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ENLARGE
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — The Incline Reflective Schools Task force wound up and dissolved last month after what I would term a very successful run. It was conceived by Washoe County School District Superintendent Paul Dugan who was concerned about declining enrollment in the three Incline schools. He sought applications from local teachers, administrators, students, parents, service club members and members of the community at large to participate in the study.
I was fortunate enough to be chosen and I began bimonthly meetings with the task force’s 20 other members. After four months of committee and subcommittee work we came up with near unanimous recommendations, all of which were approved by Dugan.
As a result, Incline High School will have a ski academy, all three Incline schools will implement the highly academic International Baccalaureate program (or “programme” as its sponsors call it), local schools will make special arrangements to accommodate English learner students (an ever increasing percentage of local students) and educators will work with Sierra Nevada College to coordinate educational resources.
One thing I learned from my task force participation is WCSD is a traditional “top down” organization where few decisions (particularly budgetary) are made locally. The original task force agenda called for a study of empowerment schools which are given more autonomy than standard county schools. There was some below-the-radar “buzz” that the subject was politically sensitive among local educators who were hostile to the concept and that there was pressure to drop that part of the study.
Nevertheless we did have a presentation by Sue Shannon, principal of Whittell High School on Lake Tahoe’s east shore in Zephyr Cove, an empowerment school right in our backyard. In the Nevada empowerment school model the principal and staff control 90 percent of the school’s budget and all of the curriculum (as long as it meets state standards); therefore local educators can determine how best to meet the unique needs of their dynamic student populations.
Shannon gave an inspiring talk but excitement over International Baccalaureate and a ski academy pre-empted further discussion on the subject. Which is too bad. The Nevada empowerment school law was enacted in 2007. Even before that Clark County Superintendent Walt Rulffes led the way by converting four standard schools to empowerment schools. The four schools have shown significant improvement in student test scores. Since enactment of the new legislation, Rulffes has converted a total of 17 Clark County schools to the empowerment model and instituted a teacher merit pay program. His initiative has spurred a lot of private donations in support of the empowerment concept.
The Washoe County School District’s response to the empowerment law was considerably less enthusiastic. The original law involved additional state funding, so Washoe selected four Truckee Meadows schools to convert to the empowerment model. However, the additional funds were cut by the legislature, so Washoe abandoned its conversion plans as part of its budget reduction measures (which is nonsensical since empowerment schools cost no more to run than traditional public schools).
Dan Carne is in his ninth year as Incline’s representative on the Washoe County School Board. He served as a member of the task force, driving the 80 miles from and back to Reno every meeting. He concluded that if there was ever a place where autonomy in decision making would be appropriate it is Incline Village/Crystal Bay.
Maybe the Washoe folks should take a look at what’s going on in Clark County.
Jim Clark is president of Republican Advocates, a vice chair of the Washoe County GOP and a member of the Nevada GOP Central Committee. He can be reached at jclark@tahoesbjc.com.
I was fortunate enough to be chosen and I began bimonthly meetings with the task force’s 20 other members. After four months of committee and subcommittee work we came up with near unanimous recommendations, all of which were approved by Dugan.
As a result, Incline High School will have a ski academy, all three Incline schools will implement the highly academic International Baccalaureate program (or “programme” as its sponsors call it), local schools will make special arrangements to accommodate English learner students (an ever increasing percentage of local students) and educators will work with Sierra Nevada College to coordinate educational resources.
One thing I learned from my task force participation is WCSD is a traditional “top down” organization where few decisions (particularly budgetary) are made locally. The original task force agenda called for a study of empowerment schools which are given more autonomy than standard county schools. There was some below-the-radar “buzz” that the subject was politically sensitive among local educators who were hostile to the concept and that there was pressure to drop that part of the study.
Nevertheless we did have a presentation by Sue Shannon, principal of Whittell High School on Lake Tahoe’s east shore in Zephyr Cove, an empowerment school right in our backyard. In the Nevada empowerment school model the principal and staff control 90 percent of the school’s budget and all of the curriculum (as long as it meets state standards); therefore local educators can determine how best to meet the unique needs of their dynamic student populations.
Shannon gave an inspiring talk but excitement over International Baccalaureate and a ski academy pre-empted further discussion on the subject. Which is too bad. The Nevada empowerment school law was enacted in 2007. Even before that Clark County Superintendent Walt Rulffes led the way by converting four standard schools to empowerment schools. The four schools have shown significant improvement in student test scores. Since enactment of the new legislation, Rulffes has converted a total of 17 Clark County schools to the empowerment model and instituted a teacher merit pay program. His initiative has spurred a lot of private donations in support of the empowerment concept.
The Washoe County School District’s response to the empowerment law was considerably less enthusiastic. The original law involved additional state funding, so Washoe selected four Truckee Meadows schools to convert to the empowerment model. However, the additional funds were cut by the legislature, so Washoe abandoned its conversion plans as part of its budget reduction measures (which is nonsensical since empowerment schools cost no more to run than traditional public schools).
Dan Carne is in his ninth year as Incline’s representative on the Washoe County School Board. He served as a member of the task force, driving the 80 miles from and back to Reno every meeting. He concluded that if there was ever a place where autonomy in decision making would be appropriate it is Incline Village/Crystal Bay.
Maybe the Washoe folks should take a look at what’s going on in Clark County.
Jim Clark is president of Republican Advocates, a vice chair of the Washoe County GOP and a member of the Nevada GOP Central Committee. He can be reached at jclark@tahoesbjc.com.
