In a notoriously union-dominated state, Nevada’s newly elected governor is forging a fresh path. He did not need the endorsement of the teacher's unions, instead focusing on the endorsement of parents who were desperate for more educational freedom. In a recent speech, Gov.-elect Joe Lombardo pledged to expand school choice. This movement couldn’t come soon enough.

Make no mistake: The Clark County Education Association (teachers’ union) endorsement is one of the most powerful endorsements in the Silver State, and Gov. Sisolak (D) was elected with union support. This year, it was a smart political move for the union to try something new: They did not endorse in the gubernatorial race.

Parents in Nevada were let down many times by how public education was handled during the pandemic. Now, with the devastating national test scores out, parents have to worry about how school closures will affect their children's educational achievement for years to come.

Parents across the state are tired of broken promises from the establishment, especially Gov. Sisolak, who promised to fix education when he ran in 2018. Not only did he fail to deliver on that promise but under his leadership, threats of a charter school moratorium were made, and students on Opportunity Scholarships almost lost the program.

Longtime political observer and Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston repeatedly said that school choice, especially after the pandemic, would be an issue during this midterm election "even more so than in the past." In Nevada and across the country, this prediction proved to be spot on. 

Parents want access to a quality education for their children. The promise that more funding will fix the broken educational system has been broken time and again. The Commerce Tax didn't fix it, nor did marijuana or mining taxes. The system is fundamentally broken, and parents have realized that new funding alone won't fix it. 

The reality is that Nevada is failing its students, especially those in the Hispanic community. The Clark County School District (CCSD) is the fifth largest school district in the country; 47 percent of students are Hispanic. The state continues to rank almost last in the nation for quality of schools, and researchers have noted big achievement gaps for Hispanic students. Those gaps have only gotten worse during the pandemic.

What’s worse, we knew this disaster would happen when Gov. Sisolak and the CCSD superintendent stood side by side to announce school closures. The superintendent reported that 27 percent of students, or 120,000 students, would not be able to receive virtual instruction during school closures because they were lacking internet access and/or access to a device like a computer. 

In Nevada and elsewhere, then, it’s no surprise that education was a top issue for Hispanic voters in the midterms. As a Latina voter myself, I can testify that I voted for Gov.-elect Lombardo because his platform included educational freedom. On the campaign trail, Lombardo repeated the message that by extending access to charter schools, providing more Opportunity Scholarships and investing in Education Savings Accounts, we could improve our education system for every student and every family.

It is something I and many others have long fought for, and it is encouraging to see Lombardo sticking to that goal as Governor-elect. We are ready for real choices for our families — once and for all.

Valeria Gurr is the director of External Affairs for the American Federation for Children. She lives in Las Vegas.

Editor's note [2:39 p.m. on 1/15/22]: This piece was edited to note that Gov. Sisolak, with CCSD Superintendent Jara by his side, announced the closure of schools.