Tag: distance learning

Nevada Ed-watch 12/05/2020

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)

What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? Considered one of Nevada’s school districts, the SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools. The Authority consists of seven appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards, and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students. 

How often does the SPCSA Board meet? The SPCSA typically meets one a month, generally on Fridays. 

Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.

Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? While all meetings of the SPCSA are typically held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (1st floor boardroom), all meetings are now held virtually due to the COVID-19 crisis. Members of the public may view the meeting online via the link on the SPCSA’s Public Notice web page and the agenda and any supporting materials can be found here. Public comment may be given on any agenda item at the beginning of the meeting, or public comment regarding any matter that is SPCSA-related may be given at the conclusion of each Board meeting. Members of the community giving public comment can utilize the following conference call line: 1-312-584-2401; extension 3952176# with a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Alternatively, public comment may be submitted in writing to publiccomment@spcsa.nv.gov, and any such public comment received prior to the meeting will be provided to the Authority and included in the written minutes of the meeting.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.

Friday, December 4, 2020

State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting? 

Members of the public provided comment regarding: 

  • Requests to allow charter schools to return to full in person learning
  • Concerns from teachers about returning to full in person learning

Members of the public also submitted public comment online:

Click here to view Public Comment #1
Click here to view Public Comment #2
Click here to view Public Comment #3
Click here to view Public Comment #4
Click here to view Public Comment #5
Click here to view Public Comment #6
Click here to view Public Comment #7
Click here to view Public Comment #8
Click here to view Public Comment #9
Click here to view Public Comment #10
Click here to view Public Comment #11
Click here to view Public Comment #12
Click here to view Public Comment #13
Click here to view Public Comment #14

SPCSA Executive Director’s Report: 

Report Highlights: 

  • In Person Learning Update
    • Director Feiden does not currently anticipate any changes to the in person learning guidance.  Following the Governor’s order for Nevadans to voluntarily stay home and a rise in COVID-19 cases, many schools have reduced the scale of in person learning or temporarily returned to full distance learning. Ongoing supports are being provided to schools through weekly meetings, pass-through grants, and subsidized internet access for families.  Click here to see the full update.
  • Focus on Equity
    • The SPCSA has made progress towards equity initiatives, including a survey for school leaders regarding diversity and inclusion training, updates to the new charter school application to include efforts to close opportunity gaps and disproportionate discipline practices, and reports from schools on their practices to combat systemic racism. Board members requested additional information on teacher, school leader, and board diversity of SPCSA sponsored schools. Board members also requested to further discuss the implementation of a common application to support more equitable conditions for students and families.  Click here to see the full update.
  • Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) Pilot Program and Project Award Grant
    • The Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) is a framework that schools use to provide targeted support to struggling students. Nine SPCSA schools have opted into an MTSS program in collaboration with UNR.
  • SPCSA Annual Initiatives 
    • The SPCSA is focused on three main goals for the 2020-2021 school year: provide families with access to high-quality schools, ensure every student succeeds, and increase the diversity of the student population. The Board heard an update on progress towards these goals, including the nine associated initiatives. Click here to see the full update. 

Board Heard Strategic Plan Development Update 

Adam Johnson, Executive Director of Democracy Prep at the Agassi Campus (DPAC), shared an overview of Democracy Prep Network’s timeline for the development of a strategic plan grounded in equity and anti-racism. This development includes a review of all DPAC campus systems and structures to ensure alignment with the needs of the school community and all students. 

Click here to see the presentation.

Board Heard Presentation from Charter School Association of Nevada

The Charter School Association of Nevada (CSAN) shared information on the Association’s role in representing district and state sponsored schools. Their current projects include contracting with media firms to tell the stories of their member schools, outreach to elected officials and community leaders, and monitoring government agencies.

Board Heard Update on SPCSA Student Discipline Data 

SPCSA staff provided an overview of discipline data and findings, collected by the Nevada Department of Education. Overall, SPCSA had a lower rate of incidents resulting in suspension compared to the state average. Similar to state and previous data, SPCSA students identifying as Black/African American or male — including those with a disability — are more likely to be involved in an incident resulting in a suspension compared to their peers.

Click here to see the presentation.

Board Approved Charter School Contract Amendments:

  • Mater Academy of Northern Nevada – Addition of distance education component: The Board approved student credit retrieval and advancement of coursework through supplemental distance education options not currently offered in brick-and-mortar school for middle school students. Click here to see the full recommendation memo.
  • Pinecrest Academy of Northern Nevada – Addition of distance education component: The Board approved credit advancement or retrieval for students for supplemental courses. SPCSA staff recommend approval with conditions including year end report of student performance and a student enrollment summary and courselog. Click here to see the full recommendation memo. 
  • Somerset Academy of Las Vegas – Facilities financing and acquisition: The Board approved an amendment for the Somerset Academy to gain ownership of the Aliante and Sky Canyon campus, which they currently occupy. This does not affect approved enrollment. SPCSA staff recommend approval with conditions on bond reporting. Click here to see the full recommendation memo.
  • Sports Leadership and Management Academy – Addition of dual credit: The Board conditionally approved the addition of a dual credit program that provides both high school and college credits to students for successful completion of courses. Click here to see the full recommendation memo.

Board Heard Update on SPCSA Financial Performance Framework Ratings

The framework is used to determine if a school is financially viable and to inform high-stakes decisions. SPCSA Staff provided an overview of the development of the framework, and associated indicators, approved in January of 2019. As of December 4, audits have been performed. Final data will be presented to the Board on January 22, 2021.

Click here to download the presentation.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 10/23/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, October 22, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here & here to view public comment submitted on agenda items.
  • Click here to view public comment submitted on non-agenda items.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda 

Highlights:

  • Purchase awards totalling $1.1 million, including $580,000 for medical equipment and furniture for students with disabilities. 
  • Contract with Rethink Ed for a web-based package of supports for students on the Autism Spectrum.

Trustees Discussed Agreement for School Psychologist Contractors

The 5-year agreement with Jackson Therapy Partners, LLC provides for a limited number of school psychologist contractors to be placed in schools when the district is unable to recruit and directly hire individuals to fill school psychologist vacancies. Trustees discussed the need for a long-term strategy to strengthen the school-based mental health professional pipeline and improve working conditions for CCSD school psychologists. This item will come back before the board in November.

Click here to see the reference material

Trustees Approved Scholarship Funds 

The Susan Brager Occupational Education Scholarship provides $1,000 for an eligible CCSD high school senior engaged at least two years of occupational education. The scholarship is administered annually through the Public Education Foundation. 

Trustees Approved Contract with Applied Analysis

State law authorizes the Board of Trustees to issue general obligation bonds for the construction, design or purchase of new school buildings, remodeling and repairing existing buildings and ground, and acquiring sites for building schools. Trustees approved a contract with Applied Analysis, an economic and policy research analysis firm, to develop a legislative strategy that extends the district’s bonding authority for at least 10 additional years. 

Click here to see the reference materials 
Click here to see the contract

Trustees Provided Input on School Reopening 

Trustees heard a presentation on the COVID-19 positivity rates from Dr. Fermin Leguen, Acting Director of the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD). Dr. Leguen shared that it is unlikely that metrics originally set to signal the safe reopening of CCSD schools will meet acceptable levels for reopening in the near future. Based on this, along with consideration of the impact of distance education on student learning, mental health, and community stability, Dr. Leguen shared that SNHD would be supportive of CCSD reopening under a hybrid-model with continued implementation of mitigation strategies such as mask-wearing and social distancing. Trustees expressed concerns about the safety of students and staff upon reopening with high positivity rates in the County. There is no current timeline for CCSD schools to reopen in-person.

Trustees also provided considerations for the district’s reopening plan, to be presented to Trustees at the November 12 meeting. Suggestions included: 

  • Prioritize in-person learning for young students, students with highest needs, and those least successful in distance learning 
  • Limit interaction between groups of students and adults 
  • Ensure employees have the option to continue to work from home 
  • Create an audit and monitoring system for ventilation improvements at school sites 
  • Create a comprehensive communication plan that outlines mitigation strategies and prepares the public in advance for the pivot to in-person school
  • Convene mental health professionals and experts within the district to identify social-emotional support strategies

This was not an action item. 

Click here to see the presentation

Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal

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Nevada Ed-Watch 10/08/2020

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, October 8, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here to view public comment submitted on agenda items.
  • Click here and here to view public comment submitted on non-agenda items.

Trustees Approved Consent Agenda 

Highlights:

  • Amendment of the Interlocal Contract to allow CCSD to bill for the maximum amount of services allowed in the newly expanded School Health Services program
  • Approval of purchase awards totaling nearly $3 million, including $1 million for K-12 reading programs and $350,000 for school ventilation equipment
  • Approval to enter into a professional services agreement for test and balance services in support of an unnamed elementary school
  • Approval of CCSD Regulation and Policy updates outlined at the September 10th Board meeting

Trustees Approved Title IX Resolution 

At the September 10th board meeting, Trustees voted to postpone the vote on the Title IX Resolution over Trustees’ concerns with the implications of the changes. At the request of one of the Trustees, language has been added in the second resolution which now requires the Board of Trustees to approve policy to implement Title IX regulations and includes policies based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  

The resolution does not change any regulations; rather, the resolution states the District’s compliance with federal law and the Board fulfillment of all requirements with the exception of amending or modifying the regulations in due time.

Click here to read the resolution.

Trustees Heard Update on the CCSD’s COVID-19 Response

Health Information: The Board heard a presentation on the COVID-19 response from Dr. Fermin Leguen, Acting Director of the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD). Dr. Leguen outlined the factors SNHD is tracking with regards to opening schools, based on CDC recommendations and guidance. Along with the COVID-19 positivity rate for CCSD students and staff, factors include the 14-day community infection rate. As of October 1, 2020, the Clark County community transmission rate indicates higher risk of transmission in schools.

Between September 27 to October 1, 172 children in Clark Country between the ages of 0-17 years have been diagnosed with COVID-19. SNHD is considering the implications of this data as it relates to sending children back to school in close contact.

Following Emergency Directive 033, which adjusts the limitation on public gatherings from 50 to 250 people (or 50% of occupancy, whichever is less), SNHD will continue to monitor the behavior of COVID-19 and its potential to impact transmission in schools. At this time, there is no recommendation for schools to reopen.

Task Force Initiative for Educators’ Safety and Screening: CCSD staff will have access to free COVID-19 testing through the Task Force for Educator’s Safety & Screening (TIES) program. CCSD General Council is considering a contract with emocha Health to monitor TIES. Following concerns Trustees expressed at the September 24 board meeting with regard to requiring employees to get tested and the implications on confidentiality, the TIES program will be provided on a voluntary basis for participating staff. Staff would also be required to complete the ongoing CCSD required health checks while they are on campus. Student testing was not discussed.

Mental Health: Trustees heard a presentation on the mental health supports in place by CCSD personnel, mental health data points, the complexities of dealing with mental health through the supports, and the need to be agile to prepare for a scenario where distance education continues for a longer period of time. 

  • CCSD personnel involved in mental health supports:
    • Wraparound Services: CCSD has a total of 254 social workers–100 full-time CCSD staff and 154 contracted social workers through Progressus. The ratio of CCSD social workers is 1 to 1,174 students.
    • Guidance & Counseling: The ratio of counselors is 1 to 400 high school students, 1 to 500 middle school students, and 1 to 640 elementary school students.
    • Psychological Services: There is 1 psychologist to 1,850 students; the national recommendation is 1 to 700. 
    • Health Services: School nurses are part of the teams at school sites involved in suicide ideation and supports.
  • Data Points: Trustees heard data on a number of mental health areas, including: 
    • Specialized Instructional Support Personnel (SISP) referrals increased from 10,667 in August/September 2019 to 15,641 in August/September 2020.
    • CCSD experienced decreases in Department of Family Services (DFS) submissions by staff and community members.
    • Student suicide ideation reports decreased, potentially due to a lack of face-to-face contact with psychologists and counselors that would normally lead to ideation reports.
    • From June 2020 to October 1, 2020, CCSD police made 81 home visits in response to suicide ideations.
    • CCSD safe school professionals, social workers, and mental health professionals conducted 23,825 wellness checks
  • Supports for CCSD staff: CCSD staff engaged with social-emotional professional learning via Canvas in August, which included Trauma 101 professional learning, suicide protocol training, and self-care for educators. Virtual webinars will soon be made available to support CCSD staff on subjects such as coping with anxiety during COVID-19. CCSD staff will continue to have access to the Life Connection Employee Assistance Program, provided through Behavioral Healthcare Options.
  • Student Enrollment & Attendance: 
    • Funded enrollment: As of October 1, enrollment is down 4% (or 12,622 students) from prior year. According to CCSD, the majority of the decline can be attributed to the White/Caucasian student population, which was down 7,222 students (or 9.5%) from prior year. Pre-K through 3rd grade enrollment is down 8,167 students (or 8.5%) from prior year.
    • Withdrawals from the district: Compared to the prior year, private school withdrawals are up over 1,000 and charter school withdrawals are up over 2,000. Homeschool withdrawals are up approximately 2,000 from prior year. 
    • Intent to homeschool: Intents to Homeschool were submitted for 2,122 CCSD students as of September 16.
    • For the week ending September 18, overall attendance was 90.6% as compared to 94.8% during the comparable 4th week of instruction in the prior year.

Lesson Learned: Trustees heard a presentation on lessons learned from current instructional models and telecommuting responsibilities by other school systems and districts.  In a review of 10 representative sample districts, seven are currently operating with full-time distance education, three are currently in transition to a hybrid model, and none currently reporting a full-time face-to-face for the majority of their students.

In a number of districts with plans to transition from full-time distance to hybrid models in January 2021, supervisors will have the discretion to direct staff to return to work locations. Other districts may consider requiring staff to return to work locations to deliver online instruction even though students will not be present. Districts will revisit employee-work expectations prior to transitioning to hybrid models.

Staff Transition to Face-to-Face Instruction Questionnaire: 

Last week, CCSD conducted a survey to find out how CCSD school staff feel about returning to work. Responses were received from approximately 80% of CCSD school staff.

Survey results:

  • 55% said ‘Yes’ when asked if they were planning to return to work locations if the option to telecommute in a hybrid or full-time model remains available.
  • 17% indicated that they would return to work locations only if the District resumes within the full-time face-to-face model.
  • 28% indicated that they did not want to return to work. 

The Board interprets this data as the staff’s desire to continue to telecommute due to concerns around community health data or a number of staff members with young children at home who would not have supervision. CCSD will need the majority of staff to return to work to implement a hybrid or full-time face-to-face model.

Click here to see the presentation.
Click here to see supplemental student enrollment and attendance data.

Click here to read about this in the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 8/14/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

State Public Charter School Authority (SPCSA)

What is the SPCSA & what are they responsible for? The SPCSA sponsors and oversees public charter schools across the State of Nevada. The Authority consists of nine appointed members responsible for overseeing educational and operational standards, and holding sponsored schools accountable to the academic achievement of students.

How often does the SPCSA Board meet? SPCSA members meet once monthly– on Fridays.

Click here for SPCSA meeting schedule and materials.

Can community members engage at SPCSA Board Meetings? All meetings are held publicly at the Nevada Department of Education building in Carson City and the Nevada Department of Education building in Las Vegas (1st floor boardroom). Members of the public are invited to attend at either location. A time for public comment is provided at the conclusion of each agenda item and at the conclusion of each Board meeting. There is a time limit of three minutes per speaker. Members of the community providing testimony must fill out a visitor card, available on-site the day of the meeting.

Alternatively, public comment may be submitted in writing at publiccomment@spcsa.nv.gov, and any such public comment received prior to the meeting will be provided to the Authority and included in the written minutes of the meeting.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA Members.

Click here for a list of all SPCSA sponsored schools.

Friday, August 14, 2020

State Public Charter School Authority Board Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting? 

Members of the public provided comment regarding: 

  • Dissatisfaction with the SPCSA Reopening Plan Requirements which would require most SPCSA approved charter schools to open with distance learning only. 

Board Approved Reopening Plan Requirements and In-Person Learning for 2020-2021 School Year (6-3)

SPCSA board members heard from SPCSA Executive Director Feiden on the proposed school opening requirements related to in-person learning for the 2020-2021 school year. 

The recommendations from SPCSA staff can be found at SPCSA Recommendation to Issue COVID-19 In-Person Learning Guidance. This recommendation was in follow-up to  Recommendation and Guidance for School Re-Opening and based on Road to Recovery: Moving to a New Normal from the Governor and Nevada Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Update. There were some areas of contention, including  whether the guidance should be a recommendation or a requirement.  

A motion was made to approve the guidance as a recommendation rather than a requirement.  This motion failed  5 to 4. 

The board moved to approve the guidance as a requirement, with the addition of a fast-response process for SPCSA to consider an appeal by schools. 

Board Heard Update on Open Meeting Law

Governor Sisolak’s Emergency Directive 029 extended Nevada’s State of Emergency status. The extension provides allowance for public meetings, including the SPCSA board, to continue to occur virtually. 

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Nevada Ed-Watch 8/13/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda & addendum

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, rather an oral summary of the comments was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here to view public comment submitted on agenda items
  • Click here to view public comment submitted on non-agenda items 

Board Approved Consent Agenda 

Highlights include:

Board Approved Purchase Awards

The approved $28 million for chrome-based devices and $4.8 million for T-mobile WIFI hotspots. The board also approved entering into contracts with Cox Communications ($4.8 million) to purchase in-home internet services through August 2021, and Kajeet ($1.8 million) for up to 5,000 mobile hotspots to provide qualifying students in CCSD households cellular hotspot devices. 

Board Approved Construction Change Order 

Change orders come before the board when the actual cost of construction for a new school building or school improvement increases more than 3% percent or 5% respectively. CCSD staff, Superintendent Jara, and the Board discussed reviewing the change order process regularly to identify and remediate potential inefficiencies in the process and decrease risk of increased expenses. 

Click here to view all change orders.

Board Approved Notices of Intent to Change Board Policies & District Regulations  

The following Board Policies will come back before the board for approval at the August 27 Trustee Meeting: 

The following District Regulations will come back before the board for approval at the September 10 Trustee Meeting: 

Board Heard Update on Human Capital Management System (HCMS) Remediation

In December 2019, CCSD transitioned to a new Human Capital Management System (HCM). Due to implementation errors, issues arose including teachers not receiving pay or being underpaid, substitute teachers receiving inaccurate pay, and inability to post open job positions.  CCSD is working with a technology implementation consultant to refine and reimplement the HCMS. The consultant provided updates on the implementation remediation to date, stating that 95% of remediation tasks have been completed, with the remaining tasks related to long-term training and implementation. Implementation barriers that caused the initial implementation issues included: 

  • Budget & staffing constraints,
  • Isolated testing and training,
  • Lack of sustainability planning for employee turnover & training, and
  • Insufficient vendor/implementation partner knowledge to address complex scenarios. 

The implementation remediation process will be completed in early 2021. 

Click here to see the presentation 

Board Approved Medium-Term Bond Authorization Resolution

The approval allows CCSD to finance all or a portion of the cost of acquiring, improving, and equipping school facilities, including transportation. The medium-term obligations will be repaid within a ten-year period, subject to approval by the State of Nevada Department of Taxation. 

Click here to see the Resolution

Board Approved Data-sharing Agreement with Community Partners 

Due to meeting broadcast issues, portions of this presentation and discussion were not available to view by the public.  

CCSD has launched a Family Support Center to facilitate families’ access to devices and internet connectivity. The Family Support Center is supported through the statewide effort, Connecting Kids, a partnership with districts, community organizations, and the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief, and Recovery Task Force. 

The Family Support Center serves as a call center & central point for families to communicate their connectivity and device needs, and provide updated contact information. Trustees approved a data sharing agreement with Cox Communications in order to directly communicate student household information to install/connect internet services. 

Additionally, the data sharing agreement allows for community partners and volunteers to continue to staff the Family Support Center at the scale necessary to connect the remaining 100,000 students in the district with unknown connectivity and device needs. 

Families can get in touch with the Family Support Center at 888-616-2476 or connectingkidsnv.org. 

Click here to see the data sharing agreement 

Click here to view the Family Support Center hotline script 

Board Heard Updates from Superintendent Jara 

  • Budget: 
    • Overall, the Nevada Legislature and Governor cut $170 million to K-12 education in Nevada, and $92 million from CCSD; however, CCSD expects to receive approximately $80 million in federal emergency funding, as well as $37 million provided through AB3 of the 2020 Second Special Session, for a net budget cut for schools of approximately $40 million, or about $125 per pupil. School principals and School Organizational Teams (SOTs) will make budget reduction decisions in September.  
  • Professional Learning:
    • Educators have been engaging with professional learning to familiarize with Canvas, the online Learning Management System that the district will utilize in conjunction with Google Classroom. Parents will be provided with online learning modules to learn how to access and navigate Canvas and Google Classroom as well.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 7/22/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Tuesday, July 21, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Special Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of the comments was provided to Trustees.

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read directly into the record, and rather an oral summary of each comment was provided to Trustees.

  • Click here to view public comment submitted between July 15 – July 20
  • Click here to view public comment submitted on between July 19- July 20
  • Click here & here to view public comment submitted on July 21
  • Click here to view posted public comment non-agenda items.

Trustees Approve Distance Learning for First 90 Days of 2020-2021 School Year 

Trustees were provided with two potential models to choose from for the start of the 2020-2021 school year: Full Distance Education or Hybrid Distance Education. The options presented align with the current State reopening phase. After consideration of the status of the pandemic, Trustees voted to begin the school year with distance learning only, for at least the first 90 days of school. The approval includes: 

  • Status updates on data and trends related to COVID-19 every 30 days 
  • Allowance of rural community schools to return to hybrid or face-to-face instruction if certain health and safety criteria are met 
  • Option for schools to conduct hybrid or in-person professional development  

Trustees expressed ongoing concerns with device and internet connectivity for students and teachers. 

Click here to view the presentation.

Click here to read about this in The Nevada Independent

Click here to read about this in The Las Vegas Review-Journal 

Trustees Approve Hybrid Professional Development 

Trustees discussed three potential options for delivery of mandatory professional development that will occur between August 5 and August 21: in person, teleworking (online), or hybrid teleworking. Trustees discussed the various health and safety risks associated with in-person professional development. They also discussed the need to be sensitive to employees who may not be comfortable attending in-person professional development if a hybrid option is available. 

Aligned to the direction they provided regarding distance learning, Trustees approved the hybrid teleworking option. Trustees provided specific direction to CCSD staff that: 

  • Individual employees will have the final decision on attending professional development in person or online
  • Administrators should be sensitive in their communication and respectful of individual employees’ decisions to attend professional development in person or online 
  • All health and safety guidelines should be followed for any in-person opportunities

Click here to view the presentation. 

Trustees Approve Instructional Scheduling for Secondary Students

Staff provided Trustees with three potential options for instructional scheduling for middle and high schools for the 2020-2021 school year: Four semester-based courses, traditional six year-long courses, or six to eight year-long courses with principal discretion. Trustees voted to move to four semester-based courses for middle schools, and six to eight year-long courses for high schools. High schools will be allowed to continue to leverage alternative scheduling models  for year-long courses based on the needs of the school.  

 Click here to view the presentation.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 5/7/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda & Addendum

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted comments online. Public comment was not read into the record, and rather a summary of comments was provided to Trustees. Click here to see public comment submissions. 

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19

Presentation Highlights: 

  • All CCSD buildings remain closed through phase 1 of Governor Sisolak’s reopening plan. Employees who are currently working at school sites will continue working. Other personnel will return to in-person work as phase 1 of the reopening plan proceeds. 
  • Meals: CCSD will continue to provide meal services for students (including on Memorial Day) until June 30th, or until the Federal Government’s state of emergency is lifted (whichever comes first). To date, CCSD has distributed 2 million meals. 
  • Attendance: During the week of April 20th, approximately 251,000 students were considered present. CCSD is continuing to conduct wellness checks for students that were not successfully contacted since the transition to distance learning. Out of the target of 2,362 students, 1,280 students were successfully contacted. There are 10 attendance officers and 50 social workers doing door-to-door contact. 
  • Chromebooks: 85,000 students have received Chromebooks. CCSD has 157,000 Chromebooks left to deploy. 
  • Professional Development: Over the summer, CCSD will be offering online professional development for educators to strengthen their distance learning skills. Additionally, CCSD is deploying  learning opportunities for parents to support their children’s learning at home. 
  • Summer School: Extended learning will be available throughout the summer on CCSD’s website and at food distribution sites. Extended School Year (summer school) will also be offered via distance education for credit-deficient 6th-12th graders. Summer school prices have been reduced to $70 per half credit. Students should reach out to their school counselors to apply for available fee waivers.
  • Reopening: CCSD is convening a Reopening Our Schools Working Group. Trustees directed staff to ensure that parents, educators, and support staff are each represented in the working group. The guiding principles of the group are as follows:
    • Ensure the safety and well-being of all students and employees. 
    • Promote equity and accessibility to learning for all students.
    • Provide instructional delivery systems to meet the needs of all students.
    • Foster positive relationships and interactions. 
  • Funding:
    • The Nevada Department of Education will release an application for districts and LEA’s to apply for federal emergency funds on May 12th. 
    • There are $26 million in additional education funds at the state level that have not yet been allocated.
    • CCSD is working with the federal delegation to advocate for a $250 billion request for additional funding for K-12 schools in the U.S. to serve the needs of at-risk students populations. 
  • PPE: CCSD is coordinating with the state and Superintendent Ebert’s task force to secure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Public Comment: Members of the public provided testimony regarding:  

  • Concerns for the safety of students and staff
  • Concerns about the academic success of students

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Discussed a Proposal to Increase Substitute Teacher Pay 

CCSD’s Chief Human Resource Office and Director of Substitute Services presented a proposal to increase pay for substitute teachers across the district. There are currently 4,264 active substitutes.

Proposed pay increases: 

  • Day to Day Substitute – $110 per day (+$20/day) 
  • Day to Day Early Hiring – $120 per day (+$40/day)
  • Long Term Substitutes – $130 per day on day 11 (+$30/day) 
  • Long Term Early Hiring – $140 per day on day 11 (+$20/day) 
  • Vacancy Substitutes – $140 per day (+$30/day) 
  • Vacancy Early Hiring $150 per day (+30/day)  
  • Special Education and Hard to Fill – $150 per day starting on day one, rather than on day 21

Trustees agreed that while this was an appropriate starting point, additional considerations for increased pay, eligibility for health benefits, and sick leave are necessary. Trustees also suggested establishing a policy that ensures non-union employee pay keeps pace with collectively-bargained pay increases. Superintendent Jara stated that providing additional pay and exploring the cost of providing benefits is a budget priority. 

Public Comment: Members of public provided testimony regarding:  

  • Support for increased pay for substitute teachers
  • Concerns that the current proposal does not include benefits or sick leave
  • Concerns that the substitute shortage will grow if wages are not increased

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Approved a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with ESEA

At the April 16th board meeting, Trustees approved agreements with the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) that temporarily allows employees to “donate” unused sick leave to other employees impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, trustees approved additional pay for ESEA support staff who are actively serving the public. The new MOA extends these polices through December 21, 2020 and May 20,2020. 

Click here to see the ESEA additional pay agreement.

Click here to see the ESEA sick leave donation agreement.

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • A strategic plan to reach newly-adopted student ratios for school psychologists and counselors 
  • Additional information about access to summer school

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Nevada Ed-Watch 4/16/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Thursday, April 16, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda & Addendum

What happened at this meeting?

Public Comment

Members of the public submitted testimony online regarding:

  • Concerns about the safety of students and faculty due to coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • Concerns about salaries and health benefits for substitute teachers 
  • Concerns about the impact of COVID-19 closures on employee compensation
  • Support for closing schools through the rest of the school year 
  • Concerns about the transition to distance education 

Consent Agenda Highlights: 

Trustees Denied the Extension of Emergency Authority for the Superintendent (5-0-2)

At the March 23rd board meeting, trustees  approved a limited Grant of Authority permitting Superintendent Jara to approve contracts and purchase items that are essential to the operation of the District during COVID-19 school closures. This request would extend the emergency Grant of Authority through April 30th. Two trustees abstained from the vote, and five trustees voted against the extension. 

Click here to see the resolution.

Click here to read about this in The Nevada Independent.

Trustees Heard Updates about the District’s Response to COVID-19

Presentation Highlights: 

  • CCSD has implemented three different modalities for students to engage in distance education: online learning, paper work packets that can be accessed at food distribution sites, and educational TV programming through Vegas PBS. During the week of March 30th, 258,361 students were engaged in some form of distance learning. There are about 325,000 students enrolled in CCSD schools. 
  • CCSD is encouraging parents to reach out to their child’s school counselor for resources on how to talk to their kids about COVID-19. 
  • CCSD is implementing two-way communication between teachers and families to track attendance. Parents who have not heard from their school are encouraged to call the school. 
  • 55,000 Chromebooks have been deployed to middle and high school students. 145,000 additional Chromebooks are in the process of being distributed to elementary school students. 
  • Considerations for the upcoming school year include exploring opportunities for summer learning, as well as  front-loading quarter 4 academic content to the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. District staff are also developing a balanced assessment system for the upcoming school year, and considering administering MAP Growth assessments (grades 3-8) to measure academic progress. 

Click here to see the presentation.

Trustees Approved Collective Bargaining Agreements

Trustees approved agreements with the Education Support Employees Association (ESEA) and the Clark County Educators Association (CCEA) that temporarily allows employees to “donate” unused sick leave to other employees impacted by COVID-19. Additionally, Trustees approved additional pay for ESEA support staff who worked during the first week of closures (3/15/20 through 3/21/20). Additional pay will also be extended to employees that volunteered to work during closures and those who are actively serving the public, such as food service and custodial workers. The total cost of these agreements is $800,000.00.

Click here to see the ESEA additional pay agreement.

Click here to see the ESEA sick leave agreement.

Click here to see the CCEA sick leave agreement.

Superintendent Communications

Superintendent Jara has met with high school seniors, and is scheduled to meet with high school principals to make a determination about graduation for the class of 2020.  The district will continue to provide information with families regarding any action taken in response to the coronavirus. 

Requests for Future Agenda Items:

  • A memo that outlines the financial impact of COVID-19 on the district.

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Nevada Ed-Watch 3/23/20

Posted on by Opportunity 180

The Ed-Watch series is designed to increase access to information on what decisions are being made regarding public education in Clark County and Nevada.

Clark County School District Board of Trustees 

What is the Board of Trustees & what are they responsible for? The CCSD Trustees are publicly elected decision-makers for the school district. They are responsible for providing oversight to the Superintendent and establishing District-wide policy. Trustees are accountable to work with their communities to improve student achievement.

Click here to learn more and see a list of current Trustees

Click here to Find your Trustee District

How often does the Board of Trustees meet? Trustees meet twice per month (second and fourth Thursdays) at 5pm at the Edward A. Greer Education Center (Board Room): 2832 E. Flamingo Road, Las Vegas, NV 89121.

Click here for a full list of Trustees meetings and agendas

Click here to visit Hope For Nevada’s #NVEd Calendar

Can community members engage at Trustee Meetings? Decision-making bodies benefit greatly from hearing public input and multiple perspectives. Community members can sign up to speak after the agenda has been posted– by calling the Board Office at (702) 799-1072 at least 3 hours before the scheduled meeting, or signing up in-person at the beginning of the meeting. Prior to each agenda item being voted on, speakers can share their perspective after the Board’s discussion and prior to the vote.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Clark County School District Board of Trustees Emergency Meeting

Click here to see the meeting agenda

What happened at this meeting?

Trustees Approved a Limited Grant of Authority for the District Superintendent

The approved limited Grant of Authority permits Superintendent Jara to approve contracts and purchase items that are essential to the operation of the District during COVID-19 school closures. 

The following items were approved during this meeting:

  1. Veritas Hardware and Software products and services
  2. Elevator inspection services
  3. Renewal of Eide Bailly as CCSD’s external independent financial auditing firm for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2020
  4. Review of annual reports for Vegas PBS 
  5. Submission of proposals to the Oversight Panel for School Facilities 
  6. Payment to counsel for the CCSD v. Las Vegas Review-Journal case
  7. Payment of change orders and contracts associated with CCSD construction

Trustees Discussed Distance Learning Plans During COVID-19 Closures

Trustees approved a memo to submit to the Nevada Department of Education, which states that the District is making  best efforts to provide distance learning to students, in compliance with state mandates. Superintendent Jara shared updates on the District’s efforts to develop a Distance Learning Plan and offer students access to online learning. The Superintendent also discussed equity concerns related to a lack of internet access for all students. Additionally, 63% of Clark County School District students have access to an online device at home. 

The District’s Distance Learning Plan involves student learning packets that are available online, as well as printed packets available at food distribution sites. Trustees suggested using internet hotspots to access the internet. Trustees also suggested creating a system allowing students to check-out devices.

More discussion highlights regarding Distance Learning included:

  • Tracking virtual attendance among students
  • Measuring the impact of closures on the length of the school year
  • Ensuring on-time graduation for high school seniors
  • Partnering with internet service providers to offer unrestricted access for Clark County residents
  • Maintaining public transparency and consistency around communications between District administrators

District Staff Addressed Questions Asked by Members of the Community

Superintendent Jara and District staff members responded to the questions below that were submitted by members of the community. These questions will be compiled into an FAQ that will be available on the CCSD website.

  1. Are teachers required to call students? 
    Teachers are to make contact with students at least once a week (via e-mail, Google Hangouts, or a phone call), and document the engagement for attendance purposes. 
  2. How can students with no access to technology or the internet receive schoolwork?
    The district is exploring ways to ensure that all students have access to distance learning packets. Trustees also encourage community members to assist in printing and sharing resources with neighbors. 
  3. How will students earn credits towards graduation? 
    The Superintendent is reviewing a plan for credit earning for high school seniors, which will be provided to the public by Wednesday, March 25.
  4. When will a decision be made on reopening schools or remaining closed for an extended period of time? 
    Updates from Nevada’s Chief Medical Officer will be shared on a regular basis, as available.
  5. How will school events be executed? 
    The District is in the process of considering this. 
  6. What are the distance learning protocols and expectations for special education teachers?
    The District will review the guidance received by the state Department of Education to assist the most vulnerable children. Upon review, the information will be shared with District staff.
  7. What is the requirement for employees to log in and out every day? 
    All employees, including support staff, are required to log in and log out every day and communicate daily with their supervisors.
  8. What are the considerations for parents who are learning English to access resources? 
    The ELL department is working on developing solutions.
  9. Will charter schools follow the same guidelines for district distance learning?
     The district cannot enforce authority on charter school distance learning programs. [NOTE: charter school families can access information regarding distance learning offerings at individual school websites or through the State Public Charter School Authority].
  10. Have Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS) been considered in the creation of the distance learning packets? How are parents being supported? 
    Yes, the packets are aligned to Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS). Through Vegas PBS, a homework helpline will be available this week.
  11. Will the state waive licensing requirements for student teachers? 
    The District is working on this with the Nevada Department of Education.
  12. How do teachers without online services log in? 
    Contact the school leader and/or supervisor by phone.
  13. Will student packet work count against students? How will these packets be differentiated for AP and honors level students? 
    No, they will not count against students and will not be graded. The packets are aligned to the Nevada Academic Content Standards (NACS).
  14. What is being done for substitute teachers? 
    Substitutes in vacancy positions are being paid, but long-term substitutes are not receiving pay.
  15. Are teachers required to use personal cell phones to contact students? 
    Educators can contact students via email if they prefer. The District will explore Google Voice as a paid option.
  16. What do parents do if teachers have not yet contacted them? 
    Contact the school’s principal or a school administrator.
  17. Where are the weekly packets located on the CCSD website? 
    The packets are located on the landing page of the CCSD website. 
  18. Will outside contractors be allowed to work? 
    This is unknown at this time.

NOTE: Trustees announced that the next regular board meeting will take place on April 16th, 2020– following the cancellation of the March meeting.

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