Sage Commission Presents Governor With Final Report
Volunteer group scoured Nevada government to find ways to save money, make government more efficient.
January 7, 2010 – Carson City – Governor Jim Gibbons today accepted the final report from the Nevada Spending and Government Efficiency Commission (SAGE Commission). Governor Gibbons established the SAGE Commission in 2008 as a non-partisan group of professionals who have volunteered their time to seek ways for Nevada government to save money, work more effectively, and perform more efficiently.
“I am delighted with the work of the SAGE Commission and I am anxious to examine their newest recommendations and work to implement them,” Governor Gibbons said, “All Nevadans owe a debt of gratitude to the SAGE Commission members, they all volunteered for this job, they found private funding to perform their work, and citizens owe a special thanks to SAGE Commission Chairman Bruce James.”
The SAGE Commission has produced six reports with more than forty recommendations. Some of the most recent recommendations include reducing costs to the state by reducing the use of outside contractors for work that could be done by state employees, updating the budget process leading to zero base budgeting and creating a Nevada State Grants Coordinator position to enable to state to identify and apply for federal grants that are not currently being sought.
Governor Gibbons has supported the vast majority of the SAGE Commission’s recommendations over the last year-and-a-half. However, the Nevada legislature has been reluctant to implement most of the money-saving higher-efficiency ideas. Chairman of the Sage Commission, Bruce James candidly asks, within the report, “Sage Commissioners have spent their time and money to provide our political leaders real, practical recommendations for reducing the costs of government. Just as SAGE commissioners did in their work, we hope our elected public officials can now set aside their partisan differences to put the public’s interest first. If not now, when?”
“I will not give up the fight to make Nevada more efficient and give our citizens more effective services while trying to save money,” Governor Gibbons said, “I will continue to pursue implementation of the SAGE Commission recommendations.” Governor Gibbons continued, “This legislature simply must realize that they cannot continue to crush working families by raising taxes and increasing spending.”
A link to the 52-page SAGE final report can be found on Governor’s website at www.nv.gov.
Gibbons Education Reform Proposal
January 6, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Governor Gibbons is firmly committed to improving K–12 education in Nevada. Improvement will require new ideas and fresh resolve to replace blind allegiance to ineffectual and wasteful notions that have demonstrated no substantive gains in academic performance for the last 20 years.
Class size reduction was added to the Nevada Revised Statutes in 1989. According to the Nevada Department of Education, 613 schools served K–12 students during Fiscal Year 2009. Despite 20 years funding class size reduction, the Department recently announced 142 public schools in Nevada qualify as low-performing for the purposes of receiving federal grants for the “worst” schools in the nation. That means 23 percent of our public schools are not adequately addressing the educational needs of their students.
It’s time to stop whining that education in Nevada doesn’t work because of lack of funding. We need to quit throwing money at programs which have not accomplished their stated purposes despite two decades of funding. There are many studies which debate the issue of class size in primary grades, as many pro as con. Utah has one of the lowest per student expenditures in the nation and the highest student per teacher ratio. Utah students consistently achieve above average levels. Washington, D.C. has the lowest student per teacher ratio and the highest per student expenditures, and yet they consistently rank in the bottom for student achievement. If class size reduction is the answer for improving K–12 in Nevada, why haven’t student test scores improved dramatically in the last 20 years?
In order to improve Nevada schools for our students, we need to implement true change—real change. We need to get parents and communities involved in their local schools, and in charge of their children’s education. We need to empower local school boards to make decisions which are right for the children in their community. Local school boards are ultimately responsible to parents and voters in their community. Parents have the most vested interest in the outcome of their children’s education.
The cookie cutter approach has not worked in K–12 education. Not all schools need class size reduction programs. Not all schools need full-day kindergarten. School districts must be empowered to choose the right programs for the students in each of their local schools. Parents must be afforded the ability to choose and guide the education which works for their children.
The current fiscal crisis facing Nevada mandates that Governor Gibbons buck the status quo. If 23 percent of Nevada schools are categorized as underachieving, we need to rethink how we deliver public education in Nevada. We need to make better use of existing resources, and give local school districts the flexibility to use funding to deliver the right programs to the right kids to achieve the best results.
Governor Gibbons will call a special session of the Nevada Legislature to address the fiscal crisis facing the state of Nevada. In this session, Governor Gibbons will introduce a K–12 education reform package which will not only save Nevada taxpayer dollars, but will better utilize existing taxpayer support for schools by empowering local school districts to govern and direct how education is delivered.
Streamlining K–12 school funding and creating empowerment school districts. The proposal will delete special earmarks in the K–12 education budget for programs such as class size reduction, full-day kindergarten, and other legislatively-mandated expenditure items. At the same time, the proposal will raise the amount of Distributive School Account funding (DSA or state General Funds) calculated in basic school support known as the Nevada Plan. The proposal would keep some of the current program funding intact by raising the DSA allocation for each school district, but still generate cost savings and eliminate the official funding requirement for programs such as class size reduction and full-day kindergarten. Local school districts would be empowered to use their basic school support dollars at their own discretion, depending on the needs of the students and the individual schools. This will return control of the education system to parents, students, and school boards in the local communities.
Eliminating local government and school district collective bargaining as provided for in Chapter 288 of the Nevada Revised Statutes. This will return control of the education system to parents, students, and school boards in the local communities. Parents need to work with school boards and participate in the education process. Teachers are an essential component of the educational system and play a vital role in its direction and delivery. The manner in which education is delivered to children should not be dictated by unions, which by definition promote only the interests of their members to the exclusion of other interests and stakeholders such as parents, school boards, and mostly importantly students. Companies around the country have cut back on wages and employees. Salaries which were barely sustainable in a growth economy are simply not realistic or possible in the current economy. Either salaries and benefits must be reduced, or jobs will be lost. This is true in education, government, and the private sector.
Adopting a statewide school voucher program for all parents and students to exercise school choice, and authorizing local school districts, boards of charter schools, and private schools to set enrollment caps at the school level to prevent overcrowding.
Eliminating the elected body known as State Board of Education, and establishing a five-member advisory State Board of Education consisting of three members appointed by the Governor and one each by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate. The members of the State Board of Education would have statutory criteria for experience and education relevant to serving as a member of the Board. The Superintendent of Public Instruction would be appointed by the Governor, report to the Governor and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Superintendent would receive advisory input from the State Board of Education relating to relevant issues necessary for a consistent system of public instruction in Nevada, such as academic standards, professional licensing, etc. The proposal would also eliminate some of the many duplicative education boards and committees relating to K–12 education, and combine the necessary advisory functions into a few boards with a very narrow focus. This would create a broad framework and standards for academic achievement, while leaving the delivery of services at the local level where parents and school boards can make the best decisions for their communities.
Eliminating the statutory requirement for class-size reduction by deleting NRS 388.700, NRS 388.710 and NRS 388.720. In the current biennium, school districts received funding for 16 pupils per teacher in grades 1 and 2 and 19 pupils per teacher in grade 3, yet many school districts—including our largest school district in Clark County—have applied for waivers from the State Board of Education to have classes with two to three students over those levels. The State Board will act on the waiver requests in January. Regardless, if schools are funded at the statutory levels and yet still require waivers, it renders the program moot. Despite 20 years of class size reduction, 23 percent of Nevada schools are rated as underperforming. It’s time for change. Some teaching jobs will be lost due to declining enrollment, much as jobs in the hospitality and construction sectors have also been lost. With natural workforce attrition and retirements, the number of actual jobs lost should be much lower than the number of teachers currently reported as funded by class size reduction.
Eliminating any statutory and budgetary requirements for full-day kindergarten. Let parents and school districts decide where and when full-day kindergarten is appropriate.
Eliminating the hold harmless provision in school funding, which allows school districts to base their funding on a previous school year when student enrollment declines. Cost savings are likely in FY 2011, but depend on school enrollment figures. This program is costing the taxpayers of Nevada $22.3 million in FY 2010, when the state is essentially double paying for many of the students who have transitioned from a traditional public school to a charter school in the current school year.
Amending NRS 386.650(1) to delete the provision which prohibits the use of student test scores from being used for the purposes of evaluating an individual teacher or paraprofessional. Repealing this law not only is necessary for Nevada to qualify for the U.S. Department of Education’s Race to the Top competitive grant program, it is also the right thing to do for our children. We must ensure our teachers are held accountable for their performance. Our students are accountable for their academic performance based on grades and test scores. Our students need and deserve to know their teachers will also be accountable for their performance.
Governor Gibbons Proposes Sweeping Changes To Education
Governor wants to give power to parents and teachers, save money
January 6, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Governor Jim Gibbons today proposed bold changes to Nevada’s education system designed to tear down Nevada’s public education bureaucracy and give parents and local governments more control over how billions of dollars in state tax money are spent educating Nevada’s children.
“This is all about choice and efficiency,” Governor Gibbons said, “We must give more control over our children’s education to their parents and take back power from bureaucrats, unions, and other officials,” Governor Gibbons added, “We MUST start asking the question, if this dollar is not spent helping a child learn, then why is it being spent? Billions of dollars are already being spent on education in Nevada and it is time for fundamental change to let parents and teachers at the local level decide how that money will best help Nevada’s children.”
Governor Gibbons championed the “Education First” Initiative in 2004 that requires the state legislature to fund education in Nevada first, before funding other government agencies and programs. Unfortunately, this has not stopped legislators from micromanaging local school districts with meddlesome mandated programs and pet projects. Governor Gibbons believes the best people to determine the best course for educating Nevada’s children are in the local communities.
Despite 20 years funding class size reduction, the Department of Education recently announced 142 public schools in Nevada qualify as low-performing for the purposes of receiving federal grants for the “worst” schools on the nation. This is unacceptable.
Governor’s Proposals:
Cut through the enormous multi-level multi-district administrative bureaucracies at larger school districts. Allow smaller districts to consolidate. Streamline school funding and create LOCAL empowerment school districts. Delete special earmarks. Local school districts would be empowered to use their basic school support dollars at their own discretion, depending on the needs of the students and the individual schools. This will end big government interference in our children’s education and return control of the education system to parents, students, PTA’s and school boards in the local communities.
Eliminate laws requiring local government and school district collective bargaining agreements. Unions do NOTHING to help educate our children. The unnecessary tax money expended for union negotiations and special benefits can be used in classrooms to help our children learn, not pay for union officials or promote costly and often hostile negotiations. There is simply no need for laws requiring local school districts to “consult with teacher associations” for any reason. Teachers and parents should be empowered to determine how our children are educated and how our tax money is spent.
Adopt a statewide school voucher program for all parents and students to have school choice. Establish a system where local school districts, boards of charter schools, and private schools can set enrollment caps at the local level to prevent overcrowding.
Eliminate the elected body known as State Board of Education. Establish a five member advisory State Board of Education with three members appointed by the Governor and one each by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate. The Superintendent of Public Instruction would be appointed by the Governor, report to the Governor and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Superintendent would receive advisory input from the State Board of Education. Eliminate unnecessary education boards and task forces, and combine functions into fewer boards with a very narrow focus.
Eliminate statutory requirement for class-size reduction. This action alone would save about $127 million in FY 2011. Twenty years of class size reduction in Nevada has not created results to make it cost effective. Let local teachers and parents determine how a portion of the savings should be spent. Remaining funds can help the offset Nevada’s crippling budget deficit.
Eliminate statutory requirement for full-day kindergarten. This would save around $28 million in FY 2011. School districts would have the option to provide full-day kindergarten where and when appropriate from their basic school support funds.
These and other proposals will save money and will pry our children’s education out of the hands of government bureaucrats and put it in the hands of parents and teachers. These proposals will also help us through this unprecedented economic crisis.
Nevada’s future depends on providing the best education possible for our children. We need to stop using education funds to pay for unions and layers of bureaucracy. Our K–12 education system funding is too precious to be used for anything other than educating our children.
Governor Appoints Teuton Family Court Judge
January 5, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Governor Jim Gibbons today announced the appointment of Robert Teuton to fill an open seat in Clark County’s Family Court.
The open seat was previously filled by Judge Teuton for 15 months, but a State Supreme Court decision ordered the seat vacated because of a legal anomaly involving Nevada election laws. Judge Teuton was chosen from a list of candidates provided by the Nevada Judicial Selection Committee. He will fill the remainder of the term of retired Judge Gerald Hardcastle, which runs through the end of 2010.
“Mr. Teuton has already shown he has the experience to protect the interests of children and families in the Family Court system,” Governor Gibbons said. “I feel certain he will show fairness as he presides over the cases in Family Court, which are often so difficult.”
“I’m thankful to the Governor for reaffirming his trust in me,” Teuton said. “I plan to continue my efforts to bring justice and equality to the Family Court with respect for all parties involved.”
Teuton will be serving in the Eighth Judicial District Court, Family Division Department D.
Prior to his service as a Family Court Judge, Teuton was Assistant District Attorney over the Child Support and Juvenile Division in Clark County.
Governor Gibbons Offers Condolences, Prayers For Victims Of Las Vegas Courthouse Shooting
January 4, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Governor Jim Gibbons offered condolences on behalf of the people of the State of Nevada to the family, friends and co-workers of the court security officer shot and killed in the line of duty at the Lloyd George Federal Courthouse in Las Vegas today. As of this time, the court security officer, a retired member of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, has not been identified.
Governor Gibbons also offered prayers for a Deputy Federal Marshal who was also shot and is presently hospitalized. The Federal Marshal has also not been identified at this time.
Reid Health Bill Will Crush Nevada Working Families
January 2, 2010 – Carson City, NV – Senator Harry Reid continues crowing about his backroom deals and inducements he engineered that border on corruption to coerce the required support he needs for his Health Care bill. “Harry Reid is ringing in 2010 for Nevadans by mortgaging the state’s education system to pay for health care destruction Nevadans don’t want,” Governor Jim Gibbons said, “This is the Bernie Madoff of the federal government now controlling your health insurance.”
Reid’s bill will cost Nevadans at least $613,000,000 and will almost certainly raise state and federal taxes. Governor Jim Gibbons is asking Nevada’s Attorney General to ascertain whether Reid’s Health Care bill is constitutional. “I am hoping this bill is killed before it ever gets out of Washington DC,” Governor Gibbons said, “If Reid’s bill gets out, working families in Nevada who are already struggling, will be crushed.” Nevada’s Attorney General, a Democrat, has refused to offer any assistance or opinions until a health care reform bill is passed, when it may be too late.
Governor Gibbons recently defended Nevada and discussed this topic on Fox News Channel’s “On The Record” with Greta Van Sustren show. (Shannon Bream filling in for Greta). Below are links to the interview:
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The open seat was previously filled by Judge Teuton for 15 months, but a State Supreme Court decision ordered the seat vacated because of a legal anomaly involving Nevada election laws. Judge Teuton was chosen from a list of candidates provided by the Nevada Judicial Selection Committee. He will fill the remainder of the term of retired Judge Gerald Hardcastle, which runs through the end of 2010.