Nevada State Education Association: A History of Advocacy and Influence
The Nevada State Education Association (NSEA) stands as a significant force in Nevada's educational landscape. Tracing its roots to the late 1800s, the NSEA has evolved into a prominent advocate for public school teachers, teaching assistants, and students across the state. As the state-level affiliate of the National Education Association (NEA), the NSEA champions left-of-center policies and actively participates in state politics to advance its agenda.
Historical Overview and Evolution
Organized public education in Nevada predates statehood. In 1861, the legislature of the Nevada Territory created a framework for schools, including a school board composed of the territorial-equivalents of the superintendent (as president), the auditor (secretary), and treasurer. In 1864, the Nevada Constitution established a state-wide elected office of superintendent of public instruction. The superintendent was elected to two-year, later four-year, terms to lead the state's public education. Additionally, the state board of education was also established, originally including the governor, the state superintendent, and the Nevada surveyor-general.
The NSEA's journey reflects the broader evolution of education governance in Nevada. Before 1956, the state had over 200 local school districts, many serving single communities or even single schools. In 1956, a special session of the Nevada Legislature was convened to pass several education bills. One of the bills, Assembly Bill 1, closed the statutory gap legitimizing the existence of the department which had never officially been created. The legislature eliminated 208 local districts and consolidated them into 17 county-based school districts. Prior to consolidation, for example, Clark County alone had 19 separate school boards overseeing approximately 11,000 students. In 1959, the legislature approved a constitutional amendment (ratified by voters) changing the superintendent from an elected position to an appointed one. In 2011, the legislature restructured the state board by giving the power to appoint the superintendent to the governor. Under this structure, the governor appoints the superintendent from a list of candidates recommended by the board. By the twentieth century, the board’s composition evolved to include elected members. In 2013, at the behest of Governor Brian Sandoval, the Nevada Legislature restructured the board into a complex system of 11 members.
Historically, the largest local affiliate of the NSEA was the Clark County Education Association (CCEA), representing the majority of teachers in the state. CCEA is known for high-profile contract negotiations with the Clark County School District, which is among the five largest school districts in the United States. However, after years of disputes, the CCEA voted to disaffiliate with the statewide organization in 2018. In response, the NSEA formed a rival local affiliate, NEA-Southern Nevada. The NSEA and CCEA also filed dueling lawsuits against each other over membership dues. The fracture between the groups also reached into state politics, with the NSEA and CCEA endorsing different candidates in the Democratic primary for governor in 2018.
Legislative Advocacy and Political Influence
The NSEA actively engages in Nevada's legislative process, working in a bipartisan fashion with state elected leaders to provide resources and support for frontline educators to improve student academic outcomes. The NSEA strategically focuses its resources on electing politicians who align with its agenda, finding common ground on key issues to advance in state politics.
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The NSEA has been instrumental in several key legislative victories:
- 2018 Election Cycle: The NSEA played a role in getting the first Democrat elected governor in the state in over 20 years, who committed to giving teachers a raise.
- 2019 Legislative Session: AB309 was passed, which had two significant provisions that CCEA advocated for: a 3% salary raise for teachers and the ability for ½ cent sales tax in Clark County for pre-k and adult education.
- 2019: CCEA worked with legislative leadership, the governor, stakeholders in business, industry and education to change how state dollars were allocated to students. The change from the ‘Nevada Plan’ to the Pupil Centered Funding Plan (PCFP) through Senate Bill 543, reformed a 50-year-old system of school funding.
- 2021 Legislative Session: The NSEA played a role in the passage of the mining tax to fund education. This was a result of CCEA filing two initiative petitions to raise revenue from an increase in gaming tax and an increase in the local school support tax. As a compromise gaming, mining, business leaders and Legislative Leadership and the Governor agreed to pass a tax on mining and have ALL mining tax revenue go directly to public education. This was the first increase in funding for the PCFP and it was the first tax passed on the mining industry in over 100 years.
- 2022 Elections: Despite a Republican Governor being elected, the NSEA had a pre-existing relationship.
- 2023: The Governor and Legislators passed an education budget that had over $2.5 billion dollars of additional funding. In addition, CCEA worked with the Majority Leader in the Senate to pass SB231 which provided another $250 million specifically for teachers’ raises. As a result, educators received an 18% salary increase over two years, 2% step increases, $5000 for SPED teachers, $5000 for teachers in high vacancy Title 1 schools, column advancements of $6700, the restoration of a 1.875% PERs cut, and a significant increase for healthcare.
- 2023: Two significant bills on school safety for frontline educators and students were passed. The Teacher Academy College Pathway Program (TACPP) was established with the passage of AB428. This legislation provides students an opportunity to become licensed educators in CCSD without acquiring student debt, if a student successfully graduates and becomes a licensed educator in CCSD.
Policy Positions and Advocacy Efforts
The Nevada State Education Association supports traditional teachers’ union policy positions, lobbying for school administration funding and salary standards in the state legislature. The union's legislative agenda has called for COVID-19-related restrictions, expressing hesitancy to reopen schools due to the lack of health screenings, social distancing, and accommodations for vulnerable educators. The union also opposes standardized testing and teacher assessments, as well as the expansion of charter schools in the state.
In 2023, the Nevada State Education Association launched the Stadium Over Schools campaign, a political action group that began legal, legislative, and public relations advocacy opposing the state funding of a new stadium for the Oakland Athletics of Major League Baseball following the team’s announced relocation to Las Vegas. The NSEA filed an injunction seeking to block the transfer of $380 million in public funds towards the project on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. The NSEA’s lawsuit would require the Stadium Over Schools coalition to collect over 100,000 petition signatures to force a ballot question to potentially block the project.
Challenges and Contract Negotiations
Despite its legislative successes, the NSEA has faced challenges in ensuring that these gains translate into tangible benefits for its members. In 2023, a contract campaign was required to force CCSD in bargaining to accept the legislative results. Thousands of NSEA members mobilized at their schools and in the community with rallies and marches, gaining support from parents, students, and the community in their struggle for a fair contract. This member-led effort ultimately proved successful.
Early in January 2023, the NSEA led a campaign that called for the termination or resignation of the CCSD Superintendent for his failed and incompetent leadership.
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Nevada Department of Education: An Overview
The Nevada Department of Education is responsible for administering and setting education policies, ensuring local compliance for federally-funded education programs, and assisting local school districts. Appointed by the governor under the executive branch, the superintendent of public instruction serves as the department’s executive officer and secretary to the board, responsible for enforcing education laws and supervising K-12 education statewide. The partially-elected board determines the policy priorities, student outcome goals, assessments, as well as approving and reviewing data.
Standards set for many requirements of educator licensure include minimum testing scores (for the Praxis Core, Praxis subject tests, etc), education requirements for different areas of licensure, and the policies regarding international teachers. The agency also has the authority to issue temporary emergency licenses. With the teacher shortage growing more acute in recent years, emergency licenses have been increasingly issued to highly-educated or skilled individuals for high-needs teaching areas who lack training in teaching methodology.
From 2019-2025, the department was led by state superintendent Jhone Ebert, who began her career teaching math in CCSD, at a Las Vegas middle school.
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