Nevada Last in Success for Our Kids

A few weeks ago the Las Vegas Review Journal announced that “Nevada still last in success for kids.” This is a headline no one wants to see, especially teachers, parents, our business community and of course the students themselves. If you have lived in the Las Vegas valley as long as I have (20 years) you have most likely heard the quip that Nevada is at the top of every bad list and at the bottom of every good list, but dead last in the nation in terms of chances for student success? The report cited in the article is the Education Week 2014 Quality Counts State Report Cards, and indeed Nevada’s children deserve better, not only for a chance at a better life, but for the overall health and vitality of our communities.   

According to the report, the areas that have significantly handicapped our student’s chances for success include linguistic integration, or the number of children whose parents are fluent Spanish speakers, preschool opportunities, low high school graduation rates, and low post-secondary participation for both young adults and adults alike. These are complex issues that speak to larger systemic problems, but  Nevadans have to ask themselves, what kind of community do we want to build? I believe Nevada’s future success economically and in terms of quality of life is predicated on correcting these deficits. Easier said than done I know, but I believe that as a community we can solve these problems together. There is good news in the Silver State however, according to the same study there have been small but steady gains in achievement. The Education Week report puts Nevada 36^th overall. Admittedly not where we want to be, but we are going in the right direction making gains in reading and math.

In addition, Nevada’s students need to learn the skills and acquire the knowledge that will help them become college and career ready. Proficiency in reading and mathematics and effective oral and written communication are vitally important but according to our business leaders so are the “soft-skills" like reasoning, logic, collaboration, communication, problem solving and thinking skills. The 21^st century work force requires employees who take the initiative and have an entrepreneurial spirit, curiosity and imagination. Character is important for success too, attributes like honesty, persistence, determination and empathy have to be developed in students who don’t already have them. Admittedly, this is a tall order in a time of growing class sizes, diminished funding, and increased public skepticism of our public school’s ability to properly educate our children.  If Nevada is to become a leader in education we will need to take bold initiatives and think outside of the box to solve complex problems, it will be difficult work, but work worth doing.