Nevada Senate leader announces sweeping education reform bill

Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro announced a sweeping education bill she will push in the upcoming Legislative Session, with proposals ranging from retaining previous teacher raises and creating universal pre-K programs to improving accountability measures for public and private schools.

The Education through Accountability, Transparency, and Efficiency (EDUCATE) Act aims to help facilitate a “broad-based conversation about accountability in the education system,” according to a statement from Cannizzaro, D-Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

“The EDUCATE Act is the result of a commitment I made a year ago to bring forward a package of education reforms that would improve outcomes for students, help us hire and retain great teachers and staff, and give parents more confidence in our educational system,” Cannizzaro’s statement said.

Her bill would retain the nearly 20 percent raises for staff passed as part of the 2023 education budget.

Cannizzaro wants to expand alternative routes to licensure and Paraprofessional Pathways Project programs to address teacher shortages. Her bill would also establish a Nevada Commission on Educator Recruitment and Retention that will replace the Nevada Department of Education’s advisory task force to identify strategies to address educator workforce pipelines.

The bill also contains provisions to expand accountability for schools. If passed, it would create a School District Oversight Board, a joint legislative and executive branch group that would oversee school districts and take action if they fail to meet certain obligations.

It would also require the State Board of Education to develop academic achievement plans for elementary schools that includes three-year goals and plans aimed at advancing student achievement.

The EDUCATE Act also create universal pre-K for all 4-year-olds.

Regarding opportunity scholarships, a source of tension between state Democrats and Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, Cannizzaro’s bill would require all private schools receiving public funds to meet the same subject assessment requirements as public schools. It would create a mandate for schools to collect and report demographic and enrollment information of Opportunity Scholarship recipients.

“We all agree that our kids deserve the best possible educational opportunities, and I look forward to a robust conversation during the legislation session about making publicly funded schools more transparent and accountable to deliver for students, parents, and our community,” Cannizzaro said.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.