Nevada’s Schools Are Failing Our Kids: A Parent’s Fight to Save Their Future. Our 10 Part Series.

We are launching a gripping 10-part series, “Nevada’s Schools Are Failing Our Kids: A Parent’s Fight to Save Their Future,” diving into the heart of Nevada’s education crisis through the eyes of Jamie Thompson, a Reno mom battling for her children’s future. To protect her identity, names, certain places, and dates have been changed. Jamie’s raw, emotional journey, fueled by fear, anger, and hope, exposes the chaos of violence, drugs, and truancy in our schools, while demanding bold reforms, led by Governor Lombardo, to save our kids. If you have stories, positive or negative, to share, send them to editor@thenevadaglobe.com for future pieces, and we’ll ensure your anonymity to prevent retaliation. Join Jamie’s fight for a better future for Nevada’s students, parents, and teachers.

My Kids’ School Is a War Zone, Why Nevada’s Education Is Failing Us. 

Part 1: 

I’m Jamie Thompson, a mom from Reno, and I’m scared to death every time I drop my kids off at school. Last week, a kid pulled a knife in my daughter’s middle school hallway. The principal sent him home for the day, like it was no big deal. My heart’s pounding just writing this. My kids, Sarah and Ben, deserve to learn, not dodge blades. But this is Nevada’s public schools in 2025, a state where we’re ranked 49th in education, where half the kids don’t even show up to class. I’m furious, and I’m not alone. Parents across Reno and Vegas are watching our schools crumble into chaos, and no one in charge seems to care.

Walk into any Washoe County school, and you’ll see it: empty desks, fights in the halls, teachers who look like they’re one bad day from quitting. My son Ben told me about a kid who got jumped in the bathroom last month, and the school barely blinked. I’m not just mad, I’m terrified. How are my kids supposed to focus on math when they’re worried about getting out alive? In Reno alone, schools are reporting skyrocketing vandalism and threats. One high school had an armed intruder this spring, and the district’s response? A shrug and a memo about “restorative justice.” My stomach churns thinking about it.

This isn’t what I imagined when I moved my family to Nevada, dreaming of a place where hard work and good schools could give my kids a shot. Instead, I’m watching a system fail them, fail us all. The numbers don’t lie: most of our kids can’t read or do math at grade level, and the classrooms are half-empty because kids just skip school with no consequences. I love my kids too much to let this slide. I’m digging into why our schools are falling apart, and I’m naming names. Someone’s got to answer for this mess, and it starts with the people running the show. Stay with me, because I’m not stopping until I figure out who’s to blame and how we fix this.

__________________________________________

Speak Up, Nevada! What’s on Your Mind? Send us your opinion!

Got the inside scoop on something happening in Nevada? Or the country? Do you have thoughts about life in Nevada that are too good to keep to yourself? Whether it’s a hot take on our politics, crime, education, or even the secret to surviving our summers, we’re all ears! Swing them our way at editor@thenevadaglobe.com. Come on, give us the scoop on what makes Nevada tick—or what ticks you off. Let’s make some noise and have some fun with it!