Donald Trump prepares to return to the White House for another term in January setting the stage for major changes in the nation’s educational policy. Throughout his campaign, the former president has continuously pledged to promote “real education in America.” But what would this mean for Nevada – a state that is a high spender and a low performer when it comes to public education?

School Choice

The Trump administration is expected to enact a universal school choice program, enabling parents nationwide to choose the best school for their children whether it be a private, public, religious or charter school.

In a recent education opportunity survey conducted by 50CAN, Nevada parents reported the lowest satisfaction rate in the nation with their children’s schools. Furthermore, only 45% of mid- to high-income parents and 58% of low-income parents stated that they would send their child to the school they go to today if they had a different option – once again, the lowest percentage in the nation. When asked if they feel like they have a choice in what school their child attends, on average nearly half of the parents said that they do not, underscoring Nevada’s urgent need for school choice.

Hence, a federally enacted universal school choice program could bring Nevada closer to improving both parental satisfaction and educational outcomes. Empowering parents with school choice would pay off in increased graduation rates, improved academic outcomes, and increased parental satisfaction.  

Teacher Pay and Tenure

The Trump campaign’s official policy agenda– Agenda47–also proposes to make reforms in teacher pay systems nationwide. His campaign has repeatedly stated plans to abolish the teacher tenure laws, and implement merit pay for teachers with best-performing students.

Nevada Policy has long advocated for the best teachers to be paid at rates rivaling top performers in other industries. Currently, teacher pay structures are not aligned with factors that influence student achievement. Pay schedules reward teachers for pursuing advanced degrees in non-technical fields, which have minimal effect on the educational outcomes of the schoolchildren. Strong evidence suggests that rewarding top 5% of educators can dramatically improve student performance.

The average teacher pay in Clark County School District is $87,444, discounting the benefit advantages, which is well above the national average of $69,544. Yet, many of these teachers may not be the most effective, as tenure laws protect them and grant longevity pay increases while job performance factors little into the pay schedule. Eliminating tenure laws and rewarding teachers based on performance will encourage schools to retain the most efficient teachers in the classroom while easing turnover for less effective ones.

Increased Parental Involvement

Many of the educational reforms outlined in Trump’s education agenda emphasize the expansion of parental rights and involvement in their children’s education. He has stated that he will support parental elections of school principals as well as parental participation on school boards to ensure that only the most skilled principals stay in American schools. This reform will be especially relevant in Nevada where parent trigger laws still don’t exist. 

During the 2013 legislative session, three separate proposals would have established a parent trigger law. These proposals –AB254, SB195, and SB311 – would have allowed a majority of parents to force major changes within an underperforming school, such as replacing the principal or converting from a district to a charter school. While these largely Democrat-sponsored proposals failed to secure passage, Trump’s approach of allowing parents to participate on school boards and elect school principals might be a reasonable compromise.

Furthermore, parents are expected to gain more transparency into the classrooms of their children, to be made aware of changing academic standards, acts of violence, and to know if a school employee is working to address bullying or mental health concerns.

These changes could be highly impactful in Nevada. Parents here have complained of many issues resulting from a lack of communication. These include: delayed notification of learning disabilities, lawsuits for mistreatment of children receiving special education, and “explicit and inappropriate” materials for homework.

Better Policies, Better Nevada Schools

Nevada students deserve more than the status quo. Implementing universal school choice, eliminating tenure, and increasing parental involvement in decision-making are all essential steps of improving Nevada’s education system. Step by step, these reforms have the potential to elevate the quality of Nevada classrooms, ensuring better academic outcomes for children and redefining what’s possible in Nevada schools.