Nevada lawmakers meet to address Race to the Top funds

Page Last Updated: Friday December 11, 2009 12:54pm PST

Shelley Kudelka-News 4

While its been cold in Northern Nevada, things are heating up at a Las Vegas meeting with the Legislative Committee on Education.

The committee is discussing how Nevada will compete for $175 million dollars in federal education funding.

Currently, Nevada is the only state not eligible to compete for the federal Race to the Top funds.

Limiting the state's eligibility is a 2003 state law that prohibits teacher evaluations to be linked to student achievement. The evaluations are a requirement to be eligible for the funding. In order to change the wording in the law to grant Nevada eligibility, a Special Session must be called. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons' office has already stated the governor intends to do so.

According to Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, the committee is meeting with two objectives.

The first is how lawmakers would change the language in the current law to make Nevada eligible for funds. Smith says if the changing of the language can be finalized before a Special Session, it can then hopefully be passed in Session.

Once this is complete, the state can work on completing its application for the funding. Smith says the process has taken "months for many states." She tells News 4 she expects Nevada's application to be submitted in June for a second federal deadline. Once a state applies for funding and is granted an amount, they cannot reapply.

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COMMENTS

ANITA B.

January 7, 2010 10:04am PST

Mark as Offensive

No we don't need to change the language--we NEED TO ELIMINATE the restrictions on teacher evaluations. Those that cannot do the job do not need to be teaching--or paid to teach when they cannot perform.