{"id":3538,"date":"2025-08-01T21:05:07","date_gmt":"2025-08-01T21:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/?page_id=3538"},"modified":"2025-08-01T21:05:54","modified_gmt":"2025-08-01T21:05:54","slug":"smboe-june-2023","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/smboe-june-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"SMBOE June 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

June 2023 Board of Education Meeting<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Michael Keyes<\/h5>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A Moment of Transition<\/b><\/span><\/p>

President Ortiz opened her report by saying\u00a0goodbye to Malia Poblete<\/b>. Malia has served as the Student Member for the past year but has now taken on the responsibility of the\u00a0State President of the Nevada Association of Student Councils<\/b>\u00a0(NASC). Ortiz then welcomed me onto the Board. Words cannot express how happy and honored I am to serve Nevada\u2019s students. Additionally, this was Superintendent Stevens\u2019 last meeting as she is retiring. We wish her and Member Poblete the\u00a0best of luck<\/b>!<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Unveiling the Portrait of a Learner: Shaping Nevada\u2019s Educational Future<\/b><\/span><\/p>

President Ortiz gave an update on the \u201cPortrait of a Learner<\/b>\u201d project during the President\u2019s Report. After receiving feedback from multiple stakeholders, they\u00a0synthesized the information<\/b>\u00a0and compiled it into one\u00a0final portrait<\/a>. The portrait is what we, as a state, want Nevada\u2019s graduates to look like. We wanted to know what skills and traits students needed to learn\u00a0outside the traditional educational program<\/b>. Feel free to contact me if you or anyone else has any questions or comments on the portrait.\u00a0<\/p>

So, what are the next steps? They already have 13 teams across the state beginning to\u00a0align high-level concepts and building competencies around them<\/b>. These include concepts such as finding joy in learning, critical thinking, communication skills, and more, which are outlined in the portrait. These teams will develop the competencies through this summer and the upcoming school year. President Ortiz stresses the importance of\u00a0soft skills<\/b>\u00a0as students, parents, and business members have told us the importance of it within Nevada graduates. Ortiz ends the update by saying, \u201cLet\u2019s make sure our kids have all the skills they need to be successful, not just in college or in work,\u00a0but in life<\/b>, and this is really getting us to that point.\u201d Please visit\u00a0https:\/\/www.portrait.nvfutureoflearning.org\/<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about the upcoming steps and how to volunteer.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Legislative Update<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Superintendent Ebert gave us a report on the latest legislative news on the education landscape. The Governor signed\u00a0Assembly Bill 54<\/b>\u00a0into place on June 5th, which\u00a0shifted the roles around the hospital educational plan<\/b>\u00a0so that the school district and hospitals are tightly integrated; additionally, it added clarifying language in regards to \u201cenrollment\u201d and \u201cattendance\u201d as well as free and reduced-price data.\u00a0Assembly Bill 65<\/b>\u00a0was signed by the Governor on June 2nd, which changed the\u00a0start date of kindergartens<\/b>\u00a0across the state to August 1st. This bill also cleaned up the definitions of \u201cbullying\u201d and \u201creporting\u201d and approved the work-based learning plans.\u00a0<\/p>

At the time of the meeting we were awaiting the Governor\u2019s signature on\u00a0Senate Bill 9<\/b>,\u00a0eliminating the EOC\u00a0<\/b>(End of Course) exams. While there was concern from some around this bill, the EOC is repetitive now that we have the ACT in our state to collect data, and all school districts administer final exams. The Governor did not sign it in time for the deadline. The legislature also adjusted some of the funding. We will have a\u00a0deep dive<\/b>\u00a0into the\u00a0legislative session during the Board\u2019s next meeting on July 26th.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Safer Schools Funding<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Superintendent Ebert also gave us an update about the allocation of funding from the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA). It gave\u00a08.4 million dollars<\/b>\u00a0out to schools around the state. We are one of the top states to provide the money directly to the schools. \u201cOur team works very, very hard to make sure that the money is not here at the department, but the money is in the schools\u00a0where it can be expended<\/b>,\u201d Ebert reports. The Nevada Department of Education recently released a press release about the funding, which you can read\u00a0here<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Boys Town and Opportunity 180<\/b><\/span><\/p>

A few months ago, the Board of Education invited community organizations to come and present to the Board on what they do to\u00a0help the educational landscape<\/b>. This month, they invited two more organizations, Boys Town and Opportunity 180. If you know of any community organizations that support Nevada\u2019s schools and may be\u00a0interested in presenting<\/b>\u00a0at a board meeting, please email me at\u00a0nevstuco.sboeducation@gmail.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

You can find the Boys Town presentation\u00a0here<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and learn more about them on their\u00a0website<\/b><\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>

You can find the Opportunity 180\u2019s presentation\u00a0here<\/b><\/a>\u00a0and learn more about them on their\u00a0website<\/b><\/a>.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Local Control, State Influence: Unraveling the School Start Time Conundrum<\/b><\/span><\/p>

Before this meeting, President Ortiz asked the Board Members to come to the meeting with either three solutions to start times later or bring language for policy. I brought the following solutions:<\/p>

  1. Create a virtual \u201cZero Period<\/b>\u201d students can choose to do online before they come to school to allow some kids to leave an hour earlier.\u00a0<\/li>
  2. We could push\u00a0every school start time<\/b>\u00a0back<\/b>. For example, high school, middle school, and elementary school would start an hour later than they had previously.<\/li>
  3. Flip the times<\/b>\u00a0that high school and elementary schools start.\u00a0<\/li><\/ol>

    I don\u2019t see one of these working for every school and district. There are issues with every solution, and we will need to figure out how to make it work best for the students of Nevada. It will need to be a mix of everything as our state is so different and diverse.<\/p>

    We started the meeting with\u00a0public comment<\/b>\u00a0from Susan Keema, the executive director of the Nevada Association of School Superintendents (NASS). She expresses that through her conversations with Nevada\u2019s superintendents, she believes school start times should be left to local control. She says each community is different, and start times should be up to local citizens, boards, and school districts.<\/p>

    The conversation around school start times in this meeting revolved around the question of\u00a0local control<\/b>\u00a0and the need for\u00a0stakeholder involvement<\/b>\u00a0in determining start times. While there was some agreement that the current practices in some districts did not align with community feedback or best practice, there were differing opinions on how to address the issue. President Ortiz summarized some members\u2019 views by suggesting we implement\u00a0guardrails<\/b>\u00a0and offer flexibility and\u00a0choice<\/b>\u00a0to students when they want to start, suggesting a regulation that requires a certain number of schools in a district to begin later and allowing students to transfer if it better suits their schedule. If we take that approach, we may require the districts to have only a certain percentage of schools starting early by a particular end date. Some members, such as Superintendent Stevens, emphasized the importance of local control\u00a0and expressed concerns about\u00a0unintended consequences<\/b>\u00a0and limitations on a\u00a0district\u2019s options<\/b>. We will work on drafting language for start times over the next month and present it during the July meeting, with the aim of reaching a legislation meeting in the near future.<\/p>

    Local control is\u00a0essential<\/b>, but there comes a time when higher authorities need to step in. The start times we see across the state\u00a0do not align<\/b>\u00a0with what we, as a Board, hear from their\u00a0communities<\/b>. Even if we hear from a community that they are okay with an early start time, we must ensure that sometimes\u00a0quiet voices<\/b>, such as students, are equally represented in the discussion. If we simply suggest to school districts that they should start closer to best practice, I\u2019m not sure anything will get done. We must impel these districts to do what\u2019s\u00a0best for their students<\/b>\u00a0as they are currently not. The data shows that an early start time is detrimental to students\u2019 mental and physical health and harms their academic success. We need to\u00a0stop making excuses<\/b>\u00a0about why we can\u2019t start schools later and\u00a0start finding solutions<\/b>.<\/p>

    In order for me to best represent the Nevada students,\u00a0I need your help<\/b>.\u00a0 My school starts at 8:10 am, so I don\u2019t fully experience the difficulties of early start times firsthand. However, I am committed to understanding and representing the needs of Nevada students. If you have any thoughts, ideas, concerns, or personal experiences related to later school start times, please email me at\u00a0nevstuco.sboeducation@gmail.com\u00a0or contact me another way. I value your input and look forward to hearing from all of you!<\/p>

    \u00a0<\/p>

    You can find the entire meeting materials\u00a0<\/b>HERE<\/b><\/a>. You can also watch a full recording of the meeting\u00a0<\/b>HERE<\/b><\/a>. The next meeting will be held on July 26th at 9 am. I\u2019m going to Carson City for the July meeting, as all board members will meet in person! See you then!<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

    \n\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
    \n\t\t\t
    <\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    June 2023 Board of Education Meeting Michael Keyes A Moment of Transition President Ortiz opened her report by saying\u00a0goodbye to Malia Poblete. Malia has served as the Student Member for the past year but has now taken on the responsibility of the\u00a0State President of the Nevada Association of Student Councils\u00a0(NASC). Ortiz then welcomed me onto […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-3538","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3538"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3538\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3542,"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3538\/revisions\/3542"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nevadastuco.org\/staging\/2009\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}