Purple Politics Nevada with Lucia Starbuck is KUNR’s weekly show about the 2023 Nevada Legislative Session. The Democratic-controlled legislature and Republican governor are both looking for ways to improve education in the state.
This episode features KUNR’s education reporter, Jose Davila IV, who shares what he’s learned from teachers, school district officials and lawmakers.
Click here for a transcript of the audio story.
Episode Overview
Last weekend, more than 1,000 school district support staff, including school nurses, students and administrators, gathered in downtown Reno to spur action from the legislature to improve education in Nevada.
“We need money to be able to fund things for our activities, for our textbooks and just supplies in general, but the most important one is finally paying our educators a living wage,” said Carmina Aglubat, a McQueen High School senior.
One of Aglubat’s teachers, Mario Fitzpatrick, has taught for 17 years. He’s also a board member of the Washoe Education Association, which is calling for 20 percent raises for teachers. Nevada teachers make nearly $7,500 less than the national average, according to the Nevada State Education Association.
“We’ve seen a lot of teachers, since the pandemic, leave the teaching profession to pursue other careers where financial compensation is greater,” Fitzpatrick said.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree that teachers should be paid more, but increases must happen at the district level.
Teacher wages aren’t the only issues schools are facing. Listen to this week’s episode of Purple Politics Nevada to hear about school choice arguments, class size challenges, and the funding needs of special education and rural technology services on the district level.
Transcript
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC BEGINS)
LUCIA STARBUCK, HOST: Welcome to the third episode of Purple Politics Nevada. I’m Lucia Starbuck. The name reflects the fact that Nevada isn’t red or blue – it’s both. The Democratic-controlled legislature and Nevada’s Republican governor are both looking for ways to improve education in the state. With me in the studio is KUNR’s education reporter, Jose Davila IV, to share what he’s learning from teachers, school district officials and lawmakers.
Jose, over the weekend, you covered an education rally in some snowy weather in downtown Reno. Who was there, and what did they have to say?
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC ENDS)
JOSE DAVILA IV, REPORTER: Well, the rally was hosted by the Washoe Education Association, the teachers’ union for the district. More than 1,000 people, according to union officials, showed up, including district support staff, like school nurses, students, administrators, trustees and other community members. Speakers and attendees largely focused on education funding and teacher pay. Here’s McQueen High School senior Carmina Aglubat.
(SOUNDBITE OF CARMINA AGLUBAT): We need money to be able to fund things for our activities, for our textbooks and just supplies in general, but the most important one is finally paying our educators a living wage.
DAVILA: In addition, speakers pleaded for increased classroom safety.
STARBUCK: The statewide and Washoe County teachers’ unions are calling for a 20 percent raise for teachers.
DAVILA: Here’s one of Carmina’s teachers at McQueen, Mario Fitzpatrick. He’s been teaching for 17 years.
(SOUNDBITE OF MARIO FITZPATRICK): We’ve seen a lot of teachers, since the pandemic, leave the teaching profession to pursue other careers where financial compensation is greater.
DAVILA: Both sides of the aisle often say teachers should be paid more. Nevada teachers make $7,500 less than the national average, but any increases to teacher pay must happen at the district level. Governor Joe Lombardo’s budget, for that reason, does not include a line about funding or increasing teacher salaries. Democratic lawmakers have proposed a $250 million matching grant fund for school districts when they increase teacher salaries in those negotiations with their unions.
STARBUCK: What is the legislature aiming to do about class sizes?
DAVILA: Teachers often tell me that they want smaller class sizes. That issue is complicated by poor teacher retention in the state and a lack of substitute teachers. Here’s Reno Assemblywoman Selena La Rue Hatch – she has first-hand experience as a history teacher at North Valleys High School.
(SOUNDBITE OF SELENA LA RUE HATCH): I have had classes of 45 students, and I teach sophomores, so if you can imagine 45 15-year-olds in the room together, it is quite something.
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC BEGINS)
STARBUCK: I’m Lucia Starbuck, and you’re listening to Purple Politics Nevada. We’ve been exploring the legislative goals that teachers and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle agree on. But there’s one issue where they don’t, and that’s school choice. With us is KUNR’s education reporter, Jose Davila IV. What are Republicans calling for?
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC ENDS)
DAVILA: Governor Lombardo is proposing adding $50 million in tax credits to businesses for the state’s Opportunity Scholarships program. Basically, businesses can pay into this program by donating to one of six private scholarship orgs in the state, and if they do, they’ll get one-for-one tax breaks. So, the money isn’t being pulled from the public State Education Fund. Last year, about $6.5 million in tax credits were used for this program. Governor Joe Lombardo, again, proposing $50 million. And those scholarships are for households who make a certain amount – 300 percent or less of the federal poverty line – for example, a household of four making $90,000 per year or less. Lombardo wants to raise that threshold. Democrats, in general, disagree with putting any public funding toward private education.
STARBUCK: And not all Republicans agree. Assemblyman Gregory Koenig, who represents rural Western Nevada, says he doesn’t know if school choice would help in the rurals.
(SOUNDBITE OF GREGORY KOENIG): If you live in Hawthorne, Nevada, there is no other choice.
STARBUCK: We’ve been talking about what Nevada lawmakers are hoping to accomplish. What are you hearing from school districts, Jose?
DAVILA: At Washoe County School District Superintendent Susan Enfield’s State of Education address, she discussed a handful of challenges, among them: staff shortages, declining enrollment. She also spoke about, specifically, inadequate state funding for students receiving special education services. That is one thing the legislature can tackle, after the governor’s proposed budget did not raise funding for those services at the same level as it did for other populations like English-Language Learners.
(SOUNDBITE OF SUSAN ENFIELD): Another change we have to keep focused on is how we are meeting the needs of our most vulnerable students. We are concerned about special education funding in the state – not new, not unique to us.
STARBUCK: And what about rural school districts?
DAVILA: One concern has bubbled to the surface in the early days of the session: learning technology for students. Here’s Lincoln County Superintendent Pam Teel.
(SOUNDBITE OF PAM TEEL): I need to ensure that I can keep the broadband going, the 1-1 devices, the SMART Boards, all of those are pivotal to ensure that we’ve got students accessing the things they need wherever they are.
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC BEGINS)
DAVILA: That issue is complicated by dwindling federal COVID relief funds that were originally used to purchase a lot of this technology.
STARBUCK: KUNR’s education reporter, Jose Davila IV, is also a Report for America corps member. Thanks so much for joining me. I’m Lucia Starbuck, and you’ve been listening to Purple Politics Nevada.
(UPBEAT JAZZ MUSIC ENDS)
The theme song, “Vibe Ace” by Kevin MacLeod, is licensed under Creative Commons and was edited for this episode.
Jose Davila IV is a corps member for Report for America, an initiative of the GroundTruth Project.
