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Superintendent Gives First State of Education Address
WCSD Reform Efforts and Budget Main Topics of Discussion
Reno, NV (Jan. 26, 2011) - In his first State of Education address as Washoe County School District superintendent, Dr. Heath Morrison provided an in-depth update to the community on the progress of the reform efforts in Washoe County. Morrison also discussed where the school district still needs to improve to prepare all students for the demands of tomorrow and outlined the challenges to the District's reform plans, including the budget.
In front of a packed audience in the McQueen High School Theater, Morrison addressed principals, parents, community leaders and elected officials as he discussed the District's recent accomplishments under its strategic plan, Envision WCSD 2015 - Investing In Our Future, like the seven percentage point increase in the graduation rate for the Class of 2010.
"From graduation rates to test scores, we have great success stories already building within our District. Our children are taking the right steps toward graduation and academic excellence, which will provide endless opportunities in their future," Morrison said. "However, our work is nowhere near finished. We still have a lot of work to do to close achievement gaps and get every child to graduation. Plus, graduation is not enough. We must ensure the education our children receive truly prepares them for college and the highly-skilled careers that are so important to the workforce of the future."
Morrison highlighted several staff members who recently have been recognized as outstanding educators and leaders, highlighted several schools that have made significant academic improvement and talked about the importance of family engagement and school culture. He also discussed other areas of focus that are making a difference in Washoe County: aggressive anti-bullying efforts, the creation of new principal and teacher evaluation systems, the increased number of parent involvement facilitators at WCSD schools, the growth in partnerships with businesses and higher education institutes and new tools to improve the transparency and accountability of the District.
"There are a lot of aspects of the District that are necessary to promoting academic success. We must ensure we recruit and support highly-effective educators. Our children and employees must learn and work in environments that are safe and foster diversity. We must work with parents and families closely to ensure our children are receiving support at home. It is wonderful to see the progress we are making in these areas as well," Morrison said. "There is also a lot more to come from the Washoe County School District as we continue to implement our strategic plan."
Morrison then went on to discuss the budget process. Governor Brian Sandoval proposed a 9.2 percent cut to K-12 education during his State of the State address on Monday, which translates to a possible $45 million cut to WCSD. Combined with loss of local revenue and other economic impacts, the WCSD is looking at a potential $75 million budget cut for each of the next two fiscal years. These are early estimates based on available information.
"We understand the current economic situation Nevada is in currently, but further cuts will endanger the progress we are making to improve the quality of education for all of our children. Our strategic plan was created based on the current amount of funding. We have said that since the beginning. Additional cuts will make it extremely difficult to make many of our reforms reality," Morrison said. "We will do the best we can with the final outcome from the legislative session, but it is going to be very tough to keep any additional cuts away from the classroom."
WCSD Board President Barbara McLaury said Morrison's address was key in providing the latest information to the public about what is expected to come in the impending session of the Nevada Legislature.
"The Washoe County School District has made a commitment to updating the community about what is happening in our schools," McLaury said. "We are several months into the implementation of our new strategic plan and we are committed to transparency, accountability and partnering with everyone in this community - parents, residents, businesses and lawmakers. We felt that providing this update to the public was essential with the legislative session starting in just a little more than a week. There will be some challenges and major decisions we have to make and we are dedicated to informing the public every step of the way."
During the State of Education, Morrison also discussed why education is fundamental to a vibrant economy. Business leader Chuck Alvey, president and CEO of the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, said education equips children with essential skills for meaningful, productive careers.
"Whether we are recruiting external companies or growing our own, for short-term job recovery or long-term sustainability, the greatest impact will come from creation of knowledge-based jobs that not only pay higher wages but generate bigger dividends in fostering citizens who care," Alvey said. "Our education system, from preschool to post-doctorate programs, offers our only and best chance to accomplish that lofty quality-of-life goal."
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About Washoe County School District: The Washoe County School District includes the Reno/Sparks metropolitan area, Incline Village, Gerlach, Empire and Wadsworth, Nevada. The District provides each of its 63,000 students with a superior education in a safe and challenging environment and is committed to graduate every child career and college ready. For more information visit: www.washoecountyschools.org. Follow us on Twitter at WCSDTweet.
Washoe County School District
425 East Ninth Street
Reno, NV 89520
