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ENLARGE
INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — It appears that the Washoe County School District finally got its International Baccalaureate ducks in order judging from last week's presentation before a large crowd in the Parasol Building.
Let me review a little history. Last year about this time, when the full scope of Nevada's budget problems became clear, rumors began to fly about teacher layoffs and possible closing of the middle school. Then-Superintendent Paul Dugan sought applications from Incline/Crystal Bay volunteers to form a committee tasked with reviewing options for the future of Incline schools. Twenty-one applicants were selected ... the three Incline principals, several teachers, students, parents and community members.
The group met twice a month from February to May, 2009. Problems identified included declining student populations, language and cultural barriers associated with a growing Latino student population and WCSD rules that did not accommodate the needs of our mountain community. Of the committee's recommendations, priority No. 1 was a bilingual parent involvement facilitator, and priority No. 2 was implementation of a K-12 IB program. Several lesser priority items have already been implemented.
Dugan approved the recommendations and even contributed $5,000 for IB ... and then retired. From that point until Superintendent Heath Morrison was hired in August, the WCSD was AWOL. Local IB advocates began raising funds to implement the program but there was no effective district support. As is usual in Incline detractors began to speak up and the issue evolved into a very public debate as readers of the Bonanza well know.
Finally in late fall, Superintendent Morrison's long-time colleague Pedro Martinez arrived from the Chicago School District to assume duties of deputy superintendent with particular attention to Incline/Crystal Bay. After hearing from advocates on both sides of the issue Martinez scheduled last week's public forum. He explained that district-wide graduation rates are in the high 50 percent range. He said that Incline's rate is only marginally better than the district's and that our community needs a rigorous education program to encourage locals to keep their children in Incline schools. He said that students who participate in IB have higher graduation rates and improved readiness for college and career.
Martinez made several things abundantly clear: (1) WCSD has listened to concerns of parents and teachers and has slowed down the IB implementation schedule; (2) the IB program will exist alongside advanced placement classes thus giving students and parents a choice of IB, advanced placement courses, neither or both; (3) WCSD will financially support the IB program and expects that it will become self sustaining as graduation rates increase. He added that continued local generosity and support for the program will still be needed for the immediate future.
The Bonanza has duly printed all the opinions, pro and con, of just about everyone who has had an opinion to express on this subject. The simple and inexorable fact is that if nothing is done, the historic annual decline in student population will persist bringing a continued loss of teacher allocations which will result in a reduction of class choices resulting in still more loss of students. We elect school trustees to go out and hire experts to do the right thing.
Let's let them get to work.
— 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 for comment at tahoesbjc@aol.com.
Let me review a little history. Last year about this time, when the full scope of Nevada's budget problems became clear, rumors began to fly about teacher layoffs and possible closing of the middle school. Then-Superintendent Paul Dugan sought applications from Incline/Crystal Bay volunteers to form a committee tasked with reviewing options for the future of Incline schools. Twenty-one applicants were selected ... the three Incline principals, several teachers, students, parents and community members.
The group met twice a month from February to May, 2009. Problems identified included declining student populations, language and cultural barriers associated with a growing Latino student population and WCSD rules that did not accommodate the needs of our mountain community. Of the committee's recommendations, priority No. 1 was a bilingual parent involvement facilitator, and priority No. 2 was implementation of a K-12 IB program. Several lesser priority items have already been implemented.
Dugan approved the recommendations and even contributed $5,000 for IB ... and then retired. From that point until Superintendent Heath Morrison was hired in August, the WCSD was AWOL. Local IB advocates began raising funds to implement the program but there was no effective district support. As is usual in Incline detractors began to speak up and the issue evolved into a very public debate as readers of the Bonanza well know.
Finally in late fall, Superintendent Morrison's long-time colleague Pedro Martinez arrived from the Chicago School District to assume duties of deputy superintendent with particular attention to Incline/Crystal Bay. After hearing from advocates on both sides of the issue Martinez scheduled last week's public forum. He explained that district-wide graduation rates are in the high 50 percent range. He said that Incline's rate is only marginally better than the district's and that our community needs a rigorous education program to encourage locals to keep their children in Incline schools. He said that students who participate in IB have higher graduation rates and improved readiness for college and career.
Martinez made several things abundantly clear: (1) WCSD has listened to concerns of parents and teachers and has slowed down the IB implementation schedule; (2) the IB program will exist alongside advanced placement classes thus giving students and parents a choice of IB, advanced placement courses, neither or both; (3) WCSD will financially support the IB program and expects that it will become self sustaining as graduation rates increase. He added that continued local generosity and support for the program will still be needed for the immediate future.
The Bonanza has duly printed all the opinions, pro and con, of just about everyone who has had an opinion to express on this subject. The simple and inexorable fact is that if nothing is done, the historic annual decline in student population will persist bringing a continued loss of teacher allocations which will result in a reduction of class choices resulting in still more loss of students. We elect school trustees to go out and hire experts to do the right thing.
Let's let them get to work.
— 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 for comment at tahoesbjc@aol.com.
