[MomMom]

Nevada never was and never will be an education mecca of the country. It's one of the negatives that comes with the benefit of NO STATE INCOME TAXES


With no state income taxes, nobody should expect a lot of school funding and high State spending per pupil here in Nevada. Where does anyone think the funding comes from to maintain/fund really good public schools and pay top notch teacher's salaries and benefits?

You'll get a standard education here, but great/high/best education you won't. There's not enough money to fund all the bells and whistles that go along with making a great public school system....great!


Does cutting the GATE program (or any cuts to the school budget) reflect on how Nevada views education?

You bet! A lot of people moved here to escape high state income taxes/fees where they came from and they don't want that changed by adding an income tax to fund the school system.

And people with kids should realize this before choosing to move to Las Vegas.

[Rebecca40]

Originally Posted by MomMom

Nevada never was and never will be an education mecca of the country. It's one of the negatives that comes with the benefit of NO STATE INCOME TAXES


With no state income taxes, nobody should expect a lot of school funding and high State spending per pupil here in Nevada. Where does anyone think the funding comes from to maintain/fund really good public schools and pay top notch teacher's salaries and benefits?

You'll get a standard education here, but great/high/best education you won't. There's not enough money to fund all the bells and whistles that go along with making a great public school system....great!


Does cutting the GATE program (or any cuts to the school budget) reflect on how Nevada views education?

You bet! A lot of people moved here to escape high state income taxes/fees where they came from and they don't want that changed by adding an income tax to fund the school system.

And people with kids should realize this before choosing to move to Las Vegas.

That may be true, but it still doesn't make it right. I don't really call offering classes to challenge bright kids even at the elementary level "bells and whistles" - you don't have to do extravagant things to implement a plan to meet the needs of above average kids - just some elevated coursework or a track system where the kids with higher test scores are grouped in the same classes - that is what they do at our current school and we operate on a very tight budget. I'm sure this problem isn't unique to LV, but it is still disheartening, though I understand that No Child Left Behind is a huge part of the problem. As far as people moving to Nevada to avoid state income taxes, is that really the main reason people move there - is it primarily because of a large retiree population? I would think people moving there for employment would have a different motivation and outlook since many of them likely have families with school aged kids. Obviously I'm not going to be able to change the system, but it is good to know what to expect. As I said, I'm coming expecting nothing so I will plan to supplement my own kids' education as needed outside of school hours - I just feel sorry for the kids for whom this isn't an option.

[MomMom]

No one said the main reason why folks move here is to avoid state taxes and no one said the majority of our population are retirees...but no state tax is sure appealing to a lot of folks.

You've got the right idea though, supplement your children's education at home when in a school district that doesn't rate so well.

Do that and your kids will do really well! Parental participation in their children's education helps whether you are in a good school district and especially in a poor one.

[kimba01]

Originally Posted by Rebecca40

That may be true, but it still doesn't make it right. I don't really call offering classes to challenge bright kids even at the elementary level "bells and whistles" - you don't have to do extravagant things to implement a plan to meet the needs of above average kids - just some elevated coursework or a track system where the kids with higher test scores are grouped in the same classes - that is what they do at our current school and we operate on a very tight budget. I'm sure this problem isn't unique to LV, but it is still disheartening, though I understand that No Child Left Behind is a huge part of the problem. As far as people moving to Nevada to avoid state income taxes, is that really the main reason people move there - is it primarily because of a large retiree population? I would think people moving there for employment would have a different motivation and outlook since many of them likely have families with school aged kids. Obviously I'm not going to be able to change the system, but it is good to know what to expect. As I said, I'm coming expecting nothing so I will plan to supplement my own kids' education as needed outside of school hours - I just feel sorry for the kids for whom this isn't an option.

I definitely agree with a lot of your concerns. There are MANY children in the Clark Co. schools. So many that there are quite a few schools that are overcrowded. So, it is not all retirees for sure.

Although it may not seem like it takes much to create separate coursework for the "gifted", it becomes an issue as to how separate do the public schools want to go. There are gifted, average, below average, troubled, non-English speaking...you get the drift. Where do they draw the line? And then the issue of funding. Sad as it is, school systems seem to get kicked in the butt when it comes to funding. Most likely due to the fact that not everyone has kids and those that don't can't remember nor do they really care, about how it was for them. They would rather not spend the extra in taxes on that. Sad, yes. These are the adults of our future.

My daughter attended 9th grade for the first semester at Coronado HS. She has her strengths and her weaknesses. She did good there, but since we moved back to MI, she is behind in a couple classes because they didnt offer them at the 9th grade level. Such as geometry. She will have to take it in the summer so as not to be behind in 10th grade. But, I did like the school and found most teachers and parents to be very concerned about the kids.

You really never know, maybe you could change the system. Sometimes it only takes one to get the wheel turning. Then if you do get a group together at meetup...! I mean, c'mon, someone actually got "sin city" to ban smoking in certain public areas! Who'd have thought?

Good luck to you--it ain't easy bein' a parent!!

[Rebecca40]

Kimba, did your daughter attend middle school in LV as well? My son will start 5th grade in LV and then have 2 years of middle school before we come back to Ohio (unless my husband gets extended permanently in LV, which I suppose is an option). I'm going to print off the Ohio curriculum standards in math and english and compare them with the NV standards so I can make sure he doesn't fall behind (I'm fortunate in that I have a science degree and my husband has a heavy math/science background so we can supplement what he does at school - much to his dismay I'm sure :-), but my question for you is are there AP classes in middle school or is that only an option for high school students? Our current elementary system starts tracking students by test scores in 3rd grade, so he is already switching classes for math and english and is already grouped with the kids who are at his same academic level for those classes - which is nice. I just want him to fit nicely back into his current track when we come back in 3 years. If there are AP classes in middle school at least that will be better than nothing. Thanks for all the input. I'm not trying to slam LV, and am actually excited about many aspects of coming back....but I am concerned about the school situation. I know a lot of big cities have these issues, though.

[lvkewlkid]

sorry, but there are no AP classes in Middle School in Las Vegas, there are only Accelerated classes and regular classes...AP is really only meant for Sophomores and above...

[kimba01]

Accelerated is good, isn't it?

No, I was not there for long. Only from August until Jan. I just got back to MI. Bunch of reasons why, not so great planning being one of them. My husband is still there working and we are looking for a house there. I definitely want to go back, most likely I won't be a full-time Nevadan until my daughter graduates. We'll see. I loved it there. I hate the cold and love the heat. Even those 110 degree days did not bother me, yet walking to my car yesterday in the 15 degree weather---well, I was literally crying--that is how much I dislike it.

[lvkewlkid]

accelerated = honors

[Charles Wallace]

What is the difference between GATE and Highly Gifted services?
Highly Gifted demands exceptional achievement on a standard measurement like the Stanford-Binet V or the WISC, unless I'm mistaken.


Are the Gate Specialists in the classroom the whole day?

No -- GATE is a pullout program at the elementary level. I think it amounts to a total of 3 contact hours a week.

Are the gifted students grouped together all day?

No. The focus is absolutely on inclusion.

Who are the teachers for HG?

The best person to ask for that question is Marti Bein, (pronounced BINE, to rhyme with FINE WINE), the coordinator for the CCSD Highly Gifted program. She teaches at Sig Rogich Middle School, 799-6040, extension 4140 and will be able to tell you many of the ins and outs of GATE issues in CCSD if you choose to public-school your kids, and could also talk to you about some of your other questions.

[Charles Wallace]

Originally Posted by Rebecca40

I have also been trying to find info on what the public schools do with gifted kids...and it seems like the answer is "not much". We cannot afford The Meadows - we have 2 elementary kids both deemed gifted in their current school in Ohio. Their current program is focused more on academic enrichment rather than the arts which is fine since we supplement them after school with dance and music lessons. One will be a second grader and one a 5th grader when we get there. I have pretty much determined from the posts that I am going to have to seek out extracurricular activities that are geared toward the academically gifted rather than rely on the schools. I have half a mind to go on meetup and form my own after school group to offer field trips, chess club, or other activities to stimulate their brains - and hopefully be fun and offer interaction with other gifted kids. I hate to overschedule my kids which is why it is nice to have these types of programs within the schools, but barring that - I'm prepared to take matters into my own hands. We're not elitists and our kids have friends of all ability levels, but I feel it is important to keep them challenged and engaged with other kids at their same level. I'm sad to hear that the Gov is cutting GATE altogether. That doesn't say a whole lot about how NV feels about their kids - or actually, maybe it does say a lot.

It does, in my opinion. Without meaning offense to anyone, I'd like to suggest that homeschooling is an option that many parents of gifted and highly gifted students find attractive for some of the reasons you've mentioned.