LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — The news of a new teacher contract between Clark County Education Association and Clark County School District isn’t something just teachers were waiting for, but parents and students too.
However, some are cautiously optimistic on the impacts of the contract in classrooms.
“When teachers are happy, it makes a huge impact on our students,” said parent Rebecca Dirks Garcia.
Garcia currently has three students in CCSD schools. She also runs the CCSD Parents Facebook page with has more than 17,000 members.
She believes the new contract is a win for both teachers and students but is concerned about educational funding in the next legislative session.
“My own kids have long term subs and replacements in classrooms,” said Garcia. “Hopefully, it’ll bring some peace in the classrooms and some reassurance to teachers to what’s going to happen moving forward. I think the real challenge is to make sure that our legislature continues to fund education properly in the future.”
The funding for the pay increases mostly comes from Senate Bill 231, which went into effect earlier this year.
CCSD parent and teacher Leonard Lither is disappointed the contract agreement took so long.
“I’m kind of surprised because they’ve had a lot of time to sit down at the negotiating table,” said Lither. “The part that’s frustrating is for the most part, this is what CCEA was originally asking for.”
Lither believes the contract also has one big flaw.
“They’re changing the pay scale to reflect on people’s educational experience and years of teaching,” said Lither.
Originally, CCSD had a ‘proposed one-time lookback’ which gives educators hired after August 16, 2016 an additional salary increase. But this new contract removes the lookback.
Lither also believes the problem of teacher retention won’t go away.
“The damage to morale has already been done,” said Lither. “I think teachers and recruiting teachers will be difficult because people are going to see basically failed leadership.”
On Wednesday, CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara sent this statement following the announcement of a new contract:
“As I said more than 12 months ago, teachers are the most important influence on student learning, and after more than 11 bargaining sessions that continued throughout the arbitration process, our educators will finally get the pay increases they are long overdue.
These historic increases are possible because Governor Joe Lombardo, as the education Governor, listened to superintendents and proposed the largest education budget in the history of Nevada in January 2023. They are also possible through the leadership of the District’s Board of Trustees and the dedicated work of the District’s bargaining team.
The School Board of Trustees and I are pleased that the approved contract gives our teachers the historic pay increases they deserve while aligning with the $637 million budget the District allocated in our budget process for licensed personnel. Teachers can enjoy their holidays knowing that relief is on the way.”
Classes resume January 2.
