Friends and neighbors, I’m writing you today because the clock is ticking.
As a former member of the Nevada State Assembly, I’ve seen how slowly the wheels of government can grind and how opportunity can slip away when we’re not paying attention.
Now, under Governor Joe Lombardo and facing the upcoming special legislative session later this month, Nevada has a chance to do something wonderful for our children and for parents:
Enact meaningful school choice.
And here’s your last chance to add your name to our petition to the governor asking him to put a school choice option on his Special Session agenda.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
Why School Choice Matters
In many homes here in Nevada – in Clark County, Washoe County, and our rural communities – parents feel boxed in.
You work hard. You show up, take care of your kids, and try to do what’s best.
Yet when it comes to education, you often don’t have real options. Government-owned schools and union-controlled management.
That’s fine for some kids in some schools.
But what about the child who needs something different? What about a parent who wants the freedom to pick a school or educational model that fits better over what the system hands them?
Across the country the demand for real school choice is rising.
According to the education-policy group EdChoice, over a million students now participate in private school choice programs nationwide.
One recent report showed these programs are growing fast in states that expand eligibility and make it easier for families to choose.
That tells us: When you open doors, families walk through them.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
What’s Wrong with the Current System
Here in Nevada we face real challenges.
Our public education system is funded by taxpayers. It’s large, complex and sometimes unresponsive.
Limited oversight, big bureaucracies and one-size-fits-all solutions that aren’t always good for every child.
When government controls everything, parents lose power. Fiscal accountability can suffer. Innovation can stall. Meanwhile, families are stuck.
Imagine a Nevada where a mom in Las Vegas or a dad in rural Elko County can pick the school model that fits their child: a small private school, a faith-based option, or an apprenticeship-style program.
We free up their choices. We reclaim accountability by asking: Are students learning? Are parents satisfied? Are taxpayer dollars delivering results?
That’s the kind of reform Nevadans should embrace.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
This Is Our Moment
Governor Lombardo is expected to officially call a special session sometime in the next couple of weeks – maybe as soon as next week.
And we believe he should include a REAL school choice proposal on the agenda – not school choice only within the public school system.
Something simple, accountable and targeted – like boosting the funding for Opportunity Scholarships.
It should put decision-making power in the hands of parents, allow funding to follow the student, and ensure that private-school options meet reasonable standards.
It should not be a blank check for waste. Instead, it must be a common-sense reform built on the principles of freedom, personal responsibility and fiscal discipline.
And by putting it on the special session agenda, the governor will force Democrats to go ON RECORD either supporting or opposing it.
If they support it, great! A huge win for parents and students alike – especially low-income, minority families in disadvantaged communities.
If they vote against it, then Republican candidates for the Legislature will have a bright, clear issue to run on next year.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
Here’s What You Can Do
This is Gov. Lombardo’s chance to lead.
And this weekend is your last-chance moment. If you don’t act now before the special session is called, the opportunity will pass.
Your voice matters. It will be counted. So please – stand up with us for school choice.
I urge you – yes, you reading this – to go online RIGHT NOW and sign our petition urging Gov. Lombardo to put a school choice proposal before the Legislature in the upcoming special session.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN THE PETITION
On Monday morning, I’ll print up the petition with everyone’s name on it and send it directly to the governor’s office.
And I’ll publish it online so everyone will know you stood up for Nevada’s kids.
Thank you in advance!
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. Digital technology was used in the research, writing, and production of this article. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
