Yesterday in a room packed with defiant teachers wearing red t-shirts in support of education, the School Board of Trustees adopted the 2012-2013 budget. According to this budget, schools will be staffed at 93 percent resulting in the reduction of 840 teaching positions, and the elimination of 185 literacy specialist positions. 

Let us be clear—eliminating positions doesn’t mean layoffs of teachers. We strongly believe the number of layoffs will be significantly lower.  

* Arbitrator Rules in Favor of Teachers *

Teachers & Students win with sensible decision

Thousands of teachers organizing at the worksites, hundreds more rallying and speaking out at school board meetings, and overall active teacher engagement pays off.  Today, Arbitrator Phil Tamoush rendered a binding decision in favor of teachers over the 2011-2012 contract dispute between the Clark County Education Association (CCEA) and the Clark County School District (CCSD).  Teachers’ resolve to hold current salary levels was supported by the financial findings presented in the arbitration hearing.

What does this win mean? It means that:

1.   Salary movement for both education & experience prevails.

2.   Reduction in Force (RIF) language that incorporates the legislature’s intent, while protecting a teacher’s right to due process, prevails.

3.   CCSD will have to negotiate with CCEA on PERS rate increases.

What did we learn from this challenging negotiations cycle? We learned three main lessons:

1)   The school district will have more than $70 million in its fund balance at the end of the fiscal year, clearly demonstrating that no layoffs are needed to balance the budget.

2)   The School Board of Trustees has abdicated its decision-making responsibility to the Superintendent -- who is right on course to move an anti-union ideology under the guise of education reform, while removing the most vital classroom resources; and

3)   The collective bargaining process was hamstrung by the laws enacted during the 2011 Legislative session.

• No surplus meetings will take place on May 9, May 10 or May 11, 2012 and that the meeting(s) will be rescheduled at a later date.
• We will reschedule the pre-surplus meeting as soon as we receive confirmation on the new dates.
• Any Teachers who have been told that they would be surplused, remain surplused

The Blueberry StoryThe teacher gives the businessman a lesson 
“If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn’t be in business very long!” 

I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of in-service. Their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife.

Students join in to oppose larger class sizes

A group of thirty parents and nearly sixty students held a rally at Vegas Verdes Elementary School to speak out against increased class sizes. The group, lead by Teresa Sandoval Salazar, a concerned parent, chanted on the school's sidewalk while carrying signs in support of teachers, education, and smaller class sizes. Parents at Vegas Verdes, where you have a predominantly Hispanic student population, know that a great education can provide their children an opportunity to reach the American Dream and these parents will rally to protect it.

Don’t give up your power...
Register to Vote!

Too many decisions that affect educators — the way you teach, your work climate, and even your livelihood — are made by elected representatives that know little or nothing about the teaching profession and what is really needed to be successful, both for teachers and the students they teach.