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March 29, 2024 7:21 am
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No One Asked Me But… (February 14, 2018)

By DR. LARRY MOSES

No one asked me but… The Senate passed a two-year budget plan that was opposed by both the liberal left Democrats and the ultra-conservative right Republicans. This plan must now be approved in the House of Representatives.

While Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democrats in the House, was a party to the drawing up of the bill, she staged an eight-hour filibluster. I suspect when all is said and done, the bill will pass the House. Her purpose was not to kill the funding bill but to force a vote on the DACA issue thus maintaining her position as a defender of the children brought into the country illegally.

The Republicans have already agreed to resolve the DACA issue by the March deadline set by the President. The President has indicated he will sign a bill on DACA that far exceeds anything yet proposed by the most liberal left leaning Democrat. It will merely be up to Pelosi and her cohorts to come to a position of compromise on the wall. However, for political purposes this show on the part of the Democrat leader was necessary to maintain her role as superwoman in the fight against the evil Republican leader who would destroy the lives of children who broke immigration laws by entering the country illegally with their parents.

The point I want to make has nothing to do with either the budget bill or the DACA issue. The thing I find encouraging is that moderate Democrats and moderate Republicans in the Senate have come to an agreement that gave each party a partial victory. The Republicans got their military spending and the Democrats got their infrastructure funds. Both of these are beneficial to the country. However, the ultra conservative Republicans did not get their wall and the left-wing liberals did not get their DACA deal. These are both issues on immigration and should not be tied to the funds needed to continue the operation of the government.

If President Trump can break the hold extremists have had on the federal government during the previous administration, he will have accomplished the most important mission of his Presidency. While President Trump continually makes offensive statements and ridiculous claims, if he can unite the moderates of both parties, we could well be on the way to the formation of a new political party that can encompass those who hold the views of middle class Americans.

One must remember Trump is not a Republican nor is he a Democrat. President Trump is a pragmatist who will broker a deal he feels is to the advantage of the country. This is the core principle of a democracy which has been lost in the present day partisan politics of Washington.

No one asked me but… The State Department of Public Instruction recently published a document rating all elementary and middle schools in the state using a One to Five Star system. They also ranked the high schools with a number ranking.

Moapa Valley High School was ranked tenth out of 47 high schools. Nine of the ten ranked higher than MVHS are specialty schools that hand pick their students. When only comprehensive high schools are considered, MVHS ranks second only to Coronado who is ranked ninth.

It would be good for MVHS administration to get with Coronado administration as Coronado has far out-distanced all other comprehensive high schools. If the Coronado model can be bottled, it should be sold throughout the district; however, I suspect the success is due more to the staff than to programs that can be replicated.

Mack Lyon Middle School is a Five Star school. I was privileged to sit in on the Department Head reports given to the School Operational Team. Listening to these educators explain what they are doing to teach our children was truly an enlightening experience.

The staff at MLMS is the driving force behind our children’s success. They have an understanding of the process of teaching children and are aggressively pursuing any means necessary for successful learning. I was greatly impressed and came to a greater understanding of why MLMS is a Five Star school. The teachers and administration are to be commended for their efforts.

Ute V. Perkins Elementary is a Four-Star school and very close to a Five Star. While there has been a great deal of turnover in administration, the staff has kept the school in a learning category well above the average Three Star rating. Once again, the key to a successful school is the local administrator and educators.

Now comes the unpleasant news. Grant Bowler Elementary School is a Two Star school and closer to a One Star than a Three Star. What does that mean to the community? It means that the elementary school that houses the majority of our children is, according to the standards set by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, under-performing. Excuses can be made but the bottom line is the school is under-performing.

While some in the community have come to embrace the low ranking because it means additional funds and staffing for the school, I would suggest it is an embarrassment to the community. We should not receive additional funding because our school is under-performing. We should be demanding that this situation be corrected and the school begin to perform at a minimum of at least a Three Star school with a plan to move to Four or Five Star status.

It is also possible that the Two Star School could be declared a “turn-a-round” school resulting in a change in administration and at least a third of the staff. If the school were to drop another 8 points, they would be a One-Star school in danger of the State stepping in and taking over the school.

In most One Star and Two Star schools, one can point fingers at the community and home life of the students. This is clearly not the case in the lower Moapa Valley. This is the same community and same families that have children that make up a Five Star middle school and a top 10 high school. Rather than proudly taking additional funds and teaching staff what will be lost once the school moves to Three Star status, the community should be demanding that present staff and administration take actions necessary to move the status of the school into at least the average category and show a plan to move it where it belongs in the Four or Five Star range. This community should not be embracing failure it should be demanding success.

Thought of the week…There is no secret to success. It is the result of dedication, hard work and learning from failure.
– Colin Powell

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