Instead, precious hours are being wasted on things like a vote to fire Superintendent Jara, who has worked as diligently as possible within this current system.. The College of Southern Nevada didnt meet eligibility requirements for the federal designation this year, but college officials say the schools status is still active. Allowing numerous test retakes and mandating minimum scores of 50 percent should push grades higher, even if students know less. As an immigrant, and as a child who worked his way out of poverty through education, and as a parent, I understand whats at stake for all the children we serve, he said in a statement. The North Las Vegas City Council heard a presentation on the findings of a study that the city contracted with Data Insight Partners to do for $45,000. The board has been largely ineffective this year, Brooks said. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died on Memorial Day after a white Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite his pleas for air. Deans focus on punishment. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, Attendees applaud after the board of trustees voted to oust Superintendent Jesus Jara from his position during the Clark County School Board meeting at CCSD Greer Education Center, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. In 1998, CCSD also began a $4.9 billion bond program that sprinkled new schools across the valley, and provided hundreds of millions of dollars in upgrades to existing schools financially rewarding the architects and contractors who then fund school-trustee campaigns. The district accused Davis of negligence after receiving documents that it claimed proved Green fed information to Hunt. As the Clark County School District board of trustees begins town hall meetings this week on selecting a new superintendent, status-quo supporters have started rumbling that CCSD doesnt need an outsider at the helm to rock the boat. Recently fired CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara started out his first week as a lame duck by announcing he was giving raises to 16 of his top staffers - including 15 currently employed people and one Chief Information Officer to be named later. Guzman seconded the motion. Updated June 22, 2023 - 6:34 pm The school police officer involved in an incident at Durango High School who was accused of throwing a student on the ground was not fired and the district will. It came down to only one trustee, Irene Cepeda, changing her mind. The former superintendent said in a statement: As superintendent of the Clark County School District since 2018, my focus has never wavered from working every day to improve the well-being and academic success of our students. Clark County School District's leadership tug-of-war brewed for years These per-pupil funding increases have made working for CCSD very rewarding, financially. My focus on student achievement and well-being have never and will never waiver in my career," he said. They now have ample information on his performance. Teacher's union poll shows majority of voters want CCSD superintendent Though principals cast a vote of no confidence in Jara and he said he would try to save the deans, who handle disciplinary issues, CCSD ultimately ended up phasing out the position. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, 3 found dead in west Las Vegas apartment, man in custody, Derek Carr says Raiders made his wife cry, Fully driverless taxis now on Las Vegas public roads, Kids arent sleeping enough: State studies later school start times, Change or change will be coming: School boards dysfunction target of new law, Nye County school shakeup continues, interim leader selected, CCSD, teachers union begin contract talks amid high tensions, Nye County School District superintendent to challenge voiding of his contract, EDITORIAL: Manipulating CCSD school board size wont change much. He asked to be excused for the evening and he left the meeting after the remarks. EDITORIAL: Where are green shoots of academic recovery? His attorney argues that . This major change comes after trustee Irene Cepeda requested a re-vote. She began in the district as a third-grade teacher at Cram Elementary in 1997. ", WATCH: KJP's possible replacement speaks to the press again ahead of big Biden speech, Biden says Putin is 'clearly' losing the war in 'Iraq', Voters agree with Kari Lake: 81 million votes, my a**, Trump claims 'fake' indictment wouldn't have happened if he were losing to Biden, Kamala Harris open to 'Freedom' line with Converse, Republican voters declare who the real Christian presidential candidate is, Donald Trump dismisses leaked audio: 'This is just another hoax', White House: People are 'just starting to see' benefits of Biden's economic policies. (Scott Sonner/AP), 3 found dead in west Las Vegas apartment, man in custody, Derek Carr says Raiders made his wife cry, Fully driverless taxis now on Las Vegas public roads, North Las Vegas has high teacher vacancy rate, study says, CCSD police officer involved in Durango High School incident not fired, Lawsuit accuses CCSD teacher of putting tape around first graders mouth, Nye County School District superintendent to challenge voiding of his contract, CCSD investigated 5 officers for use of force. Like us on Facebook. The settlement covers $95 thousand dollars in fees for Dr. Jaras attorneys to be paid from the board office budget with no impact to the districts general fund. Why weren't CCSD principals held responsible, and the poorly performing ones fired and the excellent ones given more authority? A district report to the Clark County Commission showed 51.5 percent of students graduated within four years in 2022. That was disruptive and beyond the districts control. CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara listens to a person speak during a CCSD School Board of Trustees meeting at Clark County School District Education Center Thursday, Oct. 28,2021. whose contract was terminated this summer, 5 things to know about signing your child up for kindergarten in CCSD, CCSD explains NLV high school graduation rate amid outcry, 2 North Las Vegas charter schools receive notices of concern from state board, CCSD, teachers union begin contract talks amid high tensions, Here are the 10 largest CCSD elementary, middle and high schools, Only half of North Las Vegas high schoolers graduated in 2022, Is CSN still a Hispanic-Serving Institution? The move thrilled some in the community who considered Jara . Jara has worked well with administrators, Solorio said, and when he talks about the superintendent to parents in the Latino community, they are super proud and see him as someone their children can look up to. "Unfortunately, the majority of this board did not share the same vision for this community and the children will suffer because of it.. Kathia Sotelo, organizer of the Youth Power Project, said in the statement that Cavazos has been an ally to students and has taken personal accountability and initiative to create important changes at CCSD.. But now, as then, cooler heads need to prevail and the board needs to keep Jara. Mr. Jaras actions before the pandemic do little to inspire confidence. During public comments about Cavazos presidency, she asked a public commenter to leave after he yelled out an allegation about Brooks. Charleston County School District's superintendent Donald. Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara was back in his office for the first time in several weeks. Ideally, board members would pull together and support Jara as he continues to lead the district out of the crisis, as opposed to serving a loud group of anti-vax, anti-mask parents whose heads have been filled with misinformation and disinformation on vaccines and COVID safety. EDITORIAL: The As temporary home? Federal designation in question. Commenter John Johnson said that by undoing the termination vote without knowing if Jara even wanted to keep his job, all you're doing is adding fuel to his lawsuit. The Grand Ledge School Board voted to fire Metcalf on Friday. CCSD trustees vote to reverse their decision to terminate Jara; no It is yet to be seen if tumult on the board and the criticism of Jaras managerial style will be muted now that he has decided to stay. Shortly thereafter, Williams who wasnt wearing a mask started arguing with Cavazos, who told her she was out of order. Clark County School Board votes to reverse superintendent's firing And how can you allow principals to remove teachers when CCSD can't or won't get rid of bullying, abusive or unsuccessful principals? Over the past year, distance education resulted in very little learning. Even if such reports are only isolated incidents or dont tell the full story, when coupled with the abject failure of CCSD to successfully educate hundreds of thousands of students over the last 30 years, its clear the district has deep and systemic problems. "If he doesnt understand in his position and at his age that it was extremely offensive, a class isnt going to fix it. I personally would like to see him move on so that we can rebuild, so that you can start working together, because hes just divided us.. My focus on student well-being and academic improvement has not wavered. In that meeting, trustee Linda Cavazos indirectly criticized Jara by saying she felt that he and the board often didnt work as a team of eight.. But Jara doesnt deserve the blame the pandemic does. Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara was back on the job today after trustees rescinded their firing. He loosened classroom disciplinary standards. More recently, between the first firing vote and now, Jara faced backlash after announcing raises for his executive cabinet, although district policy and records show the superintendent is empowered to give his executives raises. The Clark County School District, the fifth-largest in the nation, has about 300,000 students and more than 360 campuses. Unfortunately, a majority of the trustees did not share that vision and this community and our children will suffer because of it.. But one who has commented publicly is Danielle Ford, who acknowledged initiating the item and was also part of the movement to fire Jara in 2020. Numerous interested parties weighed in prior to the meeting. While some members of this board seek to run the operations of the District and micromanage and undermine the staff and me, I have been dedicated to protecting the staff from their overreach and interference. (CCSD photo). The hiring must be approved by the Clark County School Board. After the vote, Jara said that since his arrival his focus has never wavered to improve the well-being and academic success of our students., He said some members of the board have micromanaged him and undermined his staff but noted he was dedicated to protecting his staff from overreach and interference., My focus on student well-being and academic improvement has not wavered, Jara said. Katie Williams had already left the building and refused to put on a mask. In 2020, Ford filed a complaint with the Nevada Commission on Ethics accusing Jara of directing a district lobbyist to meet with a board candidate and of using his position to get his son a job with the lobbyists sheet metal union. This is a fraud on parents and an affront to students who take their classroom work seriously. The former Washoe County School District superintendent whose contract was terminated this summer over the alleged leak of confidential information is the recommended choice for the vacant principal position at West Prep in Las Vegas. The district said it conducts a thorough recruitment process, including working with the school organizational team to ensure that parents and educators are involved in the principal selection process. Clark County trustees oust Superintendent Jesus Jara Dr. Jesus Jara is the superintendent of Clark County Schools in Nevada. There is no place for it among the leaders in Grand Ledge schools, who are expected to value diversity and inclusion, the board said, according to the Associated Press. (KSNV file photo) 0 LAS VEGAS (KSNV) Clark County School District (CCSD) Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara announced Wednesday, Jan. 16, that he has made selections for two of the available. As with an initial vote last month to terminate him, the board was split 4-3 early Friday in reversing its decision. The acrimonious battle between Traci Davis and the Washoe school board centered on the termination of Jenny Ricci Hunt, who sued the district in 2018 claiming wrongful termination, the Reno Gazette-Journal has previously reported. A Michigan school district superintendent was voted out of office over a social media post placing some blame on George Floyd for his death in police custody. And in a stunning turn of events, Jara was bounced from his position. Jaras removal came after two hours of passionate public comment and contentious debate between trustees in the districts cramped board meeting room. The reasons behind todays ouster attempt arent clear, but it appears that anti-vaccination, anti-mask forces might be behind it. Federal designation in question, Nye County school shakeup continues, interim leader selected. Superintendent Jesus Jara agrees to settlement with CCSD trustees The vote came about 12:30 a.m. In a time of abundant uncertainty, our district needs stability, said Trustee Evelyn Garcia Morales, who voted in favor of Jara. Board president Linda Cavazos was notified by district counsel that Dr. Jara will not be at the . The board today is scheduled to consider firing Jara, who in July 2020 faced a similar ouster attempt that was short-circuited when the trustees voted 4-3 to halt a special meeting before considering the matter. motion to oust her from her position was retaliation, 5 things to know about signing your child up for kindergarten in CCSD, CCSD explains NLV high school graduation rate amid outcry, North Las Vegas has high teacher vacancy rate, study says, 2 North Las Vegas charter schools receive notices of concern from state board, Here are the 10 largest CCSD elementary, middle and high schools, CCSD police officer involved in Durango High School incident not fired, Only half of North Las Vegas high schoolers graduated in 2022, Is CSN still a Hispanic-Serving Institution? For the last 30 years, subservient to its unions, CCSD has let both the worst-performing principals and teachers continue working with students. Thats a removal rate of around one-tenth of 1 percent in a district everyone acknowledges is failing. The changes on the school board come after months of back and forth between the board and Superintendent Warren Shillingburg after the board extended his contract in December. In 2019, he fired school deans before rehiring them. His base salary is $320,000 a year. Even though Nevada's high school exit exam covers primarily ninth-grade level material, thousands of CCSD students fail the exam and subsequent retests every year. McNeill replaced former Superintendent Traci Davis, whose firing in 2019 led to a $70,000 settlement in a retirement benefits lawsuit. Aside from everything else, children are watching, families are watching., Dave Berns, news producer, Nevada Public Radio, PublishedDecember 6, 2021 at 2:48 PM PST, clark county school district superintendent. But she continued to Tweet during the meetinghere is just one example of her posts. The district in largely conservative northeast Nevada has seen contentious debate about coronavirus mitigation mask mandates, staff vaccine requirements and COVID-19 testing. And in a stunning turn of events, Jara was bounced from his position. He gutted entrance requirements for high school magnet programs. While West Preps elementary school is two stars and high school is four stars, its middle school has remained at one star. He made a good-faith effort to uphold his responsibility to provide the best education possible while protecting students and staff. Education Week reported that Nevada's 2007 graduation rate had plummeted to 41.8 percent, falling over 23 percentage points in just a decade. Jara, who was hired in 2018 and received a contract extension last May, moved his face mask aside and offered parting words that alluded to behind-the-scenes conflict with the seven-member board, then got up and left. Social workers and psychologists focus on problems that lead to bad behavior. Clark County School District trustees didnt specify a reason for their 4-3 vote to end Superintendent Jesus Jaras contract for convenience.. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, Alexis Salt, left, Indian Springs Elementary School teacher, and Dolly Rowan, Culley Elementary School teacher, hug each other after the board of trustees voted to oust Superintendent Jesus Jara from his position during the Clark County School Board meeting at CCSD Greer Education Center, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. School board president: CCSD's stability trumps politics Schools and district administrative offices were closed Friday for the Nevada Day state holiday. Clearly, the losers here are the kids, but hey, there were adults in the room, right. It essentially means Cavazos remains president, but the item could be brought back at a future meeting. Stability comes from consistency.. In a statement late Wednesday, the Vegas Chamber urged the board not to move forward on these divisive agenda items.. About 35 people signed up in advance to provide a public comment regarding Jaras contract and dozens more signed up at the meeting. The obvious starting place is that principals are unionized. Mr. Jara also pushed to centralize the zone variance process, which allows parents to select schools outside their neighborhoods. The Clark County School Board voted 4-to-3 early Friday morning to rescind last month's firing of Superintendent Jesus Jara. Mr. Jara came on board in 2018 saying he had a real clear focus on being the No. Attorney John Bailey identified Trustees Linda Cavazos, Danielle Ford, and Lisa Guzman. Published November 22, 2021 at 2:36 PM PST. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, Superintendent Jesus Jara speaks after the board of trustees voted to oust him from his position during the Clark County School Board meeting at CCSD Greer Education Center, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, Delilah Schulz, 9, and her mother Sarah Comroe, Rancho High School teacher, leave the podium after speaking during the Clark County School Board meeting at CCSD Greer Education Center, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. Jara had faced criticism about information his administration provided to the board and state lawmakers, as well as his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @bizutesfaye, Suynn Davis of Las Vegas speaks about racism in school during the Clark County School Board meeting at CCSD Greer Education Center, on Thursday, Oct. 28, 2021, in Las Vegas. But leaders are paid to adapt and overcome, not to be swept helplessly along by current events. Both Green and Hunt faced allegations of bullying as an outside firm investigated harassment and a hostile work environment within the department. Only secretary Christina Aspaas voted against the decision. The statistic was part of the Clark County School Districts quarterly report to the Clark County Commission. If I was his attorney, I would use this as more evidence to show how you guys are trying to escape the blame Theyre trying to give me my job back if I don't sue them.. The results were painful, as many students and their families struggled with remote learning and returned to classes this year having fallen behind in their learning. The Clark County School Board has rescinded Superintendent Jesus Jaras firing. Michigan school district superintendent fired over placing blame on I wont walk away from them. EDITORIAL: Hunter cops a plea but the Biden probes continue, EDITORIAL: Democrats for democracy: keeping names off the ballot, EDITORIAL: New sheriff takes unfortunate path on accountability, EDITORIAL: Draconian COVID restrictions did more harm than good. CCSD Superintendent Resigns - KSJE 90.9 FM Brooks made a motion to table the agenda item until Jan. 4, 2023. A deeply split Clark County School Board voted 4-3 Thursday night to terminate Jara's contract "for convenience," meaning it. In a text message, Davis said she is still going through the hiring process and it would not be appropriate for her to comment. Charleston County schools superintendent Gerrita Postlewait resigns The statistic was part of the Clark County School Districts quarterly report to the Clark County Commission. Clark County School District Superintendent Jesus Jara listens to a question from a reporter during a news conference at Petersen Elementary School Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2021. . At some point, one might even call it a pattern. Fired Washoe superintendent recommended for CCSD principal job How about Las Vegas? His termination was the literal only ray of sunshine in this dumpster fire of a school year for all of us as staff., Special education teacher Dolly Rowan said she feared the decision would be part of the destruction of our district., Bringing Jara back is not going to help build Clark County School District, she said. Brian Metcalf said on Facebook that . We strongly urge that local residents not let these board members get away with their behavior, but rather to turn out in support of Jara. LAS VEGAS (KLAS) After being fired from his position in October, the decision was made to rescind the action and reinstate Superintendent Dr. Jesus Jara which took place last month. Although Hunt was fired, Green reached a settlement agreement with the district in 2018, the newspaper previously reported. Its infuriating that members of the board have gone gunning for him without offering anything resembling a clear and compelling reason, but simply by sliding an item onto the agenda. The Clark County School Board voted unanimously to pay law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP up to $595 per hour to assist during employee contract negotiations. He has faced criticism over his erroneous statements to the board and state legislators, as well as his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the decision to operate with 100 percent distance education for about a year starting in March 2020. Members of the Youth Power Project and Make the Road Nevada issued a statement Thursday saying theyre firmly opposed to removing Cavazos as board president. He said theres too much bickering on the board, noting trustees need to think about students and employees. Matt Newburg, a parent, criticized the initial decision. McNeill replaced former Superintendent Traci Davis, whose firing in 2019 led to a $70,000 settlement in a retirement benefits lawsuit. Jara becomes the sixth schools chief to be removed among the largest seven districts in the country, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara, left, speaks with John Vellardita, executive director of the Clark County Education Association, at Desert Pines High School in Las Vegas in May 2022. With this group, it's very hard to do predictions, said Dave Berns, a Nevada Public Radio news producer who covers educations.