The economic conditions facing families as a result of the COVID-19 health emergency threaten the very survival of many private schools, as the tuition checks that go to pay teachers, staff and rent are no longer arriving.
We support school choice — that is not the question before us however. It is a question of preserving a schools sector that has played a crucial historic role in the fabric of our nation.
Introduction:
Families are always crucial partners with their children’s schools. In these days when we are all schooling-from-home, families are more crucial partners than ever before. How do we know if our children are learning everything they will be responsible for mastering at their grade level?
We’ve streamlined the Nevada Academic Content Standards into easy-to-follow summaries, by grade level, for English Language Arts and math. For parents who want more details, you can access the full content standards documents here. Whether your child attends district-run public schools, charter schools or most private schools, the content standards are the same.
For parents who want to learn more, we highly recommend the “What Your xxth Grader Needs to Know,” series of books by eminent education professor E.D. Hirsch, Jr., which are available from Amazon or directly from the Core Knowledge Foundation: https://www.
Here are the Kindergarten and First Grade standards. Over the coming weeks, we will be adding additional grade levels, so please check back. And please send us your questions, as always, to ashley@nevadaaction.org.
Author’s note: Over the past two years I have watched my now eleven-year-old daughter struggle with math. As I see her grades slipping, I wonder if she is truly learning and retaining everything she needs to know in order to be successful at the next grade level. Now that we have entered a time of remote online learning, I worry that she won’t be ready for next year. While she seems to be grasping the things being taught now better than she ever did inside a traditional classroom, there is still that nagging voice in the back of my mind telling me that next year is going to be an even bigger struggle than this one. So the big question is, what should she be mastering at her current grade level?
Kindergarten ELA/Reading
Kindergarten Math
1st Grade ELA/Reading
1st Grade Math
Stay tuned, Nevada Action for School Options will be adding Nevada Content Standards summaries for other grade levels in the days and weeks to come.
As we speak with Nevada’s private school leaders, educators and families this week, our gratitude and appreciation for their leadership in this health emergency grows each day.
The $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program from the Small Business Administration is proving a crucial lifeline for private schools to keep operating during this time. It is a forgivable loan program that is available to nonprofits and businesses, including private schools. Organizations must apply through their banks and financial institutions.
Given the great demand for the program, we are strongly encouraging schools to apply today, April 3.
Organizations that are eligible for this program include nonprofit organizations and businesses that have under 500 employees; however businesses in specific industries that have more than 500 employees but are considered small according to SBA Size Standards might still be eligible.
In order to get the loans forgiven there are rules regarding how the money must be spent. In addition, the payroll provisions contain requirements that businesses must maintain staff and payroll for the loan duration. This linked document contains crucial details you will need to reference.
Program documents hold specific instructions for faith-based schools. Of importance: schools may not use the money to pay a priest, rabbi or clergy, or the mortgage on the sanctuary. The money can be used for school payroll costs and school rents/mortgage/utilities. We encourage you to be conscious of the percentages allowed for the latter mentioned expenses.
In addition, according to the interim rule, schools that accept SBA loans/grants will not be subject to intrusive action or regulation by the SBA related to practices connected with their religious activities, including employment.
The interim rule is also valuable in satisfying potential issues of government funding religious entities directly for religious activities, which is not allowed under the First Amendment as interpreted by the US Supreme Court, and the inclusion of RFRA addresses the issue of government intrusion into the affairs of religiously affiliated entities.
One issue not addressed by the interim rule relates to schools that wish to remain entities which do not accept government funds. We recommend that schools who wish to remain such, but need the SBA loan/grant to keep the school going, create a company document approved by your board indicating that this is one-time emergency relief funding occurring during a national emergency and that your action in accepting the SBA loan/grant in no way indicates a change in their operating procedures or mission.
Again, we encourage schools to act swiftly. If you have any questions or need please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
We need to recognize that reliable transportation is critical as magnet schools, private schools, and charter schools in Nevada strive to increase the number of lower-income students they serve.
Depending on public transportation, unfortunately means that sometimes the only thing that can be depended on are problems. One of my closest friends shared with me her experience when she and her husband first moved to the Las Vegas Valley. Her husband used public transportation when he was working for the plumbers and pipefitters union. He only used public transportation on his days off and remembers the struggles it caused. He had to find other means of transportation to get to work, because he knew if he was using public transportation he would be late.
Residents need to be able to count on reliable, affordable transportation. Without having access to reliable transportation, it limits employment options for residents. Their choices are narrowed down to what is near where they live.
Reliable public school transportation is a vital element for a healthy school system. The public school district transportation system should be a safe and effective way for students to travel to school. Without a dependable school bus system, students and parents are left with little options, especially families whose neighborhood school is one that persistently struggles with the quality of education.
In their recent report published by EdChoice, Transporting School Choice Students A Primer on States’ Transportation Policies Related to Private, Charter, and Open Enrollment Students, Michael Q. McShane and Michael Shaw explain that school transportation is inextricably linked to school options. We need to take a look at what we know, what we need to know, and what we can do to improve.
We know that currently there is not an option for a school options transportation system in Nevada.
McShane and Shaw share with us plenty of evidence that shows when students travel for school, they attend markedly better schools than their peers. Interestingly enough, this is still true among students who attend schools of choice. Students who use transportation to travel farther than their peers, tend to go to a higher-quality school than their peers, even if their peers are also attending a choice school.
We also know that there is a shortage of school bus drivers in Nevada. The process to become a licensed school bus driver in Nevada is lengthy and filled with regulations.
The problem is complex, however a few key takeaways are private and charter schools, as well as out-of-boundary schools, do not receive any funds that could allow them to implement a transportation system, there is a bus driver shortage, and because of regulations there seems to be no solution in mind other than a typical school bus.
We need to recognize that transportation is critical as magnet schools, private schools, and charter schools in Nevada strive to increase the number of lower-income students they serve. Nevada’s charter school community as a whole has made improving this disparity a major goal, and it is a central tenet of the State Public Charter School Authority’s strategic growth plan. When comparing demographics of students at Nevada’s State-Sponsored charter schools and all of Nevada’s public schools, the biggest disparity has been found among FRL students. Currently 65% of students at Nevada’s public schools qualify for free and reduced lunch, where only 35% of state-sponsored charter school students qualify.
Transportation can be the single biggest equalizer for lower income families who do not have safe and ready access, and so do not have the same options for schooling. Offering transportation would allow lower income families more private school options.
The report from EdChoice compared transportation available for private and charter school students in a state-by-state summary. 31 states have made transportation funding or services available to charter students, with 17 of those states mandating that charter school student transportation funding is either equal, or roughly equivalent, to public school district students. Nevada is currently one of the 20 states that do not offer transportation services or funds to state-sponsored charter schools.
EdChoice’s breakdown of their state-by-state comparison for private school transportation shows us that “…29 states have provisions to provide transportation for private school students. Of those states, seven mandate transportation services or funding at levels equivalent or roughly equivalent to those of public district school students.” Again, Nevada is one of the 22 states that do not offer transportation services or funds to private school students.
It’s time to take a look at what other states are offering. By comparing our services to theirs, we can find ways to fill in the gaps we currently have, which may mean working with school districts to collaborate on a transportation plan.
In Colorado, for example, if a charter school’s charter includes a provision for transportation, the charter school and the school district collaborate to create a plan to provide school district equipment to transport charter students.
Another thought worth considering is loosening some of the regulations that are required for transporting students, specifically when it involves charter and private schools. Ride sharing is ever increasing in popularity, and might prove itself to be a feasible option that saves money, if policy changes were made to allow for other options than just a standard school bus.
Currently, rigid state regulations governing where school bus drivers receive their training are also worth examining to explore possible alternatives that could add flexibility without compromising safety provisions.
As the RTC struggles with losing revenue as more and more riders turn to ride sharing, perhaps partnering with the RTC might be a solution. There is a wide variety of possibilities to explore. Could the RTC create routes that would benefit students attending charter and private schools? If they did, would it increase their revenue? Perhaps charter and private schools could partner with the RTC in a way that cuts down the costs for schools, and still increases revenue for the RTC.
Schooling transportation is a big issue to solve. However, as we work together as an education community to improve equitable access to quality schooling options for all families, finding solutions will be vital.
We are thrilled to announce that Ashley Campbell has joined us as the newest member of our Nevada Action for School Options team. A lifelong Nevadan and admired leader within the Las Vegas education community, Ashley has most recently been driving different initiatives for the Pinecrest Foundation as its assistant director.
In her new position as Chief of Staff, Ashley’s talent for bringing community members together with contagious enthusiasm for initiatives that make a difference that matters for education (for learners as well as for educators) will be ever more essential as Nevadans navigate these trying, unprecedented times. You can reach her at ashley@nevadaaction.org. Please reach out when you can, and please keep letting us know how we can be helpful to you.
Best of luck in your new role, Ashley. We feel honored to have such a widely-admired force for education good choose us for your new professional home.