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Show & Tell is a showcase of innovative break-throughs happening everyday in classrooms across Nevada. We want to hear about and support your solutions.

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Meredith Smith, Director of Policy

Nov 9, 2017
3 min

What is Teacher Leadership?

The collective education and education policy reform community have been talking about and using the words “teacher leadership” for years, but when I ask different stakeholders what teacher leadership is and how it is formally recognized and understood in the context of recruitment, retention, and student achievement, I get varying and often anecdotal responses. We need to come together and formally define the scope of what teacher leadership is. Unless we agree on what core

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Andrew Davey, Nevada Forward

Oct 16, 2017
4 min

How Can Nevada Succeed? A Conversation with Nevada Succeeds President Brent Husson on Public Educati

ANDREW DAVEY, NEVADA FORWARD, OCTOBER 16, 2017 Read this article on Nevada Forward. How do we improve public education in Nevada? As the President of Nevada Succeeds, Brent Husson works on answering this question every day. We spoke with Husson recently about how he and his organization approach this and other critical questions on education policy, and tackle the most difficult questions surrounding education funding. “IF WE WANT OUR KIDS TO SUCCEED, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING YO

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Inside Education

Sep 21, 2017
1 min

Brent Husson on Inside Education

Watch Nevada Succeeds' President Brent Husson on Inside Education discussing Superintendent Pat Skorkowsky's retirement and what this means for the Clark County School District. Having trouble loading on our site? Watch it at VegasPBS here. #education #schoolboard

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Ernie Rambo, PhD, National Board Certified Teacher

Sep 14, 2017
4 min

A Response: Don't Wait to Be Asked

After teaching for thirty years in Nevada’s schools, I was heartened to read Meredith Smith’s blog last week, “We Can’t Wait.” I envision seeing Nevada in the top ten of national education rankings. I know that we have the expertise needed to see effective learning in all of our schools, but currently we have some deeply-rooted problems in many of our schools - attempts to improve seem to fail before implementation is completed. Some of those problems include: High numbers o

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Meredith Smith, Director of Policy

Sep 6, 2017
3 min

"We Can't Wait"

“But we can’t wait” We hear this phrase a lot in education policy when the conversation leads to discussions about how to make long-term, substantive change for all students. We hear it because it feels true, and in some ways it is true. It’s not right, fair, or just that some (and in Nevada’s case - many) students are not learning and achieving at a level that ensures that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to be successful in adulthood. It feels right t

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Meredith Smith on KNPR's State of Nevada

Carrie Kaufman, KNPR

Aug 30, 2017
3 min

Meredith Smith on KNPR's State of Nevada

Lessons from Ontario: Putting Teachers - and Data - Front and Center Aug 29, 2017 by Carrie Kaufman Produced by and Originally Posted on KNPR.org We've reported a lot on education in Nevada. We've talked about empowerment schools. We've talked about weighted funding. We've talked about Zoom and Victory Schools and Read by 3. We've talked about money. The per-pupil spending in Nevada is one of the lowest in the nation, which goes with the state's ranking in terms of overall st

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A Follow-Up: Funding for Education Must be Targeted to be Effective

Meredith Smith, Director of Policy

Aug 29, 2017
2 min

A Follow-Up: Funding for Education Must be Targeted to be Effective

Thank you to Glenn Christenson for sharing his thoughts about our recent article: “Funding for Education Must be Targeted to be Effective.” He called for Nevadans to ask what we are seeking to accomplish in our collective education reform efforts, and highlighted Nevada Succeeds’ perspective that if we truly want systemwide education reform at scale we have to move away from programmatic policymaking. He lays out what he believes to be the benchmarks by which Nevadans should

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Interview with Stavan Corbett: What does it take to be an effective school board member?

Dave Berns, Director of Communications

Aug 18, 2017
3 min

Interview with Stavan Corbett: What does it take to be an effective school board member?

“The biggest mistake a board member can make is not being fully engaged in what it is they’re deliberating over.” — Stavan Corbett Members of the Clark County School Board conducted interviews yesterday to replace longtime trustee Erin Cranor, who resigned her Henderson-based seat to attend law school this fall at Brigham Young University. Yesterday, we told you what we think it takes to be an effective member of an education board. Today, we ask Stavan Corbett, a past chairm

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Nevada Succeeds

Aug 17, 2017
2 min

What makes a good school board trustee?

Note: The Clark County School Board began meeting at 8 a.m. today to consider a replacement for departing board member Erin Cranor. You can see information on and follow today’s meeting via our Twitter feed. The Clark County School Board or any school board, for that matter, is most effective when its members understand its appropriate role. Quite simply, that role reflects the difference between governance and management. When there’s an issue within the district that requir

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A Response: How Should We Focus Our Education Conversations

Kim Metcalf, UNLV College of Education Dean

Aug 16, 2017
3 min

A Response: How Should We Focus Our Education Conversations

Nevada Succeeds reached out to multiple educators and policymakers in Nevada for their reaction to our August 10 column, “How Should We Focus Our Education Conversations.” Below, UNLV College of Education Dean Kim Metcalf shares his thoughts. We’ll be responding with our thoughts in the coming days and look forward to a continued conversation. From Dean Metcalf, 8/15/2017 First, I think we need to be honest about what education, no matter how "good," can be expected to do. It

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Nevada Succeeds

Aug 15, 2017
1 min

Brent Husson on The Morning Blend!

Check out Nevada Succeeds' President Brent Husson discussing our work on The Morning Blend! #teaching #studentachievement #parents #schoolculture #standards #policy #education

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Funding for Education Must be Targeted to be Effective

Jen Fleischmann Willoughby, Director of Engagement

Aug 14, 2017
3 min

Funding for Education Must be Targeted to be Effective

When discussing education reform, the conversation inevitably turns to funding. The most common arguments involve spending more, usually via teacher salaries and per-pupil spending. The idea that by offering higher teacher starting salaries and incentives to long-term teachers we’ll attract and retain higher quality candidates makes sense. After all, it’s the same argument we make when discussing human capital in business - you get what you pay for. It also stands to reason

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How Should We Focus Our Education Conversations?

Meredith Smith, Director of Policy

Aug 10, 2017
3 min

How Should We Focus Our Education Conversations?

As we gear up for the next state election cycle, Nevada Succeeds is committed to ensuring that the provision of a high-quality education for all of our students is a central focus for candidates. Because public education in Nevada is such a big part of the state budget (approximately 45%), it is typically a main focus for our political candidates and eventually those who get elected. Unfortunately, the majority of conversations surrounding K-12 education often revolve around

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Educators Embrace the Input of Colleagues, Parents in High-Performing Schools

Dave Berns, Director of Communications

Aug 7, 2017
2 min

Educators Embrace the Input of Colleagues, Parents in High-Performing Schools

Schools with a history of student success are built around teams of high-quality educators who work in collaborative settings, sharing best practices, offering one another feedback on the best ways to reach each and every child within a building. We have witnessed these successful dynamics in some schools in Clark and Washoe County School Districts, and we’ve seen it in other school districts across the United States. “Collaboration is so incredibly important if we are

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Brent Husson, President

Aug 2, 2017
2 min

Join the Conversation

Dear Friends, Nevada Succeeds is excited about the upcoming school year and the discussions around education that it will inevitably bring. This year, however, we would like to help advance the conversation. In the past few years our community has made great strides in elevating the education debate. While it has been difficult at times, these discussions have often lead to some very good changes that have had a real, positive impact on kids. However, we have also spent a lot

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