EDITORIAL: Achievement School District is under attack

Last week, state Sen. Marilyn Dondero Loop, D-Las Vegas, presented Senate Bill 321, which would repeal the statute that created the Achievement School District. The district converts low-performing public schools into charter schools or provides a charter alternative. Public schools are eligible for conversion if they’re in the bottom 5 percent of campuses based on achievement or have a graduation rate under 60 percent. Republicans passed the program when they controlled the Legislature in 2015.

The program is modeled after a similar effort that transformed public education in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. The state took over the school district and allowed charter school operators to run what had been traditional public schools. Schools had open enrollment, which meant parents could choose the best school for their child. It also meant that charter schools received money only if they could attract parents.

It worked. Professors from Tulane University and Lafayette College compared the outcomes of New Orleans students with other Louisiana students who had experienced the hurricane but were not part of the reforms. In New Orleans, achievement was 11 to 16 percentiles higher, depending on the subject. The reforms improved both high school and college graduation rates.

Nevada’s efforts weren’t nearly as ambitious. So far, the Achievement School District consists of only four schools. A charter school has taken over one school entirely. Three charter schools have opened near failing public schools, providing a neighborhood option.

The program is small, but there are signs it’s working. The Clark County School District is offering $10,000 bonuses to attract top teachers to a handful of struggling middle schools. The district didn’t choose those schools randomly. Because they’ve been doing poorly, a petition by parents would open up a competing neighborhood charter school through the Achievement School District. In just one year, Cambeiro Elementary jumped from a one-star to three-star school after a neighborhood charter opened.

Unfortunately, the teachers union and many of their Democrat allies are most interested in protecting the education establishment. They’re not only attacking this program but also school choice, charter school expansion and the practice of using test scores to evaluate teachers.

But giving parents options is prodding the district and its employees to provide a better product. The winners are students, whatever method of education they choose. If the goal of public education is helping children rather than the unions, the need to keep the Achievement School District is obvious.