Home»Fate of the state: Teachers respond to proposed education cuts

Fate of the state: Teachers respond to proposed education cuts

Page Last Updated: Tuesday February 9, 2010 8:14am PST

Steve Crupi reporting

“In this tough economy we cannot ask our citizens to pay new taxes.”

Governor Gibbons outlined his plans Monday night to help Nevada get back on track, which included his ideas to fill the state’s budget shortfall of $800 million.

So what is the fate of our state?

The governor has called a special session to begin on February 23. He said Nevada needs to make big changes to the education system and get used to a smaller government overall. He also proposed laying off several hundred state workers. However, raising taxes is not an option.

Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford gave the Democratic response to Gibbons’ State of the State Address. He says lawmakers agree that new taxes are unacceptable in this tough economy but they are not united behind some of the governor’s proposals.

“When we do recover from this economy recession, we must enact a broader, more stable and fair tax structure period,” says Senator Horsford.

Democratic candidate for governor and current Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid also issued a statement. He says, “The governor has opted to cut education, a devastating course of action, and exactly the wrong way to build for a better future.”

Governor Gibbons is proposing increased class sizes, removing the requirement for all-day Kindergarten, and replacing the bargaining power of teacher unions.

Local school teachers are calling the governor’s cost-cutting plan an “attack” on education and they believe he wants to strip education rather than strengthen it.

Steve Crupi: What about gift certificates for teachers?

“Outrageous,” says Lynne Warne, Teachers Union President. “He said no more gimmicks. This is a gimmick. We've made it nothing but a charity."

And the more Governor Gibbons spoke about education during his speech, the more unimpressed our educators became.

"I gave my students a test today,” says third grade teacher Annie Shaver. “Most of them are reading within the third grade spectrum. If class size is increased we would not see that same result."

Steve Crupi: If the money's not there then what do we do?

“I am willing to pay higher taxes,” says teacher Carolyn Krack. “But I don't believe government should do everything for everybody."

Steve Crupi: If it meant keeping your job, would you be willing to take a pay cut?

“I'm willing to sacrifice something,” concedes teacher John McLauvy.

Our local teachers are also sending cards and letters to Governor Gibbons and other Nevada lawmakers to let them know exactly how they feel about school funding.

Although Governor Gibbons didn’t discuss higher education during his State of the State Address, students at UNLV, Nevada State College, and the College of Southern Nevada are not waiting around. Tuesday they plan to walk out of class and go to the Grant Sawyer Building for a rally called “Budget Cuts 101.”

Last year thousands of students fought against the governor’s plan to balance the budget with cuts they said would cripple higher education. The students were upset about a proposed 36 percent cut to higher education spending.

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COMMENTS

TERRY C.

February 9, 2010 1:21pm PST

Mark as Offensive

I just watched the interview with our former Gov. Kenny Guinn and sounded much brighter than our current Gov. We need a leader that can think our way out of our problems not just point fingers. Gibbons does not seem to understand that our state is a joke when it comes to what it does for education. We are last in everything and there is no way to diversify our economy without an educated public. Catch a clue and say something other than \"no new taxes\"