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Nev. Legislature likely to convene to address "Race to the Top"

Page Last Updated: Friday December 4, 2009 12:20pm PST

Special Session

Officials within the State State's governor's office indicated Thursday that there is a 99 percent chance Jim Gibbons will call a special legislative session in the coming months.

Gov. Gibbons' Deputy Chief of Staff Lynn Hettrick said it is still unclear if a special session will be needed for budget issues, but he is certain one will be called to attempt to secure Nevada's eligibility for $175 million dollars in funding from the federal government's "Race To The Top" education funding program.

Currently a state law that prevents teacher evaluations from being linked to student test scores is keeping Nevada from qualifying for competition for the funds.

Some legislative leaders also called for a special committee hearing next week to address the issue. Those that called for the committee indicated that they will review the current barriers for the state's application to the program and find ways to remove those barriers.

Sen. Joyce Woodhouse, D-Henderson, and Assemblywomen Debbie Smith, D-Sparks, who called for the hearing say "it is our moral responsibility to do what is best for Nevada's school children. "In these difficult times, we must ensure that money does not go to school children in other states because we have failed to act. This is about protecting the future of our state, our children."

There is no guarantee that once the law is changed that Nevada will secure the funding. According to the federal government's Web site, "Awards in Race to the Top will go to States that are leading the way with ambitious yet achievable plans for implementing coherent, compelling, and comprehensive education reform. Race to the Top winners will help trail-blaze effective reforms and provide examples for states and local school districts throughout the country to follow as they too are hard at work on reforms that can transform our schools for decades to come."

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COMMENTS

DUSTY DESERT DAN .

December 4, 2009 8:15am PST

Mark as Offensive

Teachers are employees. Their job is to teach. I'm sure there are 100 reasons why a child cannot/will not learn, but if I own a factory that makes lightbulbs, and my employees are producing non-working lightbulbs, then my employees will be evaluated based on non-working lightbulbs, not the fact that they shipped 100,000 lightbulbs! It's the Teachers Unions that have lobbied to put in such insane laws to begin with.
And to those State Legislatures, who/where will the Federal funds go, if Nevada did qualify? It should go ONLY to teachers payroll, and to QUALIFIED teachers that DO make a difference in our childrens education...based on TEACHER EVALUATION.