Karla Phillips

Is Nevada Serious About Charter Schools?

Below the surface of the debate surrounding charter-school legislation lies the fact that there is still no agreement over what the ultimate purpose and place of charter schools should be in the traditional school system. This debate has resulted in very different charter-school laws across the country. Arizona and Nevada are examples of two states on opposite ends of a continuum. Nevada’s law represents the view that charter schools are just another option on a school district’s menu, assuming that wonderful innovations and discoveries will miraculously be transferred over to the district schools. On the other hand, Arizona’s law reflects the idea that charter schools represent the introduction of true choice and competition in the arena of public education, even if it means a radical overhaul of the current system. Arizona has wholeheartedly embraced reform, while Nevada has merely nodded in the direction of reform.