Educators

What happened at the Common Core Forum in Carson City on 1/13/15

The ground rules agreed to by both sides for the two forums: two people would participate on each side of the issue. The pro side would contain two policy makers from either the Nevada Department of Education (NDE) or the Nevada State Board of Education; the con side would contain Drs. Stotsky and Milgram. Drs. Stotsky and Milgram were the only two members of Common Core’s Validation Committee who are content area specialists and who have also written high K-12 standards.

The Carson 4-H Leader’s Council sponsored a pizza dinner prior to the ceremony. The Leader’s Council supports all of our 4-H clubs and holds events to raise funds for our scholarship program. They meet once a month to plan activities and deal with requests from clubs and the community.

In a previous CarsonNow comment, Carson GOP Chair Maurice White called for Dr. Steve Canavero of the Nevada Department of Education to "be immediately dismissed for his public disrespectful conduct."

Now Peter Hennessey is calling James Milgram and Sandra Stotsky "widely known and respected experts on eduction standards."

On January 13, 2015, a symposium on Common Core was held in the Legislature Building. The participants were Professors James Milgram and Sandra Stotsky, both widely known and respected experts on eduction standards, who have actually participated in the development and validation of not only Common Core but also other standards before and since. The other side was represented by Steve Canavero of the Nevada Department of Education and Allan Grossman from the Washoe County School District.

Peter Hennessey, Ann Bedarski, Sandra Stotsky, James Milgram and the other anti-Common Core activists in attendance at PK O'Neill's symposium Tuesday night were there to stage a demonstration against the K-12 standards, which, it should be remembered, were adopted unanimously by the state board of education four years ago and enthusiastically signed off on by the Governor Gibbons.

Newly elected Assemblyman Phillip "PK" O’Neill, R-Carson City, will host a forum Tuesday in Carson City at the Legislative Building for lawmakers and citizens. The forum is being led by opponents of Common Core State Standards.

Citizens for Sound Academic Standards welcomes the public to participate in the program which it says it will present both sides of the issue. The Common Core State Standards Initiative is an educational initiative in the United States that details what K-12 students should know in English language arts and mathematics at the end of each grade.

The University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Business and the College of Education received recognition this week from U.S. News & World Report as offering some of the top online graduate programs in the country.

Dr. Sandra Stotsky, Endowed Chair in Teacher Quality at the University of Arkansas’s Department of Education Reform and Chair of the Sadlier Mathematics Advisory Board, along with Dr. James Milgram, Emeritus Professor at Stanford University’s Department of Mathematics, will be speaking about why Common Core is not good for our children or our country, at events in Carson City, Fallon and Reno, on January 13th and 14th.

The Instrumental Music Department, Bands and Orchestra, is having its annual Winter Holiday Concert on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center. Donations are welcome. Meanwhile, Carson High School has had a number of their singing Senators recognized for their vocal talents already this year.

The National Math and Science Initiative announced Tuesday that five research institutions, including the University of Nevada, Reno, have been selected to join a national network of universities in the expansion of the UTeach science, technology, engineering and math teacher preparation program.

The Nevada High School Cycling League is hosting a new documentary film about the sport of high school mountain biking. Recently added as one of the emerging leagues of the National Interscholastic Cycling Association, the Nevada League will be officially launching a league race series in Fall of 2016. A handful of demonstration races to get more kids involved will be planned in 2015.

All proceeds go to local 501(C)3, Friends in Service Helping (F.I.S.H.) to feed the hungry. It will be in conjunction with the Carson City Chamber event, Silver and Snowflakes Festival of Lights. $12/person includes one artisan bowl and admission to enjoy locally made soup donated by Carson restaurants and organizations.

I recently received an overly large mailer from PK O'Neill, a candidate for Assembly District 40. What he says is disturbing. He pontificates without solutions. He seems more concerned with cliches than real issues.

PK is not alone when making political claims. For another example, see Maizie Harris Jesse's letter “Candidates need to research lt.gov.job duties” in 17 October Nevada Appeal.

PK on the Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS)

UPDATE: Carson City will host a presentation, the second of its kind this year, addressing the issue of school bullying, tonight, Thursday, Oct. 9 from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

Members of Teach Anti-Bullying, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit group that works around the country with educators, parents and law enforcement, will discuss what many believe is a crisis affecting communities nationwide. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada is located at 1870 Russell Way. The public is invited and encouraged to attend this free event.

Design your own pottery for the greater good this Saturday at the Children's Museum in Carson City. Project Empty Bowls will be working with all ages making bowls from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the Dec. 5 Empty Bowl's soup feed fundraiser at the Carson City Silver & Snowflakes Festival of Lights.

No experience necessary. Come create a bowl to donate and help the Empty Bowls Carson City Project to feed the hungry in our valley.

Shawn Latshaw, 28 of Carson City recently completed an 89-day Semester for Outdoor Educators course with the National Outdoor Leadership School. This career course is designed to teach students how to work as confident professionals in the outdoor education field.

Students of Stephanie Fitch, of Dayton, Nev., a teacher at Dayton High School in Dayton, will be getting some valuable lessons this coming school year in learning the Holocaust as a result of their teacher having completed top-notch training this summer from educators of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Fitch was one of more than 200 participants who attended the 18th annual Arthur and Rochelle Belfer National Conference for Educators, an invitation-only three-day workshop for teachers hosted by the Museum in mid-July.

Professional artists and ensembles of all disciplines are invited to apply to the Nevada Arts Council’s 2015–2018 Artists in Schools + Communities Roster. The roster is designed as an online resource for schools, organizations and communities to broaden and diversify participation in the arts by engaging artists in educational and community cultural residencies and programs. Roster artists visit host schools and organizations to share their expertise and encourage active learning in the arts.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension invites Nevada students to showcase their artistic talents and promote radon awareness by entering the 2015 Nevada Radon Poster Contest.

The contest is open to all children ages 9 to 14 years old enrolled in public, private, territorial, tribal, Department of Defense and home schools. Children can also enter through a sponsoring club, such as an art, computer, library, reading, science, scouting, youth or 4-H club.

Mr. Jamie Vollmer, renown education author, speaker, and consultant will present an uplifting and entertaining message about education Aug. 13 at the Carson City Community Center theater beginning at 1 p.m.

Vollmer is an award-winning champion of public education, and the author of the highly acclaimed book, "Schools Cannot Do It Alone." Vollmer is not a professional educator.

CARSON CITY – A panel of lawmakers and educators on Monday recommended that Nevada’s public education funding formula include more money for students in poverty or with limited English proficiency.

Former Nevada State Superintendent of Schools Eugene "Gene" Paslov died Sunday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 80.

Paslov was married to wife Susan and the couple have three children. He died peacefully at Renown Medical Center in Reno. Services will be held Saturday, 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Carson City.

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and Golden Corral recently presented the James H. Maynard Excellence in Education Award to Penny Reynolds of Carson High School in Carson City and Cecilia Stec of Kentlake High School in Washington State.

The statistic is staggering: 56 percent of school children, grades 5-12, or about 13 million nationwide say they've been a target of bullies at one time or another.

It's a problem that affects communities, families and schools. Tackling the issue takes a commitment from parents, teachers, law enforcement, elected officials and children themselves. That was the message delivered Saturday at workshop in Carson City presented by the founding members of the national nonprofit group Teach Anti-Bullying, Inc.

Ten Carson High School sophomores took home first place awards Saturday at the regional competition for National History Day at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Of the 15 entries from Nicole Fagundes’ Honors World History class, 12 received honors, including six first place entries that advance to the national competition at the University of Maryland at College Park in June.

Carson City will host a presentation on bullying by a Philadelphia-based nonprofit agency that works around the country with educators, parents and law enforcement.

Members of Teach Anti-Bullying, Inc. will discuss what many say is a national crisis affecting communities across the country. The Saturday, May 10 presentation, Bullying: The Silent Threat, will be presented from 10 a.m. to noon at the Brewery Arts Center, 449 West King Street, in Carson City.

CARSON CITY, NV – Nevada's First Lady Kathleen Sandoval will join Superintendents Pedro Martinez and Richard Stokes, Carson City Sheriff Ken Furlong, and Michael Dermody, founder and chief executive officer of Dermody Properties at the Governor’s Mansion, Tuesday, April 22, at 10 a.m., for a press conference to launch the Strong Start Nevada initiative in Northern Nevada. The event takes place in the Nevada Room at the mansion, 606 N. Mountain St.

Christie Kranjcec, a fourth grade teacher at Dayton Elementary School, has won a $2,500 grant through Farmers Insurance's "Thank a Million Teachers" program, a national initiative that invites America to offer thanks to teachers, present and past, who have made a difference in their lives.  

INCLINE VILLAGE, Nev. — Karen Bruno and Megan Warren have always shown their commitment to their community. They continued to improve their knowledge and dedication to the Lake Tahoe lifestyle by completing the BEAR League’s response team training last month.

LAS VEGAS - Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto announced April 2 that she appointed two new members to the Nevada Council for the Prevention of Domestic Violence. The new members are Magann Jordan, Clark County District Attorney Victim Services Unit; and Lt. Loren Napier, Las Vegas Metropolitan Department.

“I am very excited to have our new members join the council,” said Masto. “Their expertise will aide in our efforts to prevent domestic violence in Nevada.”