The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on decisions being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.
Nevada State Board of Education
What is the State Board of Education & what are they responsible for? The Nevada State Board of Education adopts regulations based on Nevada laws, which are passed down to individual school districts in Nevada to implement. The Board has 11 total (7 appointed and 4 publicly elected) members.
How often does the State Board meet? The Nevada State Board of Education meets once per month on Thursdays at 9:00 AM or 2:00 PM. Click here to see the 2022 Board Meeting Schedule. Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar.
Can community members engage at State Board Meetings? A time for public comment is provided at the beginning (for agenda items) and at the conclusion (on any matter) of each Board meeting. Members of the public may provide public comment in writing via email; public comment will be accepted via email for the duration of the meeting and shared with the State Board of Education during the public comment periods. Public comment may be emailed to NVBoardED@doe.nv.gov.
Click here for a list of all State Board Members.
Thursday, April 21, 2022
Nevada State Board of Education Meeting
Click here to see the regular SBOE meeting agenda.
Click here to watch the meeting playback.
What happened at the regular meeting?
Public Comment #1
Public comment was heard on the following subjects:
- Teacher and support staff recruitment, retention, and pay
- The impact of AB 469 on teachers, support staff, and current employment agreements
- AB 469 definitions
President’s Report
Highlights included:
- The Washoe County School Board is in the final process of selecting its next Superintendent of Public Schools, and the new superintendent will be announced next week.
- Student safety concerns and the importance of providing resources for students who are experiencing stress, trauma, and mental health issues were also highlighted.
Superintendent’s Report
Highlights included:
- Safety, Mental, and Behavioral Needs of Nevada Students and Educators Roundtables were held. Discussions included protections for employees and students, misconceptions regarding restorative justice, and student discipline measures related to safety issues.
- Twenty-five teams competed in the FIRST Robotics Competition at the Thomas & Mack Center, in a statewide competition. Some students are participating in the national competition in Texas.
- SPCSA appointment applications are due in by May 13 and can be found here.
Board Approved Consent Agenda
Consent agenda items included:
- WestEd Board of Directors appointments
- Private School Consent item
- Approvals of 2022 Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 Class Size Reduction Reports
- Meeting minutes
Board Heard an Update on Ratios of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel
The Board heard an update on ratios of Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) and the implementation of requirements in Senate Bill (SB) 89 (2019), SB 151 (2021), and SB 352 (2021). The presentation explained the update to the ratios (SB 89 and 151) and some of the strategies and policies to help increase the number of support personnel in schools.
Clark County and Washoe County are required to create reports on these ratios, and baseline ratios were reported from the 2019 and 2020 school years. There is still work to be done to reach these ratios within these school districts across the board, with a decline in social workers and an uptick in school noted by staff.
Efforts to improve SISP ratios include differing revenue streams to support hiring and developing these positions. Staff are also looking at more diversified revenue streams to fund these positions.
Explore the presentation, which includes baseline numbers, ratios, and reporting.
Board Approved Teach Nevada Scholarship Awards
The Board received a presentation on current available funds for Teach Nevada scholarship awards and requests. Available funds for 2023 allocations are $2.4 million. They are proposing two award phases in the fiscal year to allow for better planning and scholarship distribution. 2022 carryover funds, as well as rebalanced funds, will be requested in the fall. Two options were presented for awards during this meeting, and board approved the second option.
Explore the presentation.
Board Heard an Update on Educator Recruitment Needs and Efforts
The Board received presentations from Data Insight Partners and EdLiFE on educator retention and attrition, national education workforce trends, and statewide efforts on educator recruitment and retention.
Data Insight Partners presented on educator retention and attrition and workforce trends. It is estimated that 3,000 more teachers are needed in Nevada, based on recommended class sizes. Comparing Nevada’s student-teacher ratios with national averages, this is a conservative estimate, as approximately 9 in 10 students are in a larger-than-recommended class size.
In the last two years, staff separations have accelerated later in the school year (April – July). Teachers this year are leaving at a faster pace earlier in the school year, with 1,156 teacher/licensed staff separations between August and March of this school year (comparatively, in 2020-21, there were 824 separations, and in 2019-20, there were 781 separations). Teacher recruitment nationwide is expected to be competitive.
The work ahead identified is understanding trends, pipeline, and obstacles moving forward; building the data infrastructure; monitoring access to experienced teachers; and improving the ability to predict future demand.
EdLiFE staff presented on efforts underway to expand and increase the diversity of Nevada’s education workforce, recruitment, and retention efforts.
Explore the Data Insight Partners presentation and the EdLiFE presentation.
Board Received an Update on Implementation of AB 469, and Approved Items for Regulation Workshops
The Board received a presentation on national non-compliance policies and practices related to state takeovers, possible non-compliance regulatory language, and revisions of other language as mandated by AB 469, as brought forth from the AB 469 Subcommittee.
Four possible NAC 388G draft regulation changes were discussed:
- Possible regulatory language changes regarding the non-compliance policy for large school districts, including the appointment of a compliance monitor. Additional language changes include the monitor having the requisite skills that align to the deficiencies of the district, conditions of the receivership, and the resources and compensation of the monitor.
- Possible regulatory language changes on dispute resolution processes
- Proposed changes to language that specifically outline the school district’s responsibility to mandatory training on provisions of NRS 388G.500-388G.810.
- Additional clarity on defining staff that is evaluated by the principal or principal’s staff as included in Subsection 2 of NRS 388G.610.
After discussion, the proposed language on non-compliance policy/consequences (with changes), dispute resolution revision, training language, and the definition of “other staff under the direct supervision of the principal” were approved to move forward.
The next steps will be to have these proposed regulations go to regulation workshops, and then be presented back to the Board for a formal hearing. Upon approval, these changes would be sent to the Legislative Commission for final review and adoption.
Explore the proposed language and presentation.
Future Agenda Items
Suggestions for future agenda items regarding mental health and student safety were discussed.
Public Comment #2
Public comment was heard on the following subjects:
- Support staff development and certificate programs
- Student and staff safety
- Bus driver professional pathways
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