• Is all-day kindergarten dead man walking?
• Post State of the State Watchdog education analysis tonight
• How low can they go? Another cheap shot at Gibbons
• NPRI honors northern Nevada students, educators

Is all-day kindergarten dead man walking?
If ever there was proof that public education and Nevada’s Democrats prefer looking good (with your money) rather than doing good, their blind orchestrated push for all-day kindergarten is it. Their history of ignoring research and data is nothing new, in fact it is expected. In this case, it’s blatant to the point of truly revealing why Nevada is last on many education lists; academic merit time and again takes a back seat to political considerations.

Columns that have revealed the deceptions behind all-day kindergarten can be found under my pen in the January edition of Liberty Watch Magazine and today’s opinion page of the Reno Gazette-Journal. Chuck Muth ran a column in Sunday’s edition of the Nevada Appeal.

Today’s Las Vegas Review-Journal article by Ed Vogel quotes Assembly Minority Leader Garn Mabey, R-Las Vegas, as saying he is opposed to expanding full-day kindergarten stating, “Putting in full-day kindergarten will take a huge number,” he said. “It is a good day care center program for parents who work. I don’t see why Barbara may make it the hill to die for.”

All-day K will be wheeled into the 2007 Legislative Session on life support with only the most optimistic expecting a political resurrection to the magnitude of Lazarus. While the Assembly may pretend all they like, the Senate and Governor Gibbons are sure to notice the monitor has flat lined.

Post State of the State Watchdog education analysis tonight
Rumor has it Governor Gibbons will be proposing substantive education reforms for Nevada. After decades of “feel good” measures with the billions spent, it will be a breath of fresh air. Arrangements have been made for those of us with the alternative media, bloggers, to have the same access as the mainstream media. A special Watchdog alert analyzing tonight’s speech will be sent out, reflecting its significance.

How low can they go? Another cheap shot at Gibbons
Wow! I’m almost at a loss for words after reading today’s cheap shot at Gibbons. Whether out of desperation or vindictiveness, probably both, the lawyer for his former nanny has sent out a letter the same day as the State of the State address.

Here’s some free and unsolicited literary advice to the nanny and her attorney. Read Dante’s Inferno and pay particular attention to the deepest level of hell. It is the 4th section of the 9th circle called Giudecca: Traitors to Benefactors where one finds Judas, Brutus, & Cassius. Et tu, nanny?

NPRI honors northern Nevada students, educators
Senator William Raggio presented Nevada Policy Research Institute’s Outstanding Academic Achievement Award to 3 students, a teacher, and a principal from the Washoe County School District. The ceremony was held Wednesday, January 17th, 2007 at a lunch hosted by Ranson Webster, Chairman of the NPRI Board, at his Auto Museum facility in Reno. Jim Breslin from Model Dairy (Reno) – donated a Gift Certificate for 6-1/2 gallons of ice cream for each recipient and Fisher Pen (Boulder) donated special pens to each of the honorees. They also received a $50.00 certificate.

The award winners were Connor Petrini (elementary level), Trenton Ross (Middle School), Laura Kreidberg (high school), Judy Sutherland (Teacher), and Lisa Singer (Principal). All are from the Washoe County School District.

I dare say Laura Kreidberg is probably one of the most gifted students in Nevada. What are the odds? Of 1.5 million students who take the SAT – Scholastic Aptitude Test – each year, only 238 students achieve a perfect score. Similarly, of the 1.2 million students who take the ACT – American College Test – each year, only 219 achieve a perfect score on that test.

So how do we rate the achievement of Reno High senior Laura Kreidberg? Laura had perfect scores on both the SAT and ACT! Clearly, she pays attention in class – and outside, too. Incidentally, Laura is the only Nevada student this year to get a perfect score on the ACT.
Seventeen-year-old Laura also plays the violin. She attended Caughlin Ranch Elementary and Swope Middle School before Reno High, and has never received anything but an A in any class at any level.

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.
Aesop, The Dog and the Shadow

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