Education
Officials from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, are doing what they can to increase interest in post-secondary education in at-risk schools. The Clark County School District’s 34th annual college fair at Cashman Center Oct. 25 was preceded by pep rallies at Canyon Springs, Desert Pines and Rancho high schools.
A fire engine from Las Vegas Fire Station No. 6 can routinely be seen parked outside Bonanza High School. The school does not have a faulty alarm system or overzealous pyromaniacs. The nearby station’s firefighters often volunteer at the school, giving hands-on education to students in the fire science classes.
Six months ago, Todd Jones was fighting for his department’s life. He was chairman of the philosophy department at UNLV when the unthinkable happened: The entire department was put on the chopping block.
Fifteen-year-old Jared Smith sat in a high school classroom for the last time on Monday. No, he’s not a Doogie Howser kind of genius graduating early. He’s not being home-schooled by his mom. And he’s not dropping out.
Nevada students continue to trail the rest of the United States in math and reading on this year’s National Assessment of Educational Progress, also called the nation’s report card.
Denise Tatum once spent nine weeks at Vermont’s Middlebury College speaking only in Mandarin Chinese. After spending four summers in China and earning a bachelor’s degree in Asian studies from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, she now teaches Chinese and English at Liberty High School.
Clark County School District programs such as Reading Through the Holidays, along with the All People Promoting Literacy Efforts program in the Henderson area, are some of the ways area students are being exposed to reading outside of the classroom.
The Ray of Hope Foundation, a nonprofit group providing support to Manch, Parson, Lowman, Bunker and Clyde C. Cox elementary schools, is accepting holiday donations through Dec. 12.
On Saturday, Andre Agassi paid tribute to Kirk Kerkorian at the Grand Slam for Childrenbenefit, this time for contributing to Agassi’s second family of sorts. Kerkorian gave $18 million to support the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy for at-risk students.
Western High School’s football program set a record this season, but not the kind players wanted. It’s the first sports program in the Clark County School District to cut its season short and forfeit remaining games for all teams, freshmen to varsity, according to district officials.
