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Nev gov. announces forms education task force

Page Last Updated: Monday March 15, 2010 1:14pm PDT

Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons makes his education announcement Monday at Bordewich Bray Elementary School in Carson City. Photograph courtesy of News 4's Chuck King.
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CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons has formed an education task force to coordinate the state's application for federal grant money and recommend overall reforms.

Las Vegas casino executive Elaine Wynn will co-chair the 29-member task force with Nevada System of Higher Education Chancellor Dan Klaich.

Gibbons announced the task force Monday at Bordewich Bray Elementary School in Carson City.
The panel includes representatives from public and private sector groups.

Gibbons says the goal is to prepare Nevada students to be the "intellectual infrastructure" for the future. Their first challenge will be to coordinate Nevada's application for federal "Race to the Top" grants. The state faces a June 1 application deadline.

The governor's Spokesman Dan Burns told News 4 Sunday that Nevada has a nineteenth century school system, and it is time to modernize it.

Other members include:

Senator Barbara Cegavske; Assemblywoman Debbie Smith; State Board of Education Chairman Chris Wallace; Nevada Superintendent of Public Instruction Keith Rheault; Nye County School District Superintendent William "Rob" Roberts; Washoe County School District Superintendent Heath Morrison; Acting Douglas County School District Superintendent John Soderman; former Regent Jill Derby; Joyce Haldeman, Assistant Superintendent, Clark County School District; DJ Allen, Imagine Marketing; Ray Bacon, President, Nevada Manufacturing Association; Pam Hicks, Regional Professional Development Program; Dr. Sonya Horsford, UNLV; Dana Lee, President, Nevada Women's Philanthropy; Cherri Luna, classroom teacher in Clark County; Punam Mathur, Vice President Human Resources, NV Energy; Ronald Montoya, Principal, Clark County School District; Maureen Peckman, Cleveland Clinic; Karen Pedersen, classroom teacher in Lyon County; Gina Polovina, Vice President Community Relations and Government Affairs, Boyd Gaming; Michele Robinson, President, Nevada Charter School Association; Allison Serafin, Executive Director, Teach for America; Nancy Smith, Datanamics; Diane Sumner, classroom teacher in Washoe County; Alison Turner, President, Nevada Parent Teacher Association; Gintas Vildzius, Vice President Global Energy, GE Energy; and Lynn Warne, President, Nevada State Education Association.

"The Task Force members have the innovation and determination to modernize Nevada's education system and provide the workforce for our future," Gibbons said, "I look forward to receiving the ideas and input from this talented group of individuals."

The task force will have its first meeting on Friday, March 19.

-The Associated Press and MyNews4.com provided this report.

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