Nevada's Governor Makes Up Own Definitions For Words

Issues 8-Point "Plan" To "Reform" Education

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Gov. Jim Gibbons will propose a series of ambitious changes to the state's education system in a proposal that appears to be a conservative wish-list of reforms to K-12 schools.

Under the proposal, the state funds to reduce class sizes and provide all-day kindergarten would be eliminated. Some of that money would be returned to school districts but not earmarked for any purpose, giving school districts more control over how that money is spent, according to Robin Reedy, Gibbons' chief of staff.

Additionally, the governor will propose eliminating the collective bargaining statute, which allows teachers and other local government employees — including local government employees like firefighters and police — to negotiate contracts with their employers.

Yes, he's serious. Despite advocating all-day kindergarten just last year in his State Of The State address, Gibber the Fibber has decided that to burnish his conservative bona fides (and save his political ass come the Republican Primary) all-day kindergarten just isn't that important.

Not to mention the "eliminate collective bargaining" plan plank is pretty much a dead letter. The Legislature is overwhelmingly Democratic, and the teacher's union is one of the strongest unions in the state. Did Gibbons learn nothing from watching Ah-nold try to take on the teachers in California (who promptly whipped him in a special election)?

In addition, Gibbons' plan would abolish the State Board of Education, demand an implementation of statewide vouchers to send kids to private school (which might work in Las Vegas and Reno, but wouldn't work in towns like Yerington or Battle Mountain), and remove a "hold harmless" provision that allows a full year from a drop in enrollment to result in a drop in school district funding.

Oh, and it gets better

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“Gibbons is taking on K-12 education, particularly the union, which is very popular with the Republican base,” said Eric Herzik, a UNR political science professor.

He added: “I can’t believe he expects this to pass. He knows that the Assembly, in particular, will dig in its heels and say no.”

But in a meeting with legislators, which was closed to the media, he said he would call “as many special sessions as necessary to get this passed,” according to Assemblywoman Debbie Smith, D-Reno. “He was pretty riled up.”

Smith’s account was confirmed by another participant.

To put this in perspective, it costs $250,000 to call the state legislature into special session. It costs $50,000 for every day beyond the first that the legislature is in special session. And the power to call a session and set its agenda rests in the hands of the Governor, so he can carry out his implied threat.

So a "fiscal conservative" is willing to spend even more money to try and ram through a Tea Party member's wet dream while claiming that failure to do so will drive the state further into debt.

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and the teacher's union is one of the strongest unions in the state.

Choked on my tea. Good one Spotts.

But seriously, Gibbons is a complete dick. Parents are going to go ape over the "no kindergarten" proposal.

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demand an implementation of statewide vouchers to send kids to private school

Ugggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh fucking republicans and their private schools.

Okay, all you other states? You make me deeply appreciative of my relatively sane local government.

Of course, we're a blue state.

This guy almost makes me glad we have Ahnold here instead of him.

Uh... The Italian Mafia runs my state. For serious.

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

All-day kindergarten is actually a great big blessing. Your kid is great and all, but having a few hours to go to the grocery store, walk the dog, clean the house, etc. is awesome. Then they come home at 3:45 and destroy the house again.

True, but there've been studies that've shown that kids need more variety early on in life, and that excessive schooling can actually be detrimental.

Of course, if all they do is come home and veg out, then that's no good either.

No, they just come home and run around like psychos through my nice clean house. The TV can't hold their attention unless its a Studio Ghibli film on. Damn this cold weather, I can't throw them outside in the back yard now.

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

Threads like this make me glad I live in a boring state.

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

South Carolina says hi.

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

The fact that the average starting salary for a teacher in Nevada is just above $35,000 a year (and that's with a Master's degree instead of just a BA) doesn't help.

Spotts1701 wrote:

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

The fact that the average starting salary for a teacher in Nevada is just above $35,000 a year (and that's with a Master's degree instead of just a BA) doesn't help.

WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SALARY IS THAT.

theweirdkind wrote:

Spotts1701 wrote:

Mafiosa wrote:

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

The fact that the average starting salary for a teacher in Nevada is just above $35,000 a year (and that's with a Master's degree instead of just a BA) doesn't help.

WHAT THE HELL KIND OF SALARY IS THAT.

In NM the starting salary is $33,000. To me it seems like a lot of money... but for what a teacher has to put up with, oh god. It's one of those jobs where you truly have to love what you're doing.

In Texas, starting pay is over $33,755. However, there are many districts that start at $40,000.

Starting salary for teachers in Maryland with a BA ranges between 37k and 53k depending on the county you're teaching in.

For my state, average beginning teacher salary is $30,510. And they wonder why there are high school graduates here who think Detroit is a state.

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers?

Well, any plan that attempts to do that is clearly, fundamentally flawed.

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Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

Welcome to public education. IIRC the only state that pays halfway decently is California, and that's all eaten up by cost of living and taxes. I know of a few teachers who tried moving their to make a decent living only to find they shouldn't have bothered.

The northeast states tend to pay pretty well for teachers. According to what I could find statistically, California does lead, followed by New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. The ranges there are from 40-50K a year. I seem to remember reading about Maine and New Hampshire being in that range as well. Of course, taxes and living expenses are higher there too, being in a more populated area.

Awesome, South Dakota comes in dead last for average salaries. Of course, our cost of living is much, MUCH lower here. Link

Thanos6 wrote:

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

South Carolina says hi.

Michigan says CHANGE MISTER PLEASE GOD YOU GOT ANY CHANGE

Delcat wrote:

Thanos6 wrote:

Mafiosa wrote:

Penguin wrote:

Bizarre. Then again, the original plan wasn't that great either. Reduced class size? Awesome. All-day kindergarten? Not so much.

How can you reduce a class size if there are no extra teachers? Nobody in Nevada wants to be a teacher because they're in a shit position: a state where they get blamed for low and failing test scores expected to make miracles with a shoestring budget and a government that won't work with them.

South Carolina says hi.

Michigan says CHANGE MISTER PLEASE GOD YOU GOT ANY CHANGE

Indiana says OH HAI THAR every school district in the state, you each get $1,000,000 less this year thx bai

Mafiosa wrote:

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and the teacher's union is one of the strongest unions in the state.

Choked on my tea. Good one Spotts.

But seriously, Gibbons is a complete dick. Parents are going to go ape over the "no kindergarten" proposal.

It's not no kindergarten. It's they're not going to full day kindergarten.

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demand an implementation of statewide vouchers to send kids to private school

Mafiosa wrote:

Ugggggggggggggghhhhhhhhh fucking republicans and their private schools.

Oh because only the rich should attend private school if they want?

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Oh because only the rich should attend private school if they want?

Yeah, everyone should have to pay for an education.

Idiot.
e: Or, you know, be rejected due to economic or social circumstances or, since the majority of private schools are religious, be forced to learn from a less biased standpoint than an institution funded by government money.

I don't even fucking know where you got that idea in your head.

A republican is a douche and U.S. educational system got shittier. News at 11.