Patrick R. Gibbons
When government ignores its own laws
A dubious way around genuine education reform
Imagine if a Nevada business decided not to pay taxes. Supporters of big government would cry that it was "not paying its fair share," and state officials would swoop down upon on the firm like vultures to a carcass. The state would devour all it could and imprison the company's management for violating the law. But what happens when government ignores laws it creates?
Grading empowerment schools
So far, so good
Government-run public education in America has long imposed on schools central bureaucracies that ration key resources, including teachers, textbooks and many more school supplies. Currently, Nevada is attempting to break away from this unworkable system, the primary source of the state's well-known K-12 problems. The new approach — most advanced in the Clark County School District — uses the "empowerment school" model, which creatively exploits the intelligence naturally operating within market processes.
No illusions in Nevada education
The Silver State, to its credit, has tests that actually test
Nevada is well known for entertainment, especially here in Las Vegas. Performing on the streets and in the resorts and concert halls are illusionists, magicians, conjurers and prestidigitators. But such artists of illusion work elsewhere, too. Government bureaucracies and legislatures are often favorite settings. There, on education issues, magic frequently occurs — as entire subgroups of underperforming students vanish right before our very eyes and bureaucratic sorcery produces wondrous improvements in reports of education quality. The power of illusion, whether you perform in Las Vegas or in a legislature, comes from misdirection.
Nevada education’s funding fantasies
We’re already spending more than you think
Over the last year Nevadans have been inundated with talks of budget cuts and tax increases. Critics have said the state has "cut to the bone" and that taxes must be raised in order to "maintain services." The most vocal of the advocates for increased taxes have been the champions of the public schools — "it's for the children," they've told us. But how much does Nevada really spend each year on education? Officially the figure ranges between $5,000 and $7,000 per pupil, depending on who is speaking. But these figures ignore millions of dollars in education-related expenditures.
