LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Leaders from the Clark County Education Association held a member-only meeting on Saturday morning to address concerns and questions regarding the recent teacher contract agreement with the Clark County School District.
During the meeting at the Alexis Park Resort, many CCSD teachers, troubled by contract concerns, gathered to discuss the agreement announced on December 20th. A key worry among teachers is the new pay scale, which does not apply to current employees, potentially resulting in new teachers with less experience and education earning as much as or more than their experienced counterparts.
Terri Wilson, a CCSD pre-K teacher who attended the meeting, highlighted the uncertainties: "People are saying that somebody is not going to get paid, and then other people are saying yes, those people are going to get paid the extra, and there's just a lot of hearsay."
According to CCEA, the contract promises raises ranging from 23-25% for teachers and up to 35% for special education and Title I teachers. However, some teachers feel that the raise, while significant, is not sufficient considering the increasing workload.
One aspect that disappointed teachers was the absence of a one-time lookback provision in the final contract. This provision would have equalized the pay disparity by placing current employees on the new pay scale based on their experience and education. CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara, however, shifted the blame to the CCEA for not addressing this issue during the bargaining process.
"I feel terrible that we couldn't get it done, but in order to bargain, there are two parties that have to bargain," said Dr. Jara.
Despite these concerns, CCEA insists that no teacher is losing money on their placement and that every teacher is making significantly more with this contract.
Terri Wilson emphasized another pressing issue during the meeting—the shortage of teachers in CCSD. She noted, "We have so many vacancies where children are in classrooms with long-term subs, some of which are just as qualified and wonderful as licensed teachers."
Looking ahead, Wilson hopes that teachers will appreciate the salary increase and encourage more educators to join the union, fostering understanding of the behind-the-scenes processes. "I would like to see morale improved by this great step that we got this time and for us to have more folks join the union and work together, understanding the behind-the-scenes stuff," said Wilson, "because people think that others are doing stuff against them when, really, it's about the process."
