Accountability Means

ACCOUNTABILITY MEANS

Accountability means using funds where they are needed most, like pay increases for every Nevada educator. That is why we say it’s Time For 20 to provide a 20% raise and a $20 minimum wage for all educators.

Accountability means using funds where they are needed most, like class size reduction. That’s why NSEA calls for reducing average class size to 20 students.

Accountability means using funds where they are needed most, like school safety. That is why NSEA supports the Respect Educators Act to elevate the safety, well-being, and autonomy of educators in their work.

Accountability means funding Time for 20, not $20M for student assessments

ACCOUNTABILITY & TRANSPARENCY: REVENUE

Like all education stakeholders, NSEA is supportive of greater transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to the stewardship of public funds. During the presentation of SB543 during the 2019 Legislative Session, Senator Mo Denis stated one of the guiding principles for the new formula was transparency. SB543 mandated new reporting requirements for school districts in anticipation of additional funding. This included the creation of an annual report with a description of personnel employed and services provided by the district and each public school during the previous year, as well as and anticipated changes moving forward. Districts are required to post this information on their websites and schools are required to provide a written copy to parents of each student at a school.

In response to passage of AB495 in the 2021 Session, the Commission on School Funding submitted their report on optimal funding to the legislature last November. Appendix I of that report details how new funding would be used by districts as it becomes available. The first priority is the hiring and retention of high-quality staff in a competitive labor market. This priority aligns closely with NSEA’s Time for 20 campaign. Other priorities include increasing equitable education opportunities, improving student and family supports, and investing in school facilities.

ACCOUNTABILITY & ASSESSMENTS

For years, a top concern of classroom educators has been too many standardized tests shifting the focus in the classroom away from student learning toward a culture of high-stakes testing. NSEA has been actively working to reduce the burden of standardized testing, helping pass a bill to require reviews of student assessments in 2017 and again in 2021. While small changes have been made over the last several years, the current crisis calls for a more substantive overhaul of state testing requirements.

Now with elected officials making the call for greater accountability from school districts, NSEA would caution this accountability cannot be measured by student performance on standardized tests. As NEA-SN President Vicki Kriedel put it, “Any educator will tell you testing-focused schools lose hours of valuable authentic teaching to test prep. This practice adds to the already high stress job that classroom teachers have now.” 

The NDE – Assessments and Accountability Budget contains over $20M for student testing. This number doesn’t even include the exponential costs of educator time and school resources sunk into high-stakes tests. Overtesting is the wrong way to go, and NSEA calls for greater accountability from our elected leaders, right here in Carson City.

NSEA would caution the Legislature that greater accountability cannot be measured by student performance on standardized tests. With Nevada’s glaring educator shortage, we hope accountability is instead measured by strategies that ensure our schools are filled with qualified educators who have the tools they need to ensure every Nevada student has access to a high-quality education.