LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Two education unions in Clark County are at odds after one called on the school district's leader to resign amid Nevada's budget crisis.
Clark County Education Association (CCEA), which represents teachers in the Clark County School District, sent out a statement criticizing a letter that was sent to Supt. Dr. Jesus Jara by the Clark County Association of School Administrators (CCASAPE), which represents administrators.
CCEA Executive Director John Vellardita told 13 Action News that some of the attacks on Supt. Jara are racially motivated. And Stephen Augspurger, of the CCASAPE, responded to those comments by saying it is unfortunate Vellardita is resorting to race-baiting rhetoric.
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The earlier letter focused on the recent back-and-forth regarding budget bill Assembly Bill 2 between CCSD Supt. Jara and Nevada lawmakers.
Jara has claimed the special session agenda item was put forth by the state, not the school district, which both Supt. of Education Jhone Ebert and Gov. Steve Sisolak have denied.
The strongly-worded letter from the administrator's union to Supt. Jara reads in part:
Your antics at the Special Session will haunt you for the remainder of your professional career... You look foolish and pathetic.
...
This week, you have been described as desperate, in panic mode. You have revealed much about the true nature of your character. You have shown that you are dishonest. You lie; you manipulate; you cannot accept responsibility for your own actions; you blame others for your own mistakes and behavior; you have an inability to apologize and to say you are sorry; and you constantly attempt to divert attention from the problems you have created by shifting the focus to something or someone else. You have further revealed what many already know: you are selfish, ego-centric, and without moral code or compass.
The letter concludes by saying:
It is time for you to go!
Moments after the letter surfaced, the teacher's union sent out a statement to the media calling the CCASAPE's remarks about Jara "a distraction driven by a political agenda."
The CCEA accused the CCASAPE of failing to fight against budget cuts to the school district and called on school board trustees to stay focused on the budget.
The teacher's union said in part:
In this moment of greatest need, the administrator’s union has not fought against these cuts nor advocated for funding for our schools. What they have been focused on is Superintendent Jara; making him the most important issue of the day. Dr. Jara can answer for his own actions. Why isn’t the administrator’s union advocating for additional revenue and opposing these severe cuts to our school system. They have focused on simply removing the Superintendent-as if that would resolve all of the problems we are facing right now. We disagree. This is a distraction driven by a political agenda. CCEA will have no part of it.
Read the full statements from both unions below.
READ THE FULL LETTER TO JARA FROM CCASAPE:
July 16, 2020
Superintendent Jara,
If you are wondering if Nevada’s legislators will ever forget your ill-advised comments delivered during public input at the conclusion of the hearing for Assembly Bill 2 on Saturday, July 11, 2020, be assured, they will not. Nor, Mr. Superintendent, will they soon forget Speaker Frierson’s resounding rebuke: “YOU DON’T GET TO LIGHT A FIRECRACKER AND THEN RUN JUST BEFORE IT GOES OFF.”
Your antics at the Special Session will haunt you for the remainder of your professional career. Your subsequent public comments are an undeniable contradiction to what everyone knows to be true regarding this matter. The media and other individuals have well-documented what you have done, yet you continue to profess your innocence and simultaneously perpetuate your dishonesty. You look foolish and pathetic.
Since the legislative hearing Saturday afternoon, you have been busy trying to convince others that you “have been set up;” that AB 2 was not your bill; and that it was Jhone Ebert’s bill. I understand that you have even sent text messages to a high-ranking elected leader assigning blame to one of your own employees. Really, Mr. Superintendent, make up your mind as to whom you are going to assign blame. Since the Saturday fiasco, you have been calling principals and other administrators seeking their support, even asking some to call CCSD Trustees on your behalf. You have dangled incentives in front of your administrators in return for their support. You are attempting to convince the Trustees that you have been wronged, set up, and maligned. It is easy to see right through this attempt to manipulate the opinions of your collective bosses. Those observing hope that the Trustees see what you are doing. But, many are unsure what the Trustees will do as you can be convincing, especially when you are trying to save yourself by not telling the truth.
This week, you have been described as desperate, in panic mode. You have revealed much about the true nature of your character. You have shown that you are dishonest. You lie; you manipulate; you cannot accept responsibility for your own actions; you blame others for your own mistakes and behavior; you have an inability to apologize and to say you are sorry; and you constantly attempt to divert attention from the problems you have created by shifting the focus to something or someone else. You have further revealed what many already know: you are selfish, ego-centric, and without moral code or compass.
What are the consequences associated with these undesirable personal characteristics? There are many, and they are significant. You have irreparably destroyed your already tenuous relationship with District administrators. You have consistently lied to them. You have methodically betrayed them. You have attempted to cover up your actions by aggressively lashing out at others, attempting to divert attention from yourself. You have maligned and impugned three of the most influential and respected individuals in Nevada State government. Your highly inappropriate behavior and comments will serve to drive an irreparable wedge in CCSD’s relationship with Governor Steve Sisolak, Assembly Speaker Jason Frierson, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jhone Ebert. You have irrevocably rendered yourself as insignificant and irrelevant with the elected leaders of the Nevada Legislature. The CCSD can ill-afford to have you as the point person in the forthcoming Legislative Session.
This past week, you have once again demonstrated that you cannot lead. Worse, there is a growing perception that you are not fit to lead. For those who have witnessed your behavior over the past few days, this is the only conclusion that can be reached. Not only are you not fit to lead, but you are ill-prepared and unfit to be the Superintendent of the 5 th largest school district in the country. Your tenure here has been marked by one debacle after another. You have lost the trust and confidence of your administrators and other employees. You have embarrassed the CCSD community and residents of Clark County.
The School Trustees will, once again, agonize over what to do with you and how to handle the terrible situation that you alone have created. If past practice holds true, the Trustees will do nothing, and you will once again be the benefactor of their collective failure to act. But, please know, Mr. Superintendent, if they fail to act, it will not alter the consequences associated with your actions and your misbehavior. That is, by your own misbehavior and dishonesty, you have neutered yourself and rendered yourself as irreversibly ineffective. Your employees will never again trust you. Your further presence in the Clark County School District will continue to exacerbate the downward descent of the District and will continue to cause untold harm to the students, parents, and staff who all deserve better.
It is time for you to go!
READ THE FULL STATEMENT ON CCASAPE FROM CCEA:
CCEA Response to CCASAPE Statement on Superintendent Jara
Although the Legislature is trying to move money in the state budget and use CARES dollars to bridge the budget shortfall, there will not be enough funds to stop all these cuts. In the end, there will still be devastating cuts to K-12 education, our students, and our educators. Today, that along with COVID-19 are the most pressing issues facing our school district.
CCEA’s focus has been two-fold. First, for over a year CCEA has been advocating for new revenue for K-12. Since Governor Sisolak has proposed these cuts, we have been aggressively opposed because they will be devastating, particularly to the most at-risk students in CCSD. Second, CCEA has been working to ensure any reopening of the CCSD must be done with the greatest safety precautions and effectiveness for our educators and students. We are waiting for Governor Sisolak to release CARES dollars to meet this purpose.
In this moment of greatest need, the administrator’s union has not fought against these cuts nor advocated for funding for our schools. What they have been focused on is Superintendent Jara; making him the most important issue of the day. Dr. Jara can answer for his own actions. Why isn’t the administrator’s union advocating for additional revenue and opposing these severe cuts to our school system. They have focused on simply removing the Superintendent-as if that would resolve all of the problems we are facing right now. We disagree. This is a distraction driven by a political agenda. CCEA will have no part of it.
CCEA will continue to fight against these severe cuts and we will continue to seek out revenue solutions as we have over the past Legislative Sessions. We advise the CCSD Trustees to remain focused on the task at hand. Our 320,000 students need more revenue, not cuts. Our 320,000 students need an effective educational model under COVID-19 conditions in order to learn. 40,000 CCSD staff and 320,000 students need a fully funded safety and health program if and when these schools reopen. Those are the matters of the day that the Trustees should be focused on.
