COMMENTARY: In Nevada, the public schools are not for sale

By Bernie Sanders Special to the Review-Journal
February 10, 2020 - 9:00 pm

Excerpt:

Together, we will make sure that no child in Nevada goes hungry. Hundreds of thousands of Nevada school children are in need of school lunches. Instead of saddling families with debt and stigma, we will fund universal school meals — breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Together, we will make sure that teachers are paid a dignified starting salary of at least $60,000 a year and are given access to grant funds for out-of-pocket expenses. For Nevada’s teachers, this would represent a nearly 30 percent raise in starting salaries. It would also help reduce the state’s extreme teacher shortage.

Together, we will address the problem of overcrowded classrooms. Nevada ranks as one of the states with the highest student-per-teacher ratio in the nation. This burdens teachers and makes it difficult for kids to learn and get the attention they need to succeed.

Together, we will provide students with disabilities the resources they need for success. In Nevada, graduation rates among disabled students are far below the national average and trained teachers are in short supply. The disability rights platform I recently released addresses systemic problems of discrimination and underfunding for students with disabilities and for their overworked and underpaid teachers.

I stand with Nevada’s teachers and families in demanding professional respect, fair wages and a quality education system that works for all. You are a critical part of the political revolution that is needed to transform our country. When we stand together, there is nothing we cannot accomplish.

https://www.reviewjournal.com/opinion/commentary-in-nevada-the-public-schools-are-not-for-sale-1955149/