Governor Sandoval, in late April this year, filed an emergency regulation to provide relief for Nevada teachers who are in jeopardy of losing their jobs by failing to complete a state-mandated course. The regulation indicates that, “affected employees will have two more years to fulfill the requirement,” according to a Las Vegas Review-Journal article.

What message is he and the teachers sending to our children by changing the rules? Is he saying, rules and laws don’t have to be followed if you don’t feel like complying?

Nevada teachers must take and pass a college-level course on parent and family engagement. The course must be state-approved, is three-credits and takes a full semester to complete. Evidently, a vast number of teachers felt they were above the law and the Nevada Governor agreed with them.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of situational ethics and the resulting changes they cause. Take a look at Nevada’s K-12 grades, and the rest of our country’s schools, and you’ll see we are graduating a majority of children that can no longer compete in the world marketplace. Folks, it’s time to raise the bar, not lower it.

My family recently had the honor of hosting three young ladies for a few nights at our home. They were all from Uganda and touring the United States in a singing troupe. These young ladies, ages 9, 14 and 16, perform several evenings a week and on weekends. They speak three languages and attend school with a traveling teacher between 8 in the morning and 5 in the evening, each weekday. They do homework until midnight when not performing and get up at 4 A.M. to finish their homework and prepare for the day.

I can’t begin to share with you how bright and joyful these girls were. And, it woke me up to the low, almost nil, expectations we have on our own children. Such expectations must start with us. We must lead by example and we must demand our teachers and government leaders lead as well.

Call to Action: Take the reigns for your own children and grandchildren, leading by example. Don’t allow a “we’ll deal with it later” attitude to keep our state, and country, from producing quality, educated citizens. We should be striving for excellence and we’re not even hitting mediocre. Let’s give our kids and grandkids a future by setting the right example in our own life and by raising the bar for them. Let your kid’s teachers know you’re watching and you expect them to lead from the front and not accept this dumbing down agenda. Meet and get to know your government leaders and demand the same from them.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV) “If my people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”