Memo: NSEA Seeks Amendment to AB110 (2017)

The Nevada State Education Association represents 40,000 teachers and education support professionals across Nevada. We are committed to ensuring a high quality education for every Nevada student. We find both positives and negatives with the proposed changes in AB 110 related to competency-based education.

NSEA appreciates certain aspects of AB 110, especially the inclusion of criteria to demonstrate proficiency other than an examination, like a portfolio of the pupil’s work.

At the same time, NSEA is concerned this bill has the potential to undermine the education system as we know it, pushing increasing numbers of students into online programs that have built-in limitations compared to traditional classrooms. Many students learn critical life skills in our classrooms beyond the standard curriculum. This includes socialization skills, teamwork, and collaborative learning.

In order to responsibly implement competency-based education in Nevada, we would ask that the composition and appointing authority for the Competency-Based Education Task Force be amended to include K-12 educators and parents. Further, we would ask for more diversity in appointing authority to better reflect the diversity of the state leadership.