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Articles by Nancy E. Brune
Extreme heat exposes critical gaps in Nevada’s built environment
By Nancy Brune and Lorena Rodriguez Wednesday, Sept. 8, 2021 | 2 a.m. Every once in a while, our professional and personal lives merge. That happened as we were finishing up our report, “Strengthening Heat Resiliency among Communities of Color in Southern Nevada,” which was completed in partnership with Morrison Institute and funded by the Walmart Foundation.
Housing insecurity: A slow burn crisis we must continue to manage
As July 31 approached, policymakers and journalists were madly trying to pin down estimates of how many Nevadans might be affected when the federal and state eviction moratoria that had been in place (for the most part) since March 29, 2021 expired. Despite strong signs that many parts of Nevada’s economy are recovering, tenants and landlords are still hurting. Will Nevada face a rapid wave of evictions in the months ahead?
It’s not a worker shortage, it’s a worker renaissance in a post-pandemic economy
Prospective workers line up for a job fair at the Gold Coast casino in Las Vegas on Wednesday, April 28, 2021. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) Headlines continue to call attention to a shortage of workers in the leisure and hospitality sector here and around the country. Workers are supposedly staying at home and avoiding work given federal unemployment insurance benefits — or so the story goes.
Nevada achieves ‘first’ with higher education diversity, but more needs to be done
In late April, Nevada achieved a first when it appointed Dr. DeRionne Pollard as the new president of Nevada State College. For the first time in state history, our eight public institutions of higher education and the chancellor’s office are being led by women and/or people of color. (For the record, Nevada is not the first in the nation: At least one other state – Vermont, in 2019-2020 – had women and/or people of color leading its public universities and colleges).
Could a more inclusive workforce emerge from the ruins?
Juvenile Court Hearing Master Soonhee "Sunny" Bailey on the bench during autism specialty court on Thursday, Feb. 14, 2019. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) As we know, the coronavirus pandemic has devastated Nevada’s economy and many of its workers. The pandemic has revealed pre-existing fissures in the state’s workforce delivery system that have failed our community’s most vulnerable members.
With a recovery framework in place, we must now turn to implementation
The Nevada state seal inside the Legislature on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 during the sixth day of the 32nd Special Session in Carson City. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) Last week, Gov. Sisolak unveiled his ‘Every Nevadan Recovery Framework,’ which is intended to “serve as a foundation to ensure the best use of [American Rescue Plan - ARP] funds received directly by the State of Nevada.” Now that we have a recovery framework in place, the hard, albeit rewarding, work begins.
Helping Nevada women power ahead
Women walk arm and arm near UMC Trauma Center on Monday, Oct. 2, 2017. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) As we commemorate Women’s History Month, Nevada certainly has much to celebrate. The (growing) political power women in Nevada wield is broad and mighty. However, juxtaposed with the political power of women is the sobering realization that the pandemic knocked many of us flat on our face.
Taking care of our students requires bold moves
Students leave Panaca Elementary School on Monday, Oct. 14, 2019. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) The increasing calls to open schools in Clark County School District, the nation’s fifth-largest district, reference the deteriorating mental wellness of students.
African Americans in Nevada enjoy political success, but still struggle economically
Black Lives Matter protest in Downtown Reno, Nevada on Saturday, May 30, 2020. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) As we remember the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. and his quest for racial equality, we observe that African Americans in Nevada have made tremendous political gains. However, they continue to struggle economically, revealing the damaging and stubborn effects of historical discriminatory policies, which limited access to capital and segregated neighborhoods and schools.
Why Texas is winning
The Nevada state seal inside the Legislature on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 during the sixth day of the 32nd Special Session in Carson City.
Why the Guinn Center’s affiliation with UNR is good for Nevada
University of Nevada, Reno on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) By Phil Satre, Don Snyder, Kathleen Conaboy and Nancy Brune On Friday, December 4 the Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education approved the University of Nevada Reno’s request to formally locate the Guinn Center on its campus. We believe the Guinn Center’s affiliation with the university will serve our respective entities and the Silver State.
The Nevada for which I am grateful
The Nevada state seal inside the Legislature on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2020 during the sixth day of the 32nd Special Session in Carson City. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) As the director of a policy center, I spend much of my time identifying gaps, analyzing problems, and drawing attention to Nevada’s policy challenges — with the singular focus of improving our state. Not surprisingly, this work can often lead to frustration and disappointment.
Securing federal grants to offset Nevada’s budget shortfalls is critical
The Legislature on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020 during the third day of the 32nd Special Session in Carson City. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) Earlier this month, Gov. Steve Sisolak announced that he was asking state agencies to reduce their 2021-2023 budgets by 12 percent.
Nevada’s economic recovery requires a rural development strategy
Lamoille Canyon. Photo courtesy of Nancy Brune. Nevada is facing an unprecedented economic challenge brought about by the global pandemic. Our recovery as a state must be ambitious and include a strategy that encompasses all of Nevada—urban and rural. Recent events have highlighted our need for a comprehensive rural development strategy. Last month, Democratic U.S. Sen.
Competence must be compensated. We can’t do school board governance on the cheap.
A WiFi-enabled school bus from the Clark County School District visited a northeast Las Vegas neighborhood on Monday, May 18, 2020. (Jeff Scheid/ The Nevada Independent) Research suggests that there is a relationship between school board governance and educational quality, including student achievement. In short, competent and thoughtful school boards are associated with higher levels of student achievement.
The costs of small government
The Nevada Legislature Building in Carson City on Tuesday, July 14, 2020. (David Calvert/The Nevada Independent) The costs of big government are widely acknowledged. However, as the current pandemic and recent destructive wildfires in Nevada and the region have demonstrated, there may be real costs to small government. People are well-versed in the costs of big government.
Mes de la Herencia Hispana: Latinos en Nevada tienen mucho que celebrar, pero aún enfrentan retos
Un grupo de discusión analiza temas de salud durante el evento Latinx Congreso en Las Vegas. Sábado 29 de julio de 2017. (Foto: Daniel Clark/The Nevada Independent Siga a @DanJClarkPhoto). Esta nota fue traducida al español y editada para extensión y claridad a partir de una versión en inglés publicada en The Nevada Independent. El 15 de septiembre inició el Mes de la Herencia Hispana.
Hispanic Heritage Month: Latinos in Nevada have much to celebrate, but still face challenges
A breakout group discusses issues of healthcare during the Latinx Congreso event held inside the East Las Vegas Community Center on Saturday, July 29, 2017. The event focused on the outcome of the recent legislative session and its impacts on the latino community. Daniel Clark/The Nevada Independent Follow @DanJClarkPhoto Sept. 15th kicked off Hispanic Heritage Month.
Higher ed plays a critical role in assisting communities most affected by COVID-19
Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents quarterly meeting at UNLV on Friday, Dec. 6, 2019. (Jeff Scheid/The Nevada Independent) Higher ed plays a critical role in assisting communities most affected by COVID-19 Our latest Guinn Center report examines the confluence of systemic bias, the Great Recession, and the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevada’s communities of color are most at risk during pandemic
By Nancy Brune Friday, Sept. 4, 2020 | 2 a.m. Gov. Steve Sisolak extended by 45 days the statewide residential eviction moratorium. A day later, President Donald Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued an eviction moratorium through the end of the year.
COMMENTARY: Congress must ensure Nevadans can stay in their homes
By Christine Hess and Nancy Brune Special to the Review-Journal August 8, 2020 - 9:00 pm At a time when our collective health depends on people’s ability to stay at home, it has never been clearer that housing is health care. Without emergency rental assistance, our community may experience a rise in homelessness or a rise in families doubling up in cramped quarters. Overcrowding of households, sleeping in congregate shelters and living outside under the elements all lead to increased infections.
COMMENTARY: Altered trajectory
By Nancy Brune and Kenneth J. Retzl Special to the Review-Journal June 1, 2019 - 9:00 pm On Wednesday, the Nevada Senate passed Senate Bill 543, the much-anticipated bill that revamps and replaces Nevada’s 52-year-old education funding formula (the Nevada Plan) with the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan. The introduction of the Pupil-Centered Funding Plan was met with some controversy.
Column: Criminal justice reform still critical
In light of Congress’ failure to produce any significant piece of legislation in the past six months, one could despair of government’s ability to do anything. But recent criminal justice reforms in half a dozen states — including Michigan, Louisiana, Nevada and North Dakota — reflect a significant departure from Beltway politics in two ways. First, while partisan rancor paralyzes Washington, state lawmakers have crossed party lines to pass landmark criminal justice reforms.
Revised ASD bill provides parents of failing schools with a meaningful lever of change
by Megan K. Rauch and Nancy E. Brune Almost from its inception, the Nevada Achievement School District (ASD) was enveloped in controversy. The state Board of Education sat patiently through hours of testimony as (busloads of) parents, professional educators, and district officials voiced concerns about the ASD taking over the state’s chronically underperforming schools and converting them to charters.
COMMENTARY: Partisan politics is alive and well at the Nevada Legislature | Las Vegas Review-Journal
Partisan politics and possible gridlock are permeating the halls of the Nevada Legislative Building during this 2017 session. In Carson City, some lawmakers appear to be taking positions with an eye toward the 2018 elections. Others are proposing laws that have less to do with local politics and more to do with holding the line against policies emanating from the Beltway. Another handful appear intent on doing nothing more than repealing laws passed in 2015.
Clean energy helps drive economic rebound in Nevada: Nancy Brune
Last month, Governor Brian Sandoval delivered his final state of the state address in which he focused on the great economic and clean energy progress Nevada has made during his time. Nevada, said Sandoval, has successfully added $6.5 billion worth of renewable energy projects that have created 4,500 new jobs.
Class-size reduction policies offer no real return on investment
The Nevada Department of Education is proposing legislation that would allow schools to apply for a literacy block grant that would reallocate money intended for classroom-size reduction. To receive a grant, schools have to present a site plan that indicates how the money will be used to improve literacy for students in grades K-3. The school board (district or charter) would be responsible for overseeing the program’s implementation.
One View: Tackling inequality for under-resourced and students of color
Despite our national commitment to equality of opportunity, a new national report reveals that students of color, which now comprise 49.7 percent of K-12 pupils in the country, continue to face significant disparities in school discipline, as well as access to high quality teachers and advanced coursework. Differences in disciplinary action and suspension are well-documented.
Teacher-shortage crisis hurts students with disabilities most
By Nancy Brune, Megan Rauch and Leslie Strasser Murdock The teacher-shortage crisis in Nevada has reached a disturbing level, especially in the Clark County School District, with 961 reported teacher vacancies as of April 1. As summer approaches, state education and political leaders must consider real solutions to address this urgent problem. A lesser-known fact, but perhaps even more startling, is the number of special education teacher vacancies.
Op-ed: Bipartisanship needed to fight climate change
Big problems, like the wildfires ravaging California, need big solutions. And big solutions generally can’t come from just one party without the other fighting, weakening or undoing it. Political dysfunction at the federal level leaves us ill-prepared to face one of the biggest threats of the modern era: climate change. At the local level, the story is different.
Increased education spending must improve student outcomes
Nevada faces significant challenges in literacy. Consider the status quo: only 27 percent of fourth graders and 30 percent of eighth graders were proficient in reading on the 2013 National Assessment of Educational Progress. The Nevada Legislature and Gov. Brian Sandoval recently approved an unprecedented $177 million state investment for three initiatives to tackle this issue: Zoom Schools, Victory Schools and Read by 3.
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