May 6 Summit honors dedication to Nevada’s charter schools
HENDERSON, Nev. – The Charter School Association of Nevada (CSAN) honored six individuals for their commitment to supporting charter school education in Nevada during this year’s summit, “Unifying from Within.” Among the six individuals recognized were Student of the Year, Dominic Ribaudo of Nevada State High School, and Parents of the Year, Martin and Susan McMahon of Nevada State High School.
Three individuals from other Nevada charter schools were award recipients for Teacher of the Year, Innovator of the Year and Administrator of the Year categories.
CSAN hosted its annual summit on Thursday, May 6, at the Henderson Convention Center. The event honored individuals who have tirelessly supported charter schools in Nevada, discussed current issues facing Nevada’s charter schools, and included a panel on Nevada’s “Race to the Top” application.
“It wasn’t a surprise which individuals from our school received acknowledgment at this year’s summit. Dominic, Martin and Susan have truly shown their commitment and unwavering support for our program,” said Dr. John Hawk, executive director for Nevada State High School. “The reason charter schools are successful is because of the students and parents who continually educate others about the benefits of our programs.”
Nearly 60 individuals from Nevada’s 28 charter schools attended the CSAN summit. Charter schools are independent public schools that have the freedom to be more innovative in exchange for higher accountability to increase student achievement. CSAN’s purpose is to collaborate and empower Nevada’s charters schools, actively operate the Charter School Association of Nevada and educate the public and elected representatives of the benefits and challenges of charter schools.
After the awards luncheon, event attendees had the opportunity to listen to and participate in a panel discussion on “Race to the Top.” The panel consisted of Nevada State Senator Barbara Cegavske; Punam Mathur, NV Energy vice president of Human Resources; and Christopher Wallace, president of the State Board of Education – all members of the Nevada Education Reform Blue Ribbon Task Force. The panel discussed the place of charter schools in the “Race to the Top” application process as well as the general status of current education in Nevada.
“Charter schools make up a very small percentage of public education in the state of Nevada. Without a steady commitment of promotion and support, this sect of education wouldn’t be successful,” Hawk said. “Dominic and the McMahons are just a few of the many examples at Nevada State High School who donate a lot of their time to the school on a regular basis and actively support charter schools in the state as a whole.”
Current sophomores and juniors enrolled at Clark County public and private schools are eligible to apply to NSHS to begin classes fall 2010. Once accepted into the school, NSHS works with students on their college curriculum and personally enrolls students into college courses that work together with their respective CCSD high school coursework in order for students to receive dual credit for both high school and college courses. NSHS also works with students to keep them active in their zoned high school’s extracurricular activities to ensure that students don’t miss out on traditional high school experiences.
Since opening its doors, NSHS has graduated more than 300 students. For more information on Nevada State High School call 702-953-2600 or visit www.earlycollegenv.com.