigger hoax than the claim that Democrats and progressives support school choice.

School choice has always been the rallying cry of segregationists and the rightwing of the Republican party.

The latest evidence comes from Nevada, where the Republican party has promised to create more charter schools and expand the voucher program if they win control of the Governorship and the Legislature. They warn that Democrats will curtail privatization (aka, “school choice”).

Of course, promoters of school choice go out of their way to pretend to be “reformers” and Democrats. That is why there is an organization of hedge fund managers called “Democrats for Education Reform,” when their goals are exactly the same as Betsy DeVos and ALEC.

School choice was born as the rallying cry of southern segregationists in the wake of the Brown decision. For many years, its advocates kept a low profile because the public understood that school choice=segregation.

You must always remember that “reformers” are privatizers, and they want to “re-form” the public schools into privately controlled market-based entities, whose books are closed to the public and whose governing board is self-selected, not elected.

If you live in Nevada, please vote.

Every vote counts.

If you don’t vote, you will see an unprecedented attack on your community’s public schools and an explosion of privatization, with your tax dollars going to privately managed charters and religious schools.

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Democrats, Democrats for Education Reform, Education Industry, Nevada, Privatization

Angie Sullivan: We Want Magnets, Not Charters!

By dianeravitch
September 24, 2018 //
17

Angie Sullivan teaches first grade in a Title 1 school in Clark County (Las Vegas) with large numbers of English learners.

She sends her missives to legislators and journalists in Nevada.

ASD is the all-charter district modeled on Tennessee’s failed Achievement School District. A complete and total failure that Nevada copies.

Angie writes:


We want MAGNETS – not disfunctional white flight charters.

Get away ASD.

__________________

ASD Rebecca holds her annual school grab.

She does not know what she is doing. Do not allow her or Jana to take your school.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/parents-may-have-say-in-future-of-clark-countys-failing-schools/

Parents in Vegas can convert their neighborhood public school into a charter? And that has worked where?

Every successful white person Vegas charter – is sitting next to a successful white person public school. All in white neighborhoods full of five star “choices”. Successful Nevada charters are white. They support segregation and white flight.

The place folks need a real choice – charters do not work.

Get ready Vegas Parents to fight for your school. Our community will not be served by white folks in a white charters. Nor they will be served by young white folks imported into Nevada to do the takeover job.

For profit charters and corporate takeover is a scam.

Non-profit ASD is defunct. Futuro stinks. Agassi stinks. Do not go into that crap. ASD is now the worst district in Nevada. It used to be Nevada Charters were the lowest performers but now it is this new piece of garbage with 100% failure.

Where is the ASD data?

Is the ASD built to hide data?

Everyone involved needs to demand accountability for this new disfunction NVDOE is using to grab schools.

_______________________________

We want MAGNETS – not disfunctional white flight charters.

Get away ASD.

_______________________________

Look at the list closely attached to the bottom of this file.

Keep in mind that Vegas has 349 schools. 39 are struggling – they seem to all be in minority impoverished areas of town. Most serve language learners who research has shown need several years to learn academic English. Not difficult to figure out how to fix a money and support problem. Those schools need money and support. Lower class sizes and supplies.

NVDOE and the ASD will try to grab CCSD schools.

They do not know our students.

They do not love our students.

They will not serve our students.

They will grab schools listed because parents will not be informed.

Spread the word – no to ASD charters.

If they want to give a school money to improve – with research based best practice – great.

Turning any Vegas school into a charter is a scam.

If ASD Rebecca wants to come into your school and show a crappy charter video – tell her to hit the road.

We already know how to read a science book to kids or plug students into the computer. That is not teaching or effective.

Privatization is not education.

___________

We want MAGNETS – not disfunctional white flight charters.

Get away ASD.

__________________

Every year I get angry that our community is targeted while the rest of the state flounders. NVDOE – do your job. You have plenty to grab. Go to these white areas and get it done.

Look at Elko. 100% of its schools are in severe failure. What is happening there? Those schools are along the Carlin Trend and heavily susidized by mining proceeds in a primarily white English speaking area. What is going on?

Look at Washoe which has pages on that list. A heavy heavy percentage of those schools are struggling – with more per pupil than Vegas. And again largely English speaking and middle class areas. What is going on?

Rural Nevada is sinking. When a school fails in a small town – it may be the only school in town. Better address those first. Charter “competition” kills the public schools and does not help small towns. It leaves expensive and hard to educate special education students in public schools and allows “choice” to everyone else.

Again the NV Charter schools are sinking. These schools serve white flight families. They are failing. Severely. That data which at least includes more of their 80+ campuses – is bad – extremely bad considering there are 24 charters and a large chunk are the lowest performers – again. Every year. Again.

It is not Vegas that is the high priority problem.

Folks who are brown do not want to be a target.

This has to stop.

Did not work in New Orleans.

Did not work in Tennessee.

Is not working in Nevada.

How many students have to be hurt to stop this ASD madness?

________________

We want MAGNETS – not disfunctional white flight charters.

Get away ASD.

The Teacher,

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, Inequity, Injustice, Nevada, Privatization

Nevada: Time to Close Down the Worst, Least Accountable Charter Schools in America

By dianeravitch
July 9, 2018 //
4

Charter schools in Nevada are a national joke. They can fail and fail and fail, and the state doesn’t care. For charter schools, there is no accountability. CREDO Director Macke Raymond said at a national Education Writers Association meeting in 2015, directing her remarks to Ohions, who spend $1 billion annually on charters: “Be very glad that you have Nevada, so you are not the worst.” (https://www.cleveland.com/metro/index.ssf/2015/03/ohios_charter_schools_ridicule.html)

Clark County first grade teacher Angie Sullivan recently wrote to legislators and journalists:

We need to close the DeVos Charter.

Not in February. Now.

DeVos proclaimed Nevada Virtual Academy an example of success. A direct lie.

https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/04/513220220/betsy-devos-graduation-rate-mistake

On June 25, the Charter Authority will openly discuss revoking that charter.

Click to access 180625-Notice.pdf

Flooding Nevada with K-12 ads. The for-profit charter proclaimed a success by DeVos while huge number of Nevada Virtual students are not participating, scoring well, or graduating.

Empty threats given on Governor letterhead. Who is accountable for this extreme mess?

Nothing done.

Nevada Virtual Academy is not scared of being closed. Nevada does not close failing charters or even demand regular academic data. Charters will continue to take tax payer money without being accountable. Creating the largest alternative lowest of the low performing school system in the state and possibly the nation.

______________________________

We need an Nevada Charter audit.

Given Nevada’s total disregard for charter school accountability. We are an example to the nation of the extreme distinction which occurs without any accountability.

On-line charters in particular have questionable practices.

Are students actually enrolled? When looking at on-line numbers, how can so many students be supposedly enrolled in on-line instruction but not be taking high stakes testing?

The numbers are telling. We pay. Students do not test. Students do not graduate. Those who do test are scoring lower than everyone else.

Perhaps on-line charters should only be paid for the handful of students actually participating. The tax payer should be concerned. Millions being paid for on-line student learning and it is highly questionable.

An audit should be demanded.

—————————————

Half the Nevada Charters need to be closed. If they are floundering in financial and academic failure, close them. And all campuses need to return and report, not in clumps, site by site.

Zero Failing Nevada Charters have been closed. Not even those without funds to continue – floundering in receivership and demanding money to continue in bankrupt dysfunction. Nevada throwing good money after bad. The tax payer should be disgusted with $350 million in Nevada Charter School waste.

No accountability.

No transparency.

________________________

We should all be disgusted by our political leaders.

One set of rigorous standards for Nevada Public Schools which are ironically turned into charters. Why is that a good idea? The data shows tax payer money will be misused by Nevada Charters. Nevada Charters are a national disgrace. Find a state with worse charters than Nevada. I dare you.

Thank you Nevada politicians and legislators present and former who are heavy advocates on both sides for this embarrassing disgrace. Many hold positions on charter board and groups. You are failures.

Politicians, you have made this incredible mess. I suggest you act quickly to find a remedy. I’m worried this is criminal and your fingerprints are all over it.

The Teacher,

Angie

Categories Accountability, Charter Schools, Education Industry, Education Reform, Failure, For-Profit, Fraud, Nevada, Privatization
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