Educators say they’re pleased with Lombardo’s address

The Nevada Capitol in Carson City.

The Nevada Capitol in Carson City.
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Gov. Joe Lombardo’s investment in permanent pay raises for public and charter school teachers presented in his State of the State address Jan. 15 was welcomed within the educational community.

His executive budget of $12.7 billion would prioritize the accountability and equity policies he set forth during his first address in 2024 for Nevada’s education system, reward teachers, address at-risk youth and hone in on early literacy resources.

“Together, we ensured that students facing the greatest challenges, those learning English or those at risk of falling behind or those with exceptional talents, received the support they need and deserve,” Lombardo said of his $2.3 billion investment into the state’s education system in 2023. “I’m proud of what we’ve done. But folks, we can no longer accept lack of funding as an excuse for chronic underperformance.”


Permanent increases

Lombardo’s proposed Excellence in Education Fund would reward the highest performing teachers and administrators.

Tim Hughes, director of Teach for America Nevada, a Las Vegas-based organization that supports teachers, applauded the governor’s focus on empowering educators.

“Something that stood out to me is that Gov. Lombardo has continued to invest in early childhood education,” Hughes said. “Right now, the data shows it’s something like a little over 40% of children are proficient in literacy. There’s a long-term impact with that, so I was happy to hear him talk about more targeted interventions and the help to make sure our youngest learners.”

Hughes backed the wage increases for teachers, considering the ongoing turnover school districts face as teachers retire or resign. He also agreed with Lombardo’s comment about families’ freedom to school choice.

“We’ve made some good progress in terms of closing the vacancy gaps,” Hughes said. “We’re looking at cities across the country and see what worked or didn’t work … but the underlying premise is that every kid should have access to a great school.”

“The only other thing I would name specific to the State of the State is when I talk to teachers is they’re working hard to provide all they can for their students and lot of other factors in thinking about the whole child appropriately,” Hughes said.


Charter school conundrum

Extended pay raises will help, but it also leaves the charter schools wondering about their opportunities going forward.

Carson Montessori Executive Director Jessica Daniels said her school remains “caught in the middle” as the Nevada Legislature readies for its session in February.

Montessori has held steady with an enrollment of 284 students and a staff of 35 since COVID-19. Daniels said educators could end up being held responsible for any lack of progress in student achievement.

“Education is key, and funding does make a difference, but (the Governor is) also demanding accountability and we’re not showing the progress that should be made,” Daniels said. “I think in the end it may come down to blaming the educators.”

Academic advancement shouldn’t always be judged merely by test scores and outcomes, she said.

“We don’t need any more reports and the kids don’t need any more tests,” Daniels said. “They’re tested to death. I understand (Lombardo) wants accountability and he wants transparency, and it isn’t always measured by collecting data and putting it on a chart. You have to know your students inside out.”

The Carson City School District sponsors Carson Montessori, and it soon will be up for renewal. Daniels said the school prefers to remain with the district’s sponsorship rather than move to the Nevada State Charter School Authority. District Superintendent Andrew Feuling has supported her current and former students’ legislative teams when they testified and advocated for mental health and other rural services, she said.

Feuling also supported Lombardo’s policies on teacher increases, he said.

“We know there are still many months to go in the legislative session and things can change dramatically in the scrum, but we greatly appreciate the governor's stance on making permanent the increases to wages for teachers and classified staff from the last biennium,” he said.