Will the interests of the many finally trump those of the few?

Nevada currently finds itself in a bizarre situation in which both everyone and no one are simultaneously in charge of the state’s public K-12 education system.

Senate Bill 540 was heard by the upper chamber’s Committee on Finance on the “do or die” day of Friday, April 13, but because of its importance was exempted from the deadline. This legislation is big — really big. It calls for the complete restructuring and overhaul of the apparatus charged with governing K-12 public education in Nevada.

The centerpiece of that apparatus, the State Board of Education, received blistering criticisms from Senate Majority Leader Bill Raggio on Friday. “Dysfunctional,” “inaction,” and “lack of leadership,” were just a few of his descriptions.

In essence, said the senator, enough is enough. He recounted the lamentable history of the state board as an institution, while pointedly emphasizing the Legislature’s constitutional responsibility for the condition of Nevada education.

You can read the complete article on the NPRI Web site by clicking here.

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