GRADING OUR SCHOOLS: Are the national marks from Education Week fair? | LahontanValleyNews.com

GRADING OUR SCHOOLS: Are the national marks from Education Week fair? | LahontanValleyNews.com

GRADING OUR SCHOOLS: Are the national marks from Education Week fair?

BY Stephanie Carroll
LVN Staff Writer

Churchill County School District parents are concerned about the quality of K-12 education in local schools after Nevada's education system was ranked 50th in the nation and given an overall grade of a D (the nation earned a C) by Education Week magazine in January.

Some parents say they have had experiences in schools and with their children that suggest local students are missing out on the appropriate curriculum and educational opportunities in general. Other parents argue there are issues at the state and federal levels that impede Churchill County's ability to flourish in education.

Today, the Lahontan Valley News looks at the area schools from the parents' perspective, and on Wednesday, the school district weighs in.

Parents know from experience

Many parents agree the survey rated Nevada accurately because they have experienced a variety of problems with the quality of education in Churchill County Schools.

“I have no idea what other states are like, but I will say they (CCSD) are definitely not very good,” said Stephanie Long, who has a child in eighth grade and another who graduated from Churchill County High School.

Missy Miller, a parent of three children who attended CCSD schools and schools in Yerington, provided with a comparative perspective. She said teachers in CCSD schools do not ensure students learn everything they need to pass a grade.

For example, Miller said if a student misses homework, teachers assign extra credit that does not correlate with the missed lessons, so the student doesn't learns the curriculum but still advances. Miller said other schools, including some in Nevada, do not allow that.

“They will not pass you to the next grade unless they know you've passed on your own,” Miller said. “I'm not necessarily sure we do that here.”

Miller added the lack of school pride has caused a lack of encouragement for students to do well in school.

“I'm not impressed with the care or concern for our children's pride for our schools,” Miller said. “I do believe it has an impact on education. Because of my son's pride in his school (in Yerington), he wanted to