EDITOR:
As I was reflecting on the state of Nevada education, I was looking forward to seeing the report of the committee which was charted to recommend improvements in our education system.
I know there is plenty of room for improvement.
After all, Nevada ranks in the bottom 5 percent in performance K-12. Of state funded universities the graduation rank for Nevada ranks in the bottom 5 percent. This incredibly poor performance occurred despite the fact that the state ranked in the top 40 percent in expenditures. At last the recommendations came out. All they did was recommend a change in the selection of the State Board of Education. This could easily be equated with after the horse race, the jockeys taking the horses back to the barn. There they changed the "colors" and anticipated that the fans and the bettors will be fooled into thinking there is a new race.
Just like the jockeys trying to once again fool the bettors, the liberals including Rory Reid will climb on their soap box. I can hardly wait to see the time worn, historically wrong, suggestion to the voters to "just send more money, and this time things will be different." Rory is already implying it by saying that business will not relocate to Nevada due to our poor educational record. Yet the same week, CEO magazine cited Nevada as the best state for business due to a multitude of factors. I tend to believe CEO magazine as they do not have a liberal dogma to satisfy.
If we really want to improve our education system, then we need a clean piece of paper and the courage to challenge every aspect of that broken system. We need to examine local schools districts, size and costs of administration at every level, summer vacation, seniority, and union involvement, length of school days, and non-educational activities such as meals, drug testing, ethnic studies, and busing. We need to challenge every aspect without regard to "sacred cows." Is Rory the right man for the job? I think not.
Sam Batdorf
Gardnerville
