Nevada governor introduces bill to improve state education

(The Center Square) – Gov. Joe Lombardo is introducing the Nevada Accountability in Education Act.

This act seeks to create accountability in the state’s education system at every level, enable educators, create opportunities for students and give families access to “world-class education options.”

The NAEA would establish a state education fund that provides financial incentives to high-performing teachers and administrators.

Additionally, the act introduces accountability measures throughout the state’s school system. If a school is underperforming, it triggers actions ranging from “performance improvement plans to state-led oversight and restructuring for chronic underperformance,” the NAEA’s fact sheet says.

The Nevada governor’s proposal, which was announced last week, allows students from low-performing schools to transfer to charter schools or state-approved private schools.

Public charter schools under this act would receive equitable funding and resources to ensure their students are served.

Furthermore, NAEA aims to establish Innovation Schools and Networks, which would develop education reform models that could adapt to enhance students’ educational outcomes.

NAEA is attempting to improve the state’s literacy rates by mandating state-funded higher education to teach students the Science of Reading, which focuses on phonics learning and vocabulary.

In January, The Center Square reported that Nevada’s fourth- and eighth-grade students scored below the national average in reading. The students were also below the national average in mathematics. Nevada’s Department of Education said these test results were “cause for concern.”

In addition to its efforts to improve the curriculum, NAEA also provides immunity to teachers who attempt to prevent student altercations.

Lombardo said that after Nevada got its largest K-12 education investment increase in 2023, the state owed its communities real results and real accountability.

“We can no longer accept lack of funding as an excuse for chronic underperformance,” Lombardo said.

He added that the NAEA is built on the principle that a Nevada student should not “be trapped in a failing school because of their ZIP code or held back because of how much their parents or guardians earn.”